Evening star., 1924-10-08
MACDONALD RIGID
ON EGYPTIAN ISSUE
Announces Failure to Agree
With ZagIoul on Canal
or Sudan.
BY the Ass0cia ted Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON. October S.-A letter writ
ten by Premier Macdonald declaring
that the attitude adopted by Said
Zagloul Pasha, the Egyptian premier
has rendered impossible for the pres
ent an agreement between the Brit
iSh and Egyptian governments on the
questions left for eventual settlement
when the British protectorate was
withdrawn in 1922. has been issued by
the foreign Office in the form of Il
white paper.
The letter is addressed to the Brit
ish high commissioner for Egypt and
the Sudan. 1t says that pending some
future agreement between the two
countries the duty of preserving or
der in the Sudan rests in fact. upon
his majesty's government. And"
premier adds, they will take every
step necessary for this purpose"
Made Five Demands.
In the course Of conversations he
tween the premier and Zagloul Pasha
the latter made five demands for
notifications in the Egyptian status
quo. namely, withdrawal Of all the
British forces from Egyptian terri
tory; withdrawal of the financial and
judicial advisers; disappearance Of all
British control over the Egyptian
government, notably in connection
with foreign relations: abandonment
by the British government of their
claim to protect foreigners and
minorities in Egypt and abandonment
L. the British of their claim to share
in any way in protecting the Suez
Canal
Il raised the question of the canal
straightaway." writes the premier
ic Of in
terest to US. both in peace and in
war" and he goes on to declare that
no British government in the light
of it's experience in the great war
could divert itself wholly, even in
favor Of an ally, of its interest in
guarding such vital link in British
communications
Must Have Securities.
Such a security must be a feature
of any agreement come to between
our two governments" he continues,
"and l see no reason why accommo-
dation is impossible, given good will"
There is nothing in the letter to
show that the British prime minister
came any nearer to agreeing to
Zaglouls other demands than he did
in the matter of the canal. He de-
clares that the British do not intend
to control or direct the Egyptian
government policy and contends that
effective cooperation between Great
Britain and Egypt in protecting the
Suez communications might have
been insured by concluding a treaty
of close alliance
Mr.. Macdonald also holds that the
presence of British force in Egypt
provided for in such treaty would in
no way be incompatible with Egypt
Ian independence"
Weakness Of Status Quo.
The letter says the British have no
desire to disturb existing arrange
mentS, but points out that a status
quo which allows both military and
civil officers to conspire against civil
order is intolerable."
The prime minister considers il his
duty to conserve unimpaired" the
position of the British in Egypt and
the Sudan as outlined by his letter.
so far as my conversation with
Lagioul Pasha turned on the question
OF the Sudan" the letter concludes,
they have only served to show his
persistence in the attitude disclosed
oy his previous public utterances