Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-11
Failure of Egyptian
Settlement a Setback
BY A. G. GARDINER,
England's Greatest Liberal Editor.

LONDON, May 10.-Troubles thicken
about the path of Ramsay Macdonald's
government. While the cloud that hangs
over India darkens, warning Of storm
that Ii TO come Is once more hoisted
In Egypt.
The breakdown after six weeks of ne
gotiations between Foreign Minister
Henderson and Nahas Pasha occurred
after an almost uninterrupted sitting
for 10 hours, and, though some of the
Conservatives cheered the announce
ment Of the fact in the House of Com
mons, responsible opinion here deplores
the failure. which threatens to delay the
withdrawal Of the British occupation Of
Egypt.
The terms of that withdrawal, toward
which Liberal opinion in England has
long been moving, seemed assured of
acceptance, but the victory of the Ex-
tremist party at Cairo resulted In new
to surrender and Henderson was unable
TO concede.
In regard to the terms affecting the
Egyptian withdrawal, complete agree
ment was reached. The breakdown
came on the purely external question Of
the government of the Sudan. The
conversion of this great desert region
into the prosperous, well governed ter
ritory 1t Is today is perhaps the great
est achievement in the records of Brit
ish administration. The form of gov
eminent Is an Anglo-Egyptian condo
minimum with an English executive.
Under this system the Sudan has be-
come q settled and fiourishing country,
and the condition Of the fellaheen
peasant has been revolutionized. But
Egypt has set up claims to sovereign
rights and, as q condition Of the accept
ance of the treaty, demands unre-
stricted right Of immigration into the
Sudan and submission Of the question
Of the condominium to the international
court.
On both points Henderson was in
flexible. In regard to unrestricted i'm
migration, it Is pointed out that all Wis
ttors to the Sudan, British or Egyptian,
are compelled to obtain permit from
the Sudanese government. The neces-
sity Of such q provision is illustrated
by the mutiny which resulted in the
assassination of Stack, the head Of the
Sudanese government, which was no
toriously the work of agitators from
Egypt. But the restrictions. while nee
essary in the interests Of q peaceful de-
velopment Of the Sudan, have never
been . barrier to legitimate immigra-
ton. which Is increasing from the pop
ulation Of Egypt and which the agri-
cultural requirements of the Sudan
make advisable.
As to the submission of the con-
dominium rule to the judgment of an
international court, that never has been
contemplated, though some Liberal
opinion is not unfriendly to the idea,
especially in view of the fact that the
contrast between the condition of the
Sudan today and its condition when
Egyptian rule reduced It to desolation
could not fail to impress any impartial
court with the wisdom of the present
administration. Certainly, the Sudanese
themselves have too vivid q memory of
the past to desire the return of condi-
lions when fire, slaughter and fanati-
cism desolated and depopulated their
country.
In any circumstances the introduce
ton OF these proposals as condition
OF the acceptance Of the British with
drawal from Egypt Is entirely irrelevant
and provocative. The assumption Of
the Wafdist Extremists that the Labor
government Is more squeezable In this |
matter than that Of any other party |
Is an entirely mistaken one. No con-
government could contemplate |
the restoring to the Sudan of the min !
gled corruption and incompetence of |
Egyptian miSrule and the destruction |
Of the redemptive work of. the past 80 |
years. Such betrayal of the Sudanese |
population Is outside the scope Of prac-
teal discussion.
X X
But the breakdown Of the conference |
Is none the less regrettable. It means 1
that the whole situation in Egypt Is /
thrown back into disorder and the with
drawal policy suspended. Nahas Pasha
and the delegation now on the way
home face disappointment ut the fail
lre OF the extravagant dreams which
the Wafdist Extremists have encour-
aged. In snatching at the shadow they
have dropped the substance. but Ar
thur Henderson states that the door Is
still open. England desires to carry out
he withdrawal from Egypt, but 1t must
De on the terms stated in the treaty
Ind without regard TO any sacrifice Of
he interests OF the sudan or the SUI
ianese people.
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