Evening star., 1952-09-09
Egypt's Revolution Progresses

The bloodleSS revolution which has been
going on in Egypt in recent weeks has entered
new and critical phase.
General Naguib, chairman of the nine-man
army junta that engineered the July coup and
subsequent abdication of Farouk, has taken
formal possession of the premiership to set up
what appears to be military dictatorship. The
announced purpose of the move is to hasten
and to assure three steps calculated to improve
the health of the nation: (D The purglng Of
entrenched corruption in political life, ca re-
forms in a land-ownership system which has
e. been oppressive morally and economically, (3)
the Stabilizing of an economic structure which
is suffering from the worldwide epidemic of
imitation.
All are objectives which were pronounced in
the first days of the revolutionary coup put on
which progress has been slow or negligible under
the divided authority of the Naguib-Maher
administration.
The sore of political corruption has had
two points Of continuing infection One has
been the Wafd Party, the strongest and best
organized of the political organizations, which
in the past six weeks had given increasing evi-
dence of unwilingness to set Its own house in
order. The other has been the remnant Of the
palace regime of Farouk, hopeful perhaps that
it might intrigue itself back into position Of
important influence. The Naguib treatment
was to round up for internment more than two
score individuals who were considered obstructing
this objective of the administration a maneuver
which may be considered highhanded but which
probably will be effective.
The remaining two objectives are not likely
to lend themselves so easily to arbitrary treat
ment. land-reform program by which private
estates would be limited to 200 acres with the
felahin permitted to buy their farming lands
has been drafted. Although such an extreme
reform may have salutary effect upon the
political morale, there is question about the
administrative problem and serious concern over
the possible effects upon the agricultural produc-
tivity Plans for public economy, tax revision
and possibly price controls have been considered
on the economic front but there is no easy
panacea by which any form Of government can
successfully combat the virus of imitation.
General Naguib has not yet indicated any
haste to tackle Egypt's external problems, such
as the Anglo-Egyptian dispute, participation in
a Middle East defense organization, or resolu-
ton of the deep-seated differences with Israel
In assembling civilian cabinet, he has seated
six members from the Nationalist Party, gen.
orally considered as anti-British and one from
the Moslem Brotherhood, militant pan-Arab
group One of the critical questions arises in
attempting to foresee the influence OF this
advisory circle.
Anti-foreign sentiment was distraction
employed particularly by the Wafd and revival
of this tactic could hardly help the country's
domestic reforms and could seriously damage
its aspirations for respect and assistance abroad
Thus far General Naguib has not fallen into this.
trap and it is to be hoped that he will not allow
his revised cabinet to steer him into 1t now.