Evening star., 1952-03-03
Egypt's New Government

There are few countries on the globe today
where change in government does not have
interest and significance to the rest Of the world
Certainly Egypt, standing midway between East
and West and recognized leader of the whole
1slamic bloc, is one Of those where internal
political developments may indeed have i'm
portant bearing upon the conduct and the future
OF many peoples beyond its borders.
So it is that the sudden resignation last
Saturday morning of Ally Maher Pasha as
Premier aroused initial misgivings here Maher
Pasha, politically non affiliated with any party,
had taken office in late January as an aftermath
of the anti-foreign mob violence which ragged
through Cairo for most of one week end At the
head Of coalition government, and with the
firm backing of King Farouk, he had restored
civil order and initiated action toward certain
urgently needed domestic reforms. More i'm
portantly to the outside world perhaps, he had
created new atmosphere for Anglo Egyptian
discussions on the bitterly disputed issues of the
Suez and Sudan and on the very morning of his
resignation had been scheduled to confer on
these problems with the British Ambassador in
Cairo.
There had been signs, however, that Maher
Pasha was in danger Of becoming prisoner of
his own willingness to compromise. The Wafd
Party, headed by NahaS PaSha, Maher's ousted
predecessor as Premier, has still controlled the
Parliament and has been in position to exercise
veto power over the program of the Maher
government. BY not pressing upon the King a
request that the Parliament be dissolved, Maher
Pasha had indicated his preference for a course
which could be kept within boundaries approved
by the Wafdists. 1t was choice which did not
meet the unanimous approval of his own cabinet,
or Of King Farouk. Basically, 1t was the issue
on which the resignation came.
It is too early yet to predict exactly how the
new Premier, Ahmed Naguib Hilaly Pasha, will
deal with the problems facing him. He has
started by announcing the suspension of Parlia-
ment for q month, move which will give him
the freedom of political action which Maher
did not grasp The new Premier is jurist by
profession and has reputation for honesty and
integrity In public life. It was, in fact his re-
pudiation OF Wafdist corruption that led him to
terminate long ahiliation with that party.
Some Of Hilalys cabinet selections, hold
overs from the Maher government, indicate that
one Of his first and major concerns will be to
carry on the program of social and economic
reforms which these same ministers initiated
under Maher Pasha. In the long term, their
implementaton could contribute substantially
to a new political stability in Egypt and perhaps,
in turn, in the entire Middle East.
AS 1oE LIle AnglO-EgypLlan dispute, tnere Is
no doubt Hialy will stand by what have become
known as the legitimate national aspirations of
the Egyptian people. These are the evacuation
of British troops from the Suez area and new
political deal in the Sudan which could be re-
garded as progress toward unity of the Nile
Valley. The question will be in what manner
and with what vigor he presses for these objec-
tives. His only comment on the subject since
taking Office is that his cabinet Will give priority
to study OF the case, with the implication that
direct conversations with the British will not be
asked until such cabinet study is completed. It
is believed likely that the Middle East command
proposal, an area security pact, also will b
reviewed by the new government. The position
taken on these two issues will show what
Egypt's foreign policy is to be under Hilaly
Pasha. The very action of dissolving the Parlia-
ment indicates that 1t will be a policy lacking
the extremism of the Wafdist leadership The
augury is good one, both for Egypt and the
West.