CORRESPONDENCE between the British Chargé d'Affaires in Egypt and the President of the Egyptian Council of Ministers concerning the Military Measures necessary for the Defence of Egypt.-Cairo, November 7, 1914.* No. 1.—Mr. Cheetham to His Excellency Hussein Ruchdi Pasha. M. LE MINISTRE, British Agency, Cairo, November 7, 1914. I HAVE the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of a proclamation which has been promulgated by the General Officer Commanding the British Forces in Egypt. You will see from this proclamation that the General Officer Commanding takes entire responsibility, during the continuance of hostilities, for all military measures necessary for the defence of Egypt, as well as for all measures relating to this defence, while the Egyptian Ministers retain the direction of the purely civil services of their respective Departments. I avail, &c. His Excellency Hussein Ruchdi Pasha, MILNE CHEETHAM. No. 2.-Hussein Ruchdi Pasha to Mr. Cheetham. M. LE GÉRANT, Le Caire, le 7 novembre, 1914. J'AI pris connaissance de la nouvelle proclamation du Général Commandant en Chef des Forces britanniques en Égypte que Vous venez de me transmettre. Vu l'absence de Son Altesse le Khédive, dont nous tenons notre mandat, j'ai l'honneur de vous faire connaître que nous continuerons, mes collègues et moi, à assurer les services civils de nos départements respectifs, afin de ne pas interrompre, au détriment de la population, la vie administrative du pays. Veuillez agréer, &c., Le Président du Conseil des Ministres, M. Milne Cheetham, C.M.G., Gérant l'Agence diplomatique de la Grande-Bretagne en Égypte. Egyptian "Journal officiel," Supplement, November 7, 1914. + See page 434. PROCLAMATION by the General Officer Commanding-inchief the British Forces in Egypt extending to Turkey the application of the provisions of the Decision of the Egyptian Council of Ministers of August 5, 1914, relative to the Defence of Egypt.-Cairo, November 7, 1914.* I, JOHN GRENFELL MAXWELL, in exercise of the powers vested in me as Lieutenant-General Commanding His Britannic Majesty's Forces in Egypt, hereby order as follows: In view of the state of war existing between Great Britain and Turkey, all the provisions of the Decision of the Egyptian Council of Ministers, dated 5th August, 1914,† and issued upon the occasion of the outbreak of war between His Majesty and the German Emperor, shall apply to the Ottoman Empire, save only that Ottoman merchant-ships being in or entering Egyptian ports shall not be given any days of grace in which to depart therefrom. Cairo, November 7, 1914. J. G. MAXWELL, Lieutenant-General, Commanding His Britannic Majesty's Forces in Egypt God save the King! PROCLAMATION by the General Officer Commanding-inchief the British Forces in Egypt announcing the Estab lishment of a British Protectorate over Egypt.-Cairo, December 18, 1914.‡ His Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs gives notice that, in view of the state of war arising out of the action of Turkey, Egypt is placed under the protection of His Majesty and will henceforth constitute a British Protec torate. The suzerainty of Turkey over Egypt is thus terminated, and His Majesty's Government will adopt all measures necessary for the defence of Egypt, and protect its inhabitants and interests. Cairo, December 18, 1914. Egyptian "Journal officiel," Supplement, November 7, 1914. † See page 429. Egyptian "Journal officiel," December 18, 1914. PROCLAMATION by the General Officer Commanding-inchief the British Forces in Egypt relative to the Deposition of His Highness Abbas Hilmi Pasha and the Acceptance of the Khediviate, with the title of Sultan of Egypt, by His Highness Prince Hussein Kamel Pasha.-Cairo, December 19, 1914.* ". His Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs gives notice that, in view of the action of His Highness Abbas Hilmi Pasha, lately Khedive of Egypt, who has adhered to the King's enemies, His Majesty's Government have seen fit to depose him from the Khediviate, and that high dignity has been offered, with the title of Sultan of Egypt, to His Highness Prince Hussein Kamel Pasha, eldest living Prince of the family of Mohammed Ali, and has been accepted by him. Cairo, December 19, 1914. BRITISH NOTE addressed to His Highness Prince Hussein Kamel Pasha respecting the Establishment of a British Protectorate over Egypt, and his Acceptance of the Khediviate, with the title of Sultan of Egypt.- December 19, 1914.* Mr. Cheetham to His Highness Prince Hussein Kamel Pasha. YOUR HIGHNESS, December 19, 1914. I AM instructed by His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to bring to the notice of your Highness the circumstances preceding the outbreak of war between His Britannic Majesty and the Sultan of Turkey and the changes which the war entails in the status of Egypt. In the Ottoman Cabinet there were two parties. On the one side was a moderate party, mindful of the sympathy extended by Great Britain to every effort towards reform in Turkey, who recognized that in the war in which His Majesty was already engaged no Turkish interests were concerned, and welcomed the assurance of His Majesty and his Allies that neither in Egypt nor elsewhere would the war be used as a pretext for any action injurious to Ottoman interests. On the other side a band of unscrupulous military adventurers looked to find in a war of aggression, waged in concert with His Majesty's enemies, the means of retrieving the disasters, military, financial, and economic, into which they had already plunged their country. Egyptian "Journal officiel," December 19, 1914. Hoping to the last that wiser counsels might prevail, His Majesty and his Allies, in spite of repeated violations of their rights, abstained from retaliatory action until compelled thereto by the crossing of the Egyptian frontier by armed bands and by unprovoked attacks on Russian open ports by the Turkish naval forces under German officers. His Majesty's Government are in possession of ample evidence that ever since the outbreak of war with Germany His Highness Abbas Hilmi Pasha, late Khedive of Egypt, has definitely thrown in his lot with His Majesty's enemies. From the facts above set out, it results that the rights over Egypt, whether of the Sultan, or of the late Khedive, are forfeit to His Majesty. His Majesty's Government have already, through the General Officer Commanding His Majesty's Forces in Egypt, accepted exclusive responsibility for the defence of Egypt in the present war. It remains to lay down the form of the future Government of the country, freed, as I have stated, from all rights of suzerainty or other rights heretofore claimed by the Ottoman Government. Of the rights thus accruing to His Majesty, no less than of those exercised in Egypt during the last thirty years of reform, His Majesty's Government regard themselves as trustees for the inhabitants of Egypt. And His Majesty's Government have decided that Great Britain can best fulfil the responsibilities she has incurred toward Egypt by the formal declaration of a British Protectorate, and by the government of the country under such Protectorate by a Prince of the Khedivial family. In these circumstances I am instructed by His Majesty's Government to inform your Highness that, by reason of your age and experience, you have been chosen as the Prince of the family of Mehemet Ali most worthy to occupy the Khedivial position, with the title and style of the Sultan of Egypt; and, in inviting your Highness to accept the responsibilities of your high office, I am to give you the formal assurance that Great Britain accepts the fullest responsibility for the defence of the territories under your Highness against all aggression whencesoever coming; and His Majesty's Government authorize me to declare that after the establishment of the British Protectorate now announced all Egyptian subjects wherever they may be will be entitled to receive the protection of His Majesty's Government. With the Ottoman suzerainty there will disappear the restrictions heretofore placed by the Ottoman firmans upon the numbers and organisation of your Highness's army and upon the grant by your Highness of honorific distinctions. As regards foreign relations, His Majesty's Government deem it most consistent with the new responsibilities assumed by Great Britain that the relations between your Highness's Government and the representatives of foreign Powers should henceforth be conducted through His Majesty's representative in Cairo. His Majesty's Government have repeatedly placed on record that the system of treaties, known as the Capitulations, by which your Highness's Government is bound, are no longer in harmony with the development of the country; but, in the opinion of His Majesty's Government, the revision of those treaties may most conveniently be postponed until the end of the present war. In the field of internal administration, I am to remind your Highness that, in consonance with the traditions of British policy, it has been the aim of His Majesty's Government, while working through and in the closest association with the constituted Egyptian authorities, to secure individual liberty, to promote the spread of education, to further the development of the natural resources of the country, and, in such measure as the degree of enlightenment of public opinion may permit, to associate the governed in the task of government. Not only is it the intention of His Majesty's Government to remain faithful to such policy, but they are convinced that the clearer definition of Great Britain's position in the country will accelerate progress towards self-government. The religious convictions of Egyptian subjects will be scrupulously respected as are those of His Majesty's own subjects, whatever their creed. Nor need I affirm to your Highness that, in declaring Egypt free from any duty of obedience to those who have usurped political power at Constantinople, His Majesty's Government are animated by no hostility towards the Caliphate. The past history of Egypt shows, indeed, that the loyalty of Egyptian Mahommedans towards the Caliphate is independent of any political bonds between Egypt and Constantinople. The strengthening and progress of Mahommedan institutions in Egypt is naturally a matter in which His Majesty's Government take a deep interest and with which your Highness will be specially concerned, and in carrying out such reforms as may be considered necessary, your Highness may count upon the sympathetic support of His Majesty's Government. I am to add that His Majesty's Government rely with confidence upon the loyalty, the good sense, and self-restraint of Egyptian subjects to facilitate the task of the General Officer Commanding His Majesty's Forces, who is entrusted with the maintenance of internal order, and with the prevention of the rendering of aid to the enemy. December 19, 1914. I avail, &c. MILNE CHEETHAM. |