Parliamentary Papers

His

to data relative to the operation of the Sennar Dam in order to satisfy themselves that the distribution of the waters is effected in conformity with the rules laid down in the said report. Britannic Majesty's Government will give all possible assistance to the Egyptian Government to enable them to carry out in their own interest and at their own expense the conservancy works contemplated in the said report in a manner compatible with the interests of the local authorities concerned. The Egyptian Government will bear the expense of any subsidiary works or cash payments which may be agreed upon as necessary to compensate local interests for the damage or dislocation occasioned by the said conservancy works. His Majesty the King of Egypt, in view of his interest in the preservation of peace in the Sudan and on the southern frontier of Egypt, will continue his present contribution to the cost of the administration of the Sudan until the high contracting parties agree that circumstances justify a revision of this arrangement.

ARTICLE 14.

Nothing in the present treaty is intended to or shall in any way prejudice the rights and obligations which devolve or may devolve upon either of the high contracting parties under the Covenant of the League of Nations.

ARTICLE 15.

The detailed arrangements for carrying certain provisions of the present treaty into effect form the subject of the annex to the present treaty, which shall have the same validity and duration as the treaty.

ARTICLE 16.

The high contracting parties, although convinced that by reason of the precise definitions laid down above as to the nature of the relations between the two countries no misunderstanding is to be anticipated between them, agree, nevertheless, in their anxiety to maintain their good relations, that any disagreement on the subject of the application or of the interpretation of these provisions which they are unable to settle by direct negotiation shall be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the Covenant of the League of Nations.

ANNEX.

1. During the period mentioned in the last paragraph of article 5 of the treaty the peace strength of the Egyptian army shall not exceed 12,250 men serving with the colours. In order that liaison may be maintained between the British and Egyptian forces and their training co-ordinated, the measures defined in the notes exchanged between His Britannic Majesty's representative

and the President of the Council of Ministers and dated the 29th May and the 3rd, 13th and 14th June, 1927, respectively, will remain effective during the same period.

2. His Britannic Majesty's Government will furnish the Egyptian Government with such instructional and technical personnel and with such instructional facilities as may from time to time be agreed upon by the two Governments. The Egyptian Government will not cause their personnel to be trained abroad except in Great Britain.

3. His Britannic Majesty's Government will furnish the Egyptian Government at cost price with the requisite armament, munitions and supplies not produced in Egypt, and the Egyptian Government agree to obtain these from no other source.

4. The privileges and immunities at present enjoyed by the British forces in Egypt shall continue. During the period mentioned in the last paragraph of article 5 of the treaty the Egyptian Government will continue to place at the disposal of the said forces, free of charge, the land and buildings at present occupied by them.

5. The Egyptian Government will prohibit the passage of aircraft over the territory situated on either side of the Suez Canal and within 20 kilom. of it. This prohibition will not, however, apply to the forces mentioned in article 5 of the treaty or to services already established under existing agreements.

6. The European Department of the Ministry of the Interior will be retained, and the Egyptian Government will not modify, except in agreement with His Britannic Majesty's Government, the number or functions of the British officials now serving in that Department and in the City police forces.

No. 4.

Memorandum by the Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs covering Observations by Sarwat Pasha on proposed Treaty with Egypt.-(Draft of July 28.)

SARWAT PASHA called to see me at the Embassy this afternoon to communicate to me the observations which he had promised me in London on the subject of the draft treaty which had been handed to him by Sir Austen Chamberlain.

He explained that it was incumbent upon him to express frankly his personal views in regard to certain of the provisions, and it was his hope that his criticisms would be examined at the Foreign Office in anticipation of the visit which he hoped to pay to Sir Austen Chamberlain in the course of October for the purpose of continuing

the discussion which had been begun with him. He made it clear to me that in the meantime he expected no reply whatsoever.

I read the draft through in Sarwat Pasha's presence, and, after perusal, I indicated to him that I was a little discouraged as his comments seemed to raise issues of fundamental difficulty which would impede a satisfactory conclusion to his conversations with Sir Austen for which both sides hoped. In the matter of the troops, for instance, was I to conclude that his comments meant a return on his part to the proposal he had originally submitted to Sir Austen Chamberlain? Similarly, in the matter of the Sudan, I explained to him that the position had fundamentally changed since 1922, and that it would be quite impossible for His Majesty's Government to contemplate any arrangement which meant a reversal of the existing position in the Sudan. In other respects, notably in the question of interference on behalf of foreign interests, there seemed to be a divergence between the views he held and those which had been embodied in the draft communicated to him by Sir Austen Chamberlain. I made these preliminary and necessarily superficial comments as I wished to be clear as to the exact meaning and intention of the new document.

Sarwat Pasha said that it was not his intention that the document he was communicating should be regarded as in any way a final statement of his position. He had drawn it up with the express purpose of elucidating certain apparent conflicts in our draft with a view to their receiving the attention of the Foreign Office. If I would read his document again I would perceive he was prepared to agree that His Majesty's Government should have all the necessary specific guarantees for the protection of foreign interests. British commandants would continue to control the police forces in the principal cities. This could be agreed by an exchange of notes or otherwise. The European Bureau of the Interior would be retained if His Majesty's Government so desired, although Sarwat Pasha said he felt bound to point out that in his own experience as Minister of the Interior he had already observed an inconvenient conflict of jurisdiction between the Bureau and the British heads of the Cities Police.

On the question of the troops he said that, while he had made his comments, he wished that matter set aside for the time being, and made it clear to me that in spite of our proposals not having come up to his hopes, he was not unsanguine of being able to find a solution if the other matters were disposed of.

Similarly, in the matter of the Sudan, while he did not hold out any hope of being able to carry an agreement of the kind we had submitted to him in Egypt, he could see no reason why mention of the Sudan should not be omitted altogether and reserved for settlement for a more favourable occasion in the future. After all, he said, what have His Majesty's Government got to lose by such an omission? The status quo would be maintained, and as His Majesty's Government have the whole control in their hands, he did not see how it could be disadvantageous to His Majesty's Government if a final settlement as regards the Sudan were post