Flat Defy

The British Empire has maintained its intervention policy in Egypt for 45 years--to protect the Suez Canal, chief artery of British trade.

Last week Egyptian public opinion continued hostile to the new treaty proposed by Great Britain which would confirm while slightly relaxing her intervention (TIME, March 12). As a result no Cabinet could be formed to succeed that of Sarwat Pasha who tendered his resignation last fortnight.

The situation was one calling for a British statement to clear the air. This British Foreign Secretary Sir Austen Chamberlain provided, by issuing a White Book covering the treaty negotiations. In his introduction Sir Austen penned an amazing paragraph: "I could recall the sincerity with which the Ministers [of Queen Victoria] declared that our occupation [of Egypt] was only temporary and would be withdrawn at the earliest possible moment. But circumstances proved too strong for us. The moment of withdrawal never came and the events of the intervening 45 years have shown that neither of us could escape from a situation in which God had placed us, or evade the mutual relations which the situation imposed upon us."

Observers were vexed to find the Deity so hypocritically invoked by a statesman who recently received the Nobel Peace Prize (TIME, Dec. 20, 1926). They agreed that he had flung a flat defy at Egypt.

Mme. Zaghlul, widow of the great anti-British statesman Zaghlul Pasha (1860-1927), was active at Cairo last week in checking ill-timed anti-British riots by Members of his party, the Wafd. She and servants played a fire hose on certain rioters. Others, unchecked, lost their heads so completely that they mistook for an Englishman and attacked the Principal of the American College outside of Cairo, Dr. Charles P. Russel of Hastings, Neb. At him was thrown acid which burned him, though not dangerously.