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1 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins Please note that this copy is supplied subject to the Public Record Office's terms and conditions and that your use of it may be subject to copyright restrictions. Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of Public Records' leaflet J AFRICAN DEPARTMENT FROM I\JL*> fr&iiJCJirt^ 1 No. Dated V Received in Registry — M **i J /f 3 .• REFERENCES MINUTES (Print) 77-*- (How disposed of) -P>W#Jt.' " y (Action (Index) completed) -7 <\ 39984 1 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins I 1 i 2 Ref.: /£0 3~7/j ' /0<f3/y 2-OSV 9 Piea;se note that this copy is supplied subject to the Public Record Office's terms and conditions and that your JSe of it may be subject to copyright restrictions. Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of Public Records' leaflet SAVING TELEGRAM.. En Glair. By Bag*• PROM CAIRO T_0 H)REIGN OFFICE. Sir Ralph Skrine Stevenson. No.119 Saving. ,-— /o , May if, 1954. _ -•• "" ""--1"™"™ ADDRESSED to Foreign Office tele gram No.119 Saving of May k, 193ETHEPEATED for information Saving to:- B.M.E.O. Fayid No. 193(3) Paris No. 158(3 Washington No.lUO(S UNCLASSIFIED. My telegram No. 116 Savin Trial of Hussain and Mghmoud Abul J'ath. The Revolution Tribunal to-day sentenced Hussain Abul Path to 15 years imprisonment, with suspension of sentence, and Mahmoud Abul Fath (in absentia) to 10 years imprisonment and the confiscation for the benefit of the nation of £E.358,438. l8L|.m/ms. of his property, "that sum having been proved to have been expenditure from unknown sources, namely illicit profits as described in the report of the investigating committee.. 1 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins I 1 i 2 Ret* /&=> 3~?'S S&fJ/y f*OSV 9 Plea se note that this copy is supplied subject to the Public Record Office's terms and conditions and that your use of it may be subject to copyright restrictions. Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of Public Records' leaflet SECRET FKEK : CAIRO TO FOREIGN OFFICE FOREIGN OFFICE SECRET AND Gvoher/OT„ u /r.rrmP ..................................... ••"* • ...................... • • •• AM) WHITEHALL SECRET DISTRIBUTION Si«* r 1*. Stevenso„* n - No., 602 D. 5,20 p.m. May 10, 1954.. May 10, 1954.. L.7JL5-p.a% May 10, 1954., / 0 I SERET Addressed to Foreign Offioe telegram No. 602 of May 10. Repeated for information to B.M.E.O. Governor-General Khartoum v and Saving to Bagdad \v\ ._. Beirut Tel Aviv \ . / i itoaaseus Paris /A'/' Amnan Washington u" v Jedda Ankara \ (\ Ir- Your telegram No. 720. j You may wish at this juncture to have my appreciation, of the regime's position internally, and of its intentions in so ;;far as they can be perceived. > 2, As foreseen in paragraph 3 of my telegram No. 518 the regime's position in internal affairs had gradually improved during the past few weeks. The only attempted action against the regime directed from within the aimed forces seems to have been efficiently disposed of. With General lesmib's eclipse and the elimination of Major Khaled Mohieddi»»the maia causes of significant disunity within the Council of the revolutionary command have "been removed. General Ncguib himself, though hardly reconciled to his role of figurehead, appears to be virtually isolated and powerless. Abdul Nasser felt confident enough to be able to tell the A. P. correspondent on May 2 that the General, who, he suggested had been responsible for recent difficulties, was now only concerned with his representational duties as head of the State and had no responsibilities of Government although he has presided at two recent C.R.C. meetings. As regards the other members there are indications that ?f/t3dr Gamal Sawa is disgruntled and favours a tougher line with General Neguib; Lt-Col. Sadat tends to regard himself as a law unto himself in the direction of "Al Guiahouriya" . But the C.R.C. as a whole appears nevertheless 1 1 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE 1 IR*.: /&=> 3 -?/S / &f3/ > &-OSV 9 Please note that this copy is supplied subject to the Public Record Office's terms and conditions and that your use of it may be subject to copyright restrictions. Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of Public Records' leaflet SECRET Cairo telegram... No. 602 to Foreign Office - 2 - to be working fairly well together. There is no doubt that Nasser has increased his moral ascendancy over his colleagues and can probably carry the Council with him on all important issues. / * 3. The arrests reported in my telegram No. 382 may be considered rather as an indication of the regime's capacity to deal with its enemies in its own time than as a measure forced on it "by any serious attempt at a coop. The incident has been taken quietly and there are no signs at present of further trouble in the armed forces. The action taken against Abul Paths and "Al Misri" has further paralysed the opposition press and discouraged hostile elements. 4. The students, preoccupied with their examinations and cowed by the firmness of the Government, are in no position to cause trouble. Within a few weeks they will disperse for summer vacation and no further difficulties are anticipated in the universities, at least until the autumn. 5. The truce between the C.R.C. and the Moslem Brotherhood, though no doubt an nn«ftsy one, has been maintained, .organisatio*_ n as a whole appears to be quiescent. 6. In their efforts to establish a broader basis for their rule and to attract popular support, the Government have somewhat relaxed austerity measures, and reforms have much publicised the distribution of land. 7. Meanwhile, the behaviour and private statements of the regime make it clear that they are anxious to reach an early settlement of the Canal Zone problem. I have little doubt that they are doing their best to prepare the way for further talks by aroidiag clashes in the zone, and by maintaining on this issue a generally moderate tone both in their public utterances and the press, and it appears that they have largely succeeded. The exception has been MA1 Gumhouriya" under the control of Lt-Col. Sadat; even the E.S.B. has given little cause for complaint in this connexion. During the past week there have been no serious incidents in the zone, although propaganda efforts in the form of minatory pamphlets have been revived. Bomb outrages, which also appear to be largely for propaganda effects, /have been 1 1 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins 1 2 | ME/ /^o 37'S /&f3/y 2-Ott 9 1 Pies se note that this copy is supplied subject to the Public Record Office's terms and conditions and that your use of it may be subject to copyright restrictions. Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of Public Records' leaflet SECRET Cairo telegram No« 602 to Foreign Office - 3 - have "been on a decreasing scale. A measure of cooperation "between the Egyptian police and the military authorities has "been a welcome development. As regards public utterances, members of the C.R.G. have "been studiously moderate. 8. The regime's handling of other issues, particularly the Sudan, has shown no improvement, Nasser himself also now appears to have "become more aware of the Sudanf s importance to Egypt and recently stated that it was more important than the Canal Zone issue. 9. To sum up, Col. lasser and the C.R.C. are likely, barring assassination, to maintain their hold on the country for some considerable time. They are also evidently making some effort to pr«pare the way for a resumption of Anglo-Egyptian talks and are awaiting some initiative on the part of Her Majesty's Government. Foreign Office please pass to Governor General Khartoum as my telegram No, 67 and Saving to Paris, Washington and Ankara as my Saving telegrams Nos. 161, UU. and 36 respectively, [Repeated to Governor General Khartoum and Saving to Paris, Washington and Ankara]. mmmnffii 1 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins I 1 i 2 Ret„ /£o 3~7'J S&fJ/'y &OSV 9 Piea;>e note that this copy is supplied subject to the Public Record Office's terms and conditions and that your JSe of it may be subject to copyright restrictions. Further information is given in the enclosed Terms and Conditions of supply of Public Records' leaflet J SAVING TELEGRAM En Glair by bag PROM CAIRO TO FOREIGN OFFICE Sir Ralph Skrine Stevenson u No. 125 Saving May 10, 195U. Addressed to Foreign Office telegram No»125 Saving of May 10, 1954> Repeated for information Saving to:**' Paris No.160 Washington No. 114.3 B.M.E.O. (Fayid) No.198 UNCLASSIFIED Revolution Tribunal After a meeting of the C.R.C. on the night of May 9 Lt. Col* Zakaria Mohieddin, Minister, of the Interior, announced that Abul Kheir Nagib, proprietor of Al Gumhour Al Misri» would appear before the Revolution Tribunal on... May 12 on charges of (i) Communicating with foreign quarters. (ii) Violating the code of ethics of the Press to achieve personal ends. (iii) Contacting certain groups and organisations with the intention of spreading discord and rebellion. 2 cms PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE ins I 1 I 2 3 -? > 9 I Please note that this copy is supplied subject to the Public Record Office's terms and conditions and that your use of it may be subject to copyright restrictions.