Decret constituant le nouvenu Ministcre. (Traduction.) Nous, Sultan d'Egypte. Vu le rescrit du 21 ^eptembre 1879 ; Vu notre rescrit en date du 6 Ragab 1339 (16 mars 1921); Sur la proposition-du President de notre Conseil des Ministres ; Decretonsj Article 1". Sont nommes : Hussein Lluchdi Pacha, Vice-Pidsident du Conseil des Miniatres; Abdel Khalek Saroit Pacha, Ministre de 1'Intdrieur ; Ismail Srnlky Pacha, Ministre des Finances ; Ahmed Ziwer Pacha, Ministre des Communications ; Gaaf'ar \Vali Pacha, Ministre de 1'Instruction publique; Ahmed Midhat, Yeghen Pacha, Ministre des Wakfs ; Mohamed Chafik Pacha, Ministre des Travaux publics, de la Guerre et de la Marine ; Naguib Boutros Ghali Pacha, Ministre de 1'Agriculture ; Abdel Fattab Yehia Pacha, Ministre de la Justice. Art. 2. Le President de notre Conseil des Ministres est charge* de 1'exdcution du present de"cret. /• . Fait au Palais d'Abdine, le 7 Ragab 1339 (17 mars 1921). FOUAD. Par le Sultan : Le President du Conseil des Ministres, ADLY YEOHEN. [E 4003/431/16] No. 8. 9 Field-Marshal Viscount Allenby to Earl Curzon.—(Received April 4.) (No. 241.) My Lord, Cairo, March 25, 1921. I HAVE the honour to transmit here with for your Lordship's information copy of a report on the general situation in Egypt, compiled by the Public Security Department of the Egyptinn Government, for the period from the 17th to the 23rd March inclusive. I have, &c. ALLENBY, F.M.; High Commissioner. Enclosure in No. 8. Report on General Situation in Eyypt for period from March 17 to 23, 1921, inclusive. (Strietly Qunfidenfcml.) SUMMAKV. Economic Situation.—The slight improvement noted last week has been maintained. Political Situation.—The first favourable reception of Adly Pasha's Ministry has developed into onen enthusiasm. There has also been some organised demonstration in favour of Zaghlul Pasha, the news of whose early return to Egypt h;is provoked <rreat interest. - • Forecast. - The return of Zaghlul Pasha is certain to cause excitement, and possibly disorder. (For Director-General of Public Security) C. F. RYDER. LJLQ.P.JLC.U1 LLI QIQfijv A P H I C A L L Y WUlb?JIl^"-i;Jlrll~S S! 9 N I i 12 CAIRO. It had been evident at the first announcement of Adly Pasha's formation of a Ministry that the news was welcome to the Cairo public. On the 17th and 18th March, though there was no outward excitement, the public gratification became increasingly obvious. The tramcars, which seem to be specially favoured as a vehicle for the expression of political feeling, were decorated with patriotic or religious flags, palm- branches, &c. The quiet satisfaction of these two days developed into open, though still orderly, enthusiasm on the L'Jth. Notices, urging the public to line the streets between Adly Pasha's house and the Ministry of the Interior, and to greet, " in an orderly_ manner " the new "National Ministry," in the person of the Prin.e Minister, had been distributed in thousands beforehand, and a large crowd gave Adly and Ilushdy Pashas an exuberant welcome as they made a triumphal progress to their offices. Thousands of people thronged the precincts of the Ministries of Finance and the Interior, and did not quickly checked by the police. « On the 20th the staunch Zaghlnlists determined to have their turn. After speeches at 10 A.M. outside the mosque, some hundreds of Azhar students started off in procession, and visited first the Prime Minister and then several newspaper offices. Thev were escorted by some mounted police, and uttered frequent shouts of " Vive Zaghlul Pasha !" but their passage through the town seemed to arouse hardly any stir of interest, and few, if any, passers-by attached themselves to the procession. During the morning one or two trifling demonstrations by very small schoolboys were also attempted. On the 22nd there were two demonstrations consisting chiefly of schoolgirls and Egyptian ladies for which permission had been obtained beforehand. The organised cheers raised by the procession were chiefly for Zaghlul Pasha. A considerable number of circulars, including a new one entitled " Ruses that do not pass muster," as well as others noted last week, have come to hand. They argue that Zaghlul's delegation alone is representative. ALEXANDRIA. At the Aboul Abbas mosque on Friday the 18th, there were speeches both for and against the new Ministry. The audience, which appeared to be in favour of the new Cabinet, eventually dispersed quietly. The general opinion expressed in Alexandria is stated to be one of entire satisfaction with the composition of Adly Pasha's Ministry. A meeting of the Greek Liberal Party of Alexandria, held on the morning of the 20th March, unanimously decided to send a telegram to the leader of the Liberal Party in Greece protesting against any revision of the Treaty of Sevres. THE PROVINCES. One thousand workmen of the Anglo-Egyptian Oilfield Refineries struck at Suez on the 19th instant. Since this followed shortly after Matt Giles's visit to that place, and in view of the tone of his speech at Port Said, summarised below, last week's statement, that he did not appear to be trying to stir up trouble, perhaps requires modification: On_the 20th March a general meeting of the Syndicate of Workmen was held at Port Said, whereat the president stated that an agreement had been arrived at between the Syndicate and the Workers' Union. Small weekly payments by the workmen would ensure the benefits usual in England ; they would not be bound to strike in sympathy if the Federated Union of Workers should strike ; on the other hand, if they themselves struck they would receive support from the union in England, specially valuable to those companies whose headquaters were in that country. The meeting which ended with a unanimous decision to join the union, was previously addressed by Matt Giles to the following effect:— "i He was very happy to be able to inform" his brother workmen in En<dand of the adhesion of the Syndicate to the Federated Union of Workers. The capitalist was the cause of all the trouble, and had in the past treated the workman as a slave. Now the workman was a power, ;md was able to say to the capitalist ' You have need of us.' ' a ]^^ " It was necessary for all the workmen of the world to be united, as by union they became brothers, and wars in the future would be avoided. He implored his brothers in Egypt to keep calm and obey their chiefs. They should avoid strikes and endeavour to obtain their rights by other means. If they couldn't succeed they must consult the union, which is ready to come to their help, and obtain satisfaction for them. "He had interviewed the various managers of the local firms, but he was taking back to England a very bad impression of them. Some refused to reply to him at all; others said this is a question of native worknen, not English. He would report this in England and see what could be done. " Meanwhile he begged his comrades to remain quiet and await with patience the result of the negotiations- of the union. Finally, he referred to the strike at the refinery in Suez, where he was intending to go, to meet the Conciliation Board. If things were not satisfactory he would go to Cairo or Alexandria." It is still to)oo early to attempt to summarise the effect of recent political changes in the provinces,, since these generally wait to take their cue from Cairo. No unrest has been reported. The improvement in the price of cotton has been maintained, and the economic situation remains substantially unchanged. Another summary of economic conditions will be drawn up as soon as information now being collected is fully available. The food supply is still satisfactory. The chief change has been an increase in the price ot wheat. THE PRESS. The new Cabinet of Adly Pasha Yeghen has an exceedingly " good press," being received with a chorus of welcome, in which even the partisans of Zaghlul and the Opposition newspapers do not sound an actual discord, though their modulations, it may be, are phrased in a somewhat minor key. The manifesto in which the new Ministerial programme was announced is naturally the chief theme of comment, which for the most part is exceedingly laudatory. " Al -Mokattam " calls it " a great historic document; the opening of a new era," arid declares : as Magna Charta in the annals of England, and the Declaration of Independence for the United States, so, without exaggeration, is last Thursday's Ministerial progiamme a historic monument for Egypt. The main point emphasised and greeted with rejoicing by most of the newspapers, from " Al Ahram " to " Al Akhbar " and " Wadinnil " on the one hand, and to " Al Watan " on the other, is, that never before in the history of Egypt has the " will of the people " been deliberately placed by a Ministry in the forefront of its programme as a guiding factor in the government of the country. This indicates for " Al Akhbar "a new spirit, that of respect for the national will and of dependence on the continued confidence of the country ; this it claims as the result of the great national effort of the last two years and the first fruits of success. For " Al Nixam " it is a great victory ai\d a great encouragement for Egypt's national cause ; the country can look forth on the future with optimism and jo\. Adly Pasha's Ministry has inaugurated the era of constitutional Government in Kgypt. Ho ha.s followed the customs of a constitutional country in laving his Ministerial programme before his Sovereign and then submitting it to the people.