Correspondence
A LETTER TROH CAIRO. [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sin,—Since our last letter from Cairo a flood of water has swirled under Kasr el Nil bridge, an unusually high Nile being accompanied by an exceptional volume of haute politique. The dramatic exit of Lord Lloyd proved a fitting end to a restless career as High Commissioner. The appointment of his successor, Sir Percy Loraine, marks a return to diplomatic procedure ; by his sympathetic attitude and quiet, tactful methods he is doing much to ameliorate Anglo-Egyptian relations. The treaty proposals drafted by Mr. Henderson and Mohammed Pasha Mahmud were a somewhat more liberal development of the Chamberlain-Sarwat proposals of 1927: they were reasonably advantageous to Egypt, but the ground was rather cut from under Mahmud Pasha's feet by the Labour Cabinet insisting on an early return to Parliamen- tary government in Egypt. For numerically the Wafd hold the country and their jealous antipathy to Mahmud Pasha made it impossible for them to support tel tel a treaty of his drafting. The British Government decorated Mahmud Pasha with a G.C.M.G., but he and his colleagues decided that they had done their utmost for their country, and therefore abstained from the general elections, so that the Wafd could have a free hand with the treaty.
And so in December the elections were held in an atmosphere of almost apathetic tranquillity, and the Wafd returned trium- phant with 200 seats out of a Chamber of 232. Their leader, Mustafa Nahas Pasha, formed a Cabinet entirely of his own colleagues, and on January 11th King Fuad opened Parliament in state. The ceremonial was oriental and gorgeous, the stage-management excellent, though full evening dress was rather trying for both sexes at the early hour of 9.30 a.m. The King's state coach with its eight chestnuts and postilions in red and gold roused the cheers of the populace, while inside the Chamber all eyes were riveted on the brilliant uniforms of the Corps Diplomatique. Gold lace and glittering orders were like Gilbert's dukes—three a penny, the star turn being the Hungarian Minister ; on his head was a splendid fur busby with a tall aigrette, long boots encased him to the thigh, while loose from his shoulders swung the furred and braided coat of the Hungarian cavalry. The speech from the Throne was read by the P.M., Nahas Pasha ; it was a document of porten- tous length, but it declined to unlock the secrets of the Wafd bosom, and even on the English treaty proposals it took cautious refuge in polite periphrasis.
And now it is really " Farewell to Philae I " and future tourists in their feluccas will peer through the waters of the reservoir at the temple columns submerged in the depths below. The fiat has gone forth, the Aswan dam is to be raised nine metres, and Sir John Norton Griffiths, whose firm submitted the lowest tender for thejob, is already blending the sybaritic lures of the Cataract Hotel with the stern realities of steelwbrk and masonry. The other big project, the Gebel Aulia Dam on the White Nile. was officially approved last May : to-day, however, its prospects look nebulous, for its ratification is to be submitted to the " voice of the -nation," and, regarded as a seat, the knees of the modern gods of Egypt are inclined to be slippery.
During the Christmas season the Residency was shut, as the High Commissioner and Lady Loraine were visiting the Sudan. His Excellency evidently realises the value of aviation in covering the immense distances in the Sudan, and he is the first High Commissioner of Egypt to use an aeroplane both for official tours and for the amenities of scenery and shooting. While Cairo revellers jostled in crowded hotels, a privileged few were induced by a sporting hostess to flee the tyranny of jazz and saxophone by reviving their latent if rusty knowledge of Scottish reels and country dances. Outdoor diversion was provided by a team of French tennis experts, including Cochet, Brugnon and Landry, who broke their journey from India and entertained us with an exhibition of " brighter tennis." Their visit was largely due to the generosity of Prince Abbas Halim : they were his guests during their entire visit, which included a banquet on Christmas Eve at the Semiramis Hotel that re-echoed the classic feasts of Lucullus.
Conspicuous among our recent visitors was Commander Kenworthy, M.P., whose efforts provoked cheers from the Bright Young Politicians (schoolboys) and smiles from the British community. There also came Herr Emil Ludwig, who fled from lionizing in Cairo to the sunny seclusion of Luxor. More interesting, perhaps, were the two Oxford savants, the. Rt. Hon. H. A. L. Fisher, of New College, and Mr. E. L. Woodward, of All Souls. They were collecting information for a history of the times of the Khedive Ismail, father of H.M. King Fuad, and it is understood that the work is being compiled at the request of His Majesty, who placed the archives of Abdin Palace at their disposal. The publica- tion of the book by the Clarendon Press, Oxford, will be awaited with the greatest interest.
The season is now beginning, but the financial landslides in Wall Street and the troubles in the City may have a discouraging effect on hotel bookings. Nobody, however, need be deterred from coming here by Mr. Churchill's irre- sponsible jeremiads on the " serious effusion of blood " in Egypt : the visitor will find no fiercer dragons in the bazaars of Cairo than in the forest of Epping.—I am, Sir, &e.,
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