By ARTHUR CLEGG

_ Egyptians have had their fill of |

eae

' Western ' international control '

Y proposing that the Suezand most of the labor power
B Canal

al be put under inter-
national control, U.S. Secre-
tary of State John Foster Dull-
es and British Prime Minister
Sir Anthony Eden aim to put
Egypt under tighter colonial
control than ever before.

The old Suez Canal Com-
pany, though the majority of
its shareholders and directors
were non-Egyptian, was still
an Egyptian company which
was subject to Egyptian law
and w lease due to

hose was
international
board ez is not to
be even nominally Egyptian.
t aims to take the canal right
out of Egyptian hands both
in fact and in name and put it
for all foreseeable time under
Western control.

Both Dulles and Eden stand
sed in their colonial pur-
s by their refusal to ac-

for other international

Az
=A

<P,

waterways what they demand
from Egypt over the Suez.

Almost every ship that pass-
2s through Suez passes
Straights of Gibr-

altar. Yet what British politic-
figure has demanded that
Gibraltar be put under inter-

tional control?

also

Panama Canal is almost

I to international
shipping the Suez, and
the Dardenelles, which run
through Turkish territory, are
not far behind, but, who has
heard Dulles inter-
national boards control
them? =

Turkey, with its anti-Soviet
record, is regarded in London
and Washington as perfectly
sovereign in the Dardenelles
except as it is limited by in-
ternational convention.

But Egypt, though it up-
holds the 1888 Convention
governing freedom in Suez
navigation, though it has of-
fered to arrange a conference

important

as IS

demand
to

re

with the canal users for an
improved convention, is not
regarded competent.

Nothing is clearer than this
comparison between _ treat-
ment ‘of Egypt and Turkey

that the intention of the We:
ern powers is to humiliate
Egypt and subject her to a
eolonial control.

This aim is not new, and no

one should be surprised at
the strength of Egypt’s op-
position to the Western plans.
am 5 @ 5 Os

It is not a matter of Presi-
dent Nasser being opposed.
Every Egyptian knows what
“international control’ has

brought to his country in the

past.
Nasser, is standing against

the demands of the U.S., Brit-
ish and French governments,

is only expressing the opinion
of every Egyptian.
The

started building,
direction, near-
ago, in 1859. It
in 1869. Much of
cost of building

canal
French

“Hiei |

was provided by Egypt.

For these and other: reas-
ons the then Egyptian gov-
ernment was led into debt to
British and French financiers
and “international control”
began to creep over Egypt.

First under the system of
capitulations, foreign financ-
iers and traders in Egypt were
answerable only to courts run
by the consuls of their own

countries and later, in 1875,
put under “mixed” courts,
which administered: French

.and not Egyptian law.
Whenever any Egyptian was
engaged in a dispute with a
foreigner,..or with foreign in-
terests, then the case went to

PRESIDENT NASSER

one of these “mixed” courts
to be tried in an atmosphere
heavily biased against him.

There are many in Egypt
who still remember those
courts.

With foreign debts came
foreign “advisers” and soon

foreign control.

In 1876 when the then Khe-
dive (King) of Egypt could no
longer pay the interest on his
debts, an “international com-
mission” (Caisse de la Dette)

was set up to administer his

—and Egypt’s finances.

Two “international” con-
trollers, one British and one
French, were also appointed

to sit in the Egyptian cabinet.
Holding the pursestrings, they
dictated policy.

The British controller, or
controller-general, Sir Evelyn
Baring (later Lord Cromer)
was a member of a banking
family who had made a for-
tune financing, among other
things, the opium trade in
China. A relation of his is now
governor of Kenya.

It was bad enough for the
Egyptians while the two con-
trollers agreed. They rebelled

against this “international
control” which was fleecing

them in the interest of money-
lenders in London and Paris.

But, in the suppression of
that rebellion because the
British government was the

stronger, the more determin-
ed and ruthless of the “inter-

TT | T.CTU

national controllers,” all-Egypt
passed, as a colony, under
British control.

British troops dominated the
land and British officials ruled
in Cairo.

Only this year, when, under
the 1954 treaty between Brit-
ain and Egypt, the last armed
British forces left Egypt did
the shadow of that earlier “in-
ternational control” pass from
the land.

sore wune 2 Pweg © 258:

But even before it had gone,
a new shadow had appeared.

To. get money. to build the
Aswan Dam ana to ena
Egypt’s present poverty, the
Egyptian government had ask-
ed the International Bank in
New York to help finance the
project.

The bank,

which is under
U.S. control, replied that it
would only do so if Egypt
agreed not only that the fin-
ances of the dam, but the
finances of all Egypt, should
be placed under its control.

It declared that only if its
officials could control. Egypt-
ian finances would lenders to
the International Bank be
sure they were going to get
their money back.

Egypt, naturally, indignant-
ly spurned such a demand for
control, just -as she is now re-
fusing a second attempt by
Britain and the U.S. to shack-
le Egypt with “international
control.»

It was to resist the demands

of the International Bank,
made last year, that Egypt
first approached the Soviet

Union for the assistance which
she could only get on colonial
terms elsewhere.

Be: os 5 ©

Of course _ international
questions have been raised by
Egypt’s action in nationalising
the canal.

But these questions have
been fully met by Egypt’s sup-
port to the convention on
freedom of navigation in the
Suez, her willingness strength-
ened by a new international
conference, and by India’s sug-
gestions of an_ international
consultative body for the can-
al with the United Nations
helping to solve any political
violations of the convention.

Every reasonable interest of
the “canal users, including
Britain, is met by these points
and if the British govern-
ment still thinks any should
be strengthened, then negoti-
ations are still open.

But the insistence of “in-
ternational control,” plus the
military threats and measures
against Egypt show that Eden
and Dulles want no reasonable
settlement.

They want to have Egypt
once more permanently under
their thumb and. to keep it
there. Dulles showed his hand
through’ the International
Bank last year. Now, in Lon-
don this year, he has shown it
again.

Protect our heritage

DOLORES GREENE, Al-
berni, B. C.: While vacationing
in the northwest U.S. re-
cently, I was amazed to learn
of the attitude of the people
I met toward Canada’s natural
resources. One in particular
is coveted by Oregonians.

Thousands of people here
were attracted to Oregon dur-
ing the Second World War be-
cause of work and high wages.
Tney have stayed and the
home-building projects are
vast while industries flourish.
Because of this, there is a
pressing need for hydro power

and they hoped to find that:
need fulfilled when Senator
Neuberger came to B.C. to

make a deal on the Columbia
waterway.

Their opinion is that we
haven’t the money to go ahead
with this project; they have,
so it remains simply a for-
mality to be approved by both
governments.

They couldn’t understand
my resentment — they’d pay
ior it. Well, to my mind no one
has the right to sell a part
ef Canada because it belongs
not only to, the people of
Canada, but to future genera-
tions as well.

To ensure these people of
Canada and the newer citizens
arriving every day the secur-
ity of jobs is a terribly impor-
tant thing and it should be the
responsibility of a responsible
government to develop this
great source of power for in-
dustries in this province.

It is about time we had such

a government to foresee the
grand future for Canadians —
employment for everyone by

manufacturing our own needs
instead of paying the exorbit-

Senator. Smoe

WEVE GOT TO
HELP THE, <¢
ARMERT )\S

WEVE GOTTO
HELP LABOR!

OPEN FORUM

ant on eSsti©

cur i
I derive no “hea
reach these conclusio#
Bennett does, it’s hig
retired before all,0
tials are gone in un®
deals of which the
unaware until it is

customs
homes,

Canada is losin
respect a country $
—that of adminis
cwn business in Sus
that her.own 1
served first
follow in a

I appeal
fathers —
boom has passed, WHS
have our children?

Demand that thi
democratic. govern
ction accordingly

H. VIGOR, Kelowm
I suggest that the time
for the formation of 4 ©
People’s party in
fake in all workers:

As I see the situall!
in Canada, there are } Fi
changes needed in thé %
ing of the country- all”
should be made const i
‘heir political duty uy
need for a political Pf
will bring to Cana
socialism. F

This can only pe ©
cducation. With “z
election coming UP a
now is the time to 54,
t.onal work in preparel
the formation of sue 4
as -I have suggest i 3
forums should be Kf
cross the country 1 F
discussions among *

MWENVE GOT
SYTHE SMALL

TO HELD
BUSINESS

HOW ABOUT BETTER)
SCHOOLS FOR)—