740.0011 European War 1939/3804: Telegram

The Chargé in Egypt ( Hare ) to the Secretary of State

105. In a note received today the Egyptian Foreign Office communicated to the Legation the text of the declaration made by the Prime Minister in the secret session of Parliament on June 12 in respect of the attitude of Egypt regarding the entrance of Italy into the war. The following is a summary of the declaration:

(1)
Fidelity of Egypt to its alliance with Great Britain and pledge to render all assistance demanded by its ally within the territorial limits of the country.
(2)
Egypt will enter the war only if attacked by Italy in one of following three ways: (a) if Italian soldiers take the initiative in an incursion on Egyptian territory; (b) if Italy bombs Egyptian towns; (c) if Italy directs air raids against Egyptian military objectives.
(3)
On the request of Parliament the Government agreed to submit this matter again to it should the circumstances warrant.

An obvious deduction from this declaration is that an air attack on British military or naval establishments in Egypt would not necessarily be considered an act of aggression against Egypt. This equivocal attitude serves to illustrate the observation made in the Legation’s telegram No. 98, June 11, noon, regarding the tendency in Government circles to attempt to avoid or at least postpone hostilities [Page 470] with Italy while at the same time observing Egypt’s treaty obligations to Great Britain.

Relations between the Prime Minister and the British Embassy have been increasingly difficult of late the principal contentious points being the declaration of war issue on which the Prime Minister refuses to give in and the Cairo open city plan which the British refuse to approve. This situation gave rise to reports several days ago of a possible change in the Government possibly the return of Wafd press [party] in view of the strong vote of confidence given the Prime Minister day before yesterday his position seems momentarily stronger, but the situation remains uncertain.

It is thought in certain quarters that one of the purposes of recent British attacks in Libya and Italian East Africa was to provoke reprisals and thus bring Egypt into the war and the failure of such reprisals to materialize is regarded as only a temporary respite dictated by political motives.

Hare