883.00/1156: Telegram
The Minister in Egypt (Fish) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 27—10:07 a.m.]
373. After a 3-day debate mostly in secret session the Chamber of Deputies last night gave the Government a vote of confidence of 122 to 68 on the question of the approval of the Government’s’ foreign and military policy as set forth in the speech from the Throne. The opposition consisted almost exclusively of Saadists. The Wafd broke precedent by voting with the Government.
In the course of the debate in secret session the Prime Minister is reported to have stated that he had protested to the British Government regarding the passage in Churchill’s speech to Italy25 in which reference was made to Egypt as being under British protection and that he had demanded an immediate explanation. This action is taken as illustrative of apprehension in Egyptian political circles that [Page 490] Egypt’s nonparticipation in the war may prejudice its position vis-à-vis the British after the war.
- Speech appealing to Italian people, December 23.↩