883.00/162

The Agent and Consul General at Cairo (Gary) to the Acting Secretary of State

No. 457

Sir: I have the honor to refer to the cablegram dated April 21st and received by me at about 12 o’clock noon on April 22nd, from Mr. Lansing at Paris, instructing me to formally acquaint the Egyptian Government with the fact that the President recognizes the British Protectorate over Egypt which was declared by His Majesty’s Government on November 17 [December 18], 1914.

In pursuance with this instruction I called upon General Allenby the Special High Commissioner, at The Residency, at 2.30 the same afternoon, and communicated to him the substance of the Secretary’s message, indicating, at the same time, that I had been directed to confer with him as to the best method of giving publicity to the contents of the message. The High Commissioner gave every evidence of being greatly pleased by the information contained in the telegram; after a short discussion as to its probable immediate result upon the situation and the desirability of effecting its publication with the least possible delay, General Allenby made the request that I incorporate its substance in an official note, to which I assented.

The formal notification of our recognition of the British Protectorate over Egypt, was delivered to The Residency by Vice-Consul Gotlieb at 5 o’clock the same afternoon. In the interim, during the [Page 204] course of its drafting, General Allenby, accompanied by Sir Milne Cheetham, called upon me at the Agency and requested permission to acquaint His Highness the Sultan with the fact of the recognition and upon receiving my affirmative reply, continued to the Palace for that purpose. I append the text of my note to the High Commissioner, which was rushed to press by the British authorities and appeared and circulated to an extent at 10 o’clock in the evening in the editions of the more important Cairo newspapers which bore date line of the following day.

american diplomatic agency and consulate-general cairo, egypt

April 22, 1919.

Excellency: I have the honor to state that I have been directed by my Government to acquaint you with the fact that the President recognizes the British Protectorate over Egypt, which was proclaimed by His Majesty’s Government on December 18, 1914.

In according this recognition the President must of necessity reserve for further discussion the details thereof, along with the question of the modification of any rights belonging to the United States which may be entailed by this decision.

In this connection, I am desired to say that the President and the American people have every sympathy with the legitimate aspirations of the Egyptian people for a further measure of self-government, but that they view with regret any effort to obtain the realization thereof by a resort to violence.

Accept, Excellency, the renewed assurances of my high consideration.

(Signed) Hampson Gary

His Excellency
General Sir Edmund H. H. Allenby,
Special High Commissioner,
In Charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt.

General Allenby’s formal acknowledgment of the above communication was delivered to me personally at 7 o’clock the same evening by one of the Residency secretaries.

. . . . . . .

I have [etc.]

Hampson Gary