883.5151/39: Telegram

The Minister in Egypt ( Kirk ) to the Secretary of State

1306. Tonight’s Bourse Egyptienne carries a military proclamation signed by the Prime Minister reading in translation as follows:

(Begin translation): We Hussein Sirry Pasha in view of the Decree of September 1, 1931 [1939], declaring a State of Siege on all Egyptian territory and by virtue of the powers conferred upon us by the Decree of November 16, 1940, order the following:

Article 1. Whoever possess or holds dollars in Egypt or abroad in any form whatsoever, whether they be in currency or other forms of payment, or whether in some form of credit, or whoever possesses or holds stocks or other negotiable securities in United States dollars must declare them within a certain period and under such conditions as shall be established by a regulation of the Ministry of Finance.

The Declaration in question may be required by a regulation of the Ministry of Finance in respect of the funds previously defined which were possessed or held in any form whatsoever at dates to be fixed by the regulation on the condition, however, that they refer to no period prior to September 1, 1931 [1939]; in the latter case, the declarant must indicate every transaction effected subsequent to the periods in question.

Article 2. The funds mentioned in the preceding Article shall not be the subject of any transfer or operation without previous authorization from the Minister of Finance.

Article 3. The Ministry of Finance may by regulation extend the measures provided for in the preceding articles to funds in other foreign currencies.

Article 4. Without prejudice to the application of more severe penalties provided for in the penal code the revealing of information on the part of officials or any other person charged with the responsibility of performing work connected with the Declarations provided for by the foregoing articles shall be punished by imprisonment not exceed[ing] 6 months or a fine not exceeding pounds Egyptian 20 or both.

Article 5. The failure to make a declaration during the prescribed time or the making of false declaration shall be punished by a fine not exceeding pounds Egyptian 20.

If the violation has been knowingly committed with the view to concealing funds that have been declared, the penalty shall be imprisonment [Page 336] for not more than 3 months or a fine of not more than pounds Egyptian 200 or both. Signed, Hussein Sirry. Cairo, September 7, 1941. (End translation.)

The Official Journal containing the foregoing is not yet available. The matter is being investigated.

Kirk