EGYPT: Perishing Pashas

Robust young King Farouk was getting accustomed last week to disasters in his Government. Last time His Majesty opened Parliament he had just cocked an ear to Premier Hassan Sabry Pasha, who was reading the Speech from the Throne, when the Premier dropped dead (TIME, Nov. 25). Last week King Farouk commanded Minister of War Saleh Younes Pasha to attend his royal person during ceremonies inaugurating a new water system at Fayyúm. With a brisk step the Minister entered the King’s train at Cairo. Just as it was about to pull out he collapsed. Jabbering with excitement, Egyptians carried Saleh Younes Pasha out of the royal train to a station sitting room, where he rapidly grew weaker and died.

Meanwhile, new Premier Hussein Sirry Pasha was getting his political bearings with difficulty. To the Chamber of Deputies in Cairo last week Premier Sirry made a speech outlining his foreign policy in clouds of verbal obscurity. His keynote seemed to be that Egypt “does not intend yet” to go to war. Hussein Sirry Pasha left no doubt that Egypt is now giving Britain all aid and cooperation short of declaring war on the Axis, whose planes again bombed Alexandria, operating base of the British Mediterranean Fleet. Since Egypt has been for years a more or less willing British puppet, it could be assumed that Premier Sirry was keeping his fingers crossed in agreement with London, but this policy is increasingly unpopular among the young Egyptian malcontents of Cairo. Last week they were in angry mood, kept calling on King and Premier for “Vengeance and Italian blood!”