§ MR. J. M. ROBERTSONI beg to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether, in view of the repeated official avowal that the present system of military conscription in Egypt, with exemption by purchase from ballot age, is a bad one, which cannot be defended on principle, as stated in Lord Cromer's Reports for 1904, p. 43, and 1905, p. 68; and in view of the fact that numbers of poor Egyptians annually sell their small possessions in order to purchase exemption, thus leaving the Army to be constituted by unwilling recruits, he will advise the Egyptian Government to take into consideration the expediency of establishing a system of paid military service, such as exists in Britain.
§ SIR EDWARD GREYLord Cromer, in the passages of his Reports cited by the hon. Member, gives the reasons which render the abolition of the present system difficult and inexpedient. The conditions of the country would make it impossible to introduce with success a military system such as exists in the United Kingdom; but the subject, as may be seen from Lord Cromer's Report, continues to engage attention.
§ MR. J. M. ROBERTSONMay I ask if that declaration is final? Will no other system be set up?
§ SIR EDWARD GREYI said the subject continues to engage our attention. It therefore cannot be said to be final.