EGYPT(MURDERED BRITISH SOLDIERS) (Hansard, 3 June 1946)

Mr. McNeil
I am grateful to you, Sir, and to the House for the opportunity of making this statement in reply to Question 89. My right hon. Friend has read the statement made by the Egyptian Prime Minister with surprise and with great concern. Naturally His Majesty's Government do not wish to enter into a public argument with the Egyptian Prime Minister about these regrettable events. Yet since Sidki Pasha's statement was an official statement made to the Egyptian Chamber of Deputies, my right hon. Friend feels bound to report to the House that the full accounts obtained by the British Military Authorities refute conclusively the suggestions in Sidki Pasha's statement that the attacks on British Service installations in Alexandria on 4th March, and in particular on British military posts, were in the smallest degree brought about by provocation on the part of British Service personnel in opening fire on the crowd. The five British Military policemen in the post were fiercely attacked by the crowd for an hour and 40 minutes, and opened fire only in self-defence and after a warning shot had been ignored. During this period neither the Egyptian police nor the Military made any determined attempt to rescue the British Military policemen, and, in the end, two of them were most brutally murdered when trying to make their escape. Sidki Pasha's statement that the presence of five military policemen in their post was unjustified since the town had been put out of bounds on that day by agreement between the Egyptian and British authorities must also be refuted. It is, of course, not the case that putting a town out of bounds for troops entails removing the military police. On the contrary their presence there is essential to ensure that the order is carried out. To one particular passage in Sidki Pasha's statement I 1620 am also bound to refer, namely, where he said— quote of course the translation published in the Press: Major Richardson, one of the residents of the Cecil Hotel, which looks on to the square, made a report saying that the kiosk was set tire to only after the British soldiers had fired on the demonstrators and wounded a certain number of them. The fact is that Major Richardson, who happened to be in the Hotel Cecil overlooking the square where the police post was situated, watched the attack on the post from his room on the fourth floor of the hotel and gave evidence afterwards in a statement to the British military authorities. This statement makes it clear that only after the crowd had attacked the post with stones and bricks and then attempted to knock the windows in did the occupants fire a shot— warning shot—nd that they subsequently opened fire only when the attack started again from all sides. Major Richardson's statement also affirms, and I quote the passage: that neither the Egyptian soldiers nor the Egyptian police made any attempt to stop the attack. One can therefore only conclude that the version of this account which reached Sidki Pasha and on which he based his remarks was grossly perverted. I should repeat that His Majesty's Government hold the Egyptian authorities responsible for this melancholy occurrence. His Majesty's Ambassador has been instructed to make further direct representations to the Egyptian Government on the subject and I would, therefore, be indebted to the House if, for the present, they would accept this statement.

§ Mr. Eden
While thanking the hon. Gentleman for fully and frankly informing the House, may I ask him to say—I am sure all sections of the House endorse every word he has said—hat our own knowledge of the tolerance and courage of our own soldiers does not make us feel very kindly disposed to those unjust aspersions when they are cast on our troops?

Mr. McNeil
While I do not disagree, I think I should inform the House that the Egyptian Government at once offered privately a very full and, I have no doubt, a very sincere apology.

§ Mr. Molson
I should like to ask the Under-Secretary of State whether he has noted that in the Egyptian Prime 1621 Minister's statement to the Egyptian Parliament, he justified the action of the Governor of Alexandria? Is he also aware that on 15th May the Financial Secretary to the War Office stated that the Military Governor of Alexandria had falsely informed the British military authorities that the men had already been rescued and, therefore, he has a special personal responsibility in the matter of these men? Are His Majesty's Government pressing the Egyptian Government to take suitable action against the Military Governor of Alexandria?

Mr. McNeil
The discrepancy in the information has already been brought to the notice of the Egyptian Government, but as the hon. Gentleman will agree, the matter of the treatment of the Governor is a matter exclusively for the Egyptian Government.

§ Major McCallum
May I ask if the Minister can say it is true that the Brigadier in charge of Alexandria was asked to give the two victims a civil funeral rather than a military funeral because of the display of military power, and the brigadier took upon himself the responsibility of refusing this and gave a proper military funeral?

Mr. McNeil
May I make it clear that it is not within my information, but perhaps the hon. and gallant Gentleman will put a Question down to the Secretary of State for War?