§ 112. Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether the answer to his protest to Egypt relating to the s.s. "Anshun" is yet to hand; and what is its effect.
§ Mr. TurtonYes. The Egyptian reply was received on 24th July. The reply denies the master's account of the facts and asserts that the s.s. "Anshun" maintained total silence until the shots were fired. It claims that the shots were not 161W aimed directly at the ship and that the master never reported that his ship had been hit; it nowhere admits that a shell struck her.
In seeking to justify their action, the Egyptian Government call in aid the normal right of the territorial sovereign to stop, visit and search vessels passing through their territorial waters. The Note ends by repudiating all liability for the incident.
This reply is most unsatisfactory. It is at variance with the facts as known to Her Majesty's Government. As soon as it has been studied and further inquiries have been made, Her Majesty's Government will renew their representations to the Egyptian Government.