The interest which Your Excellency has been good enough to manifest
in the keen efforts of foreign educational institutions to
contribute to the cultural life of Egypt encourages me in the belief
that the observations contained in the enclosed memorandum setting
forth a statement of the broader aspects of the question as
affecting American institutions in Egypt may receive your
sympathetic consideration.
[Enclosure]
The American
Legation to the Egyptian
Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Memorandum
American educational, scientific, medical and charitable
institutions carry on their activities in Egypt in accordance
with assurances given
[Page 325]
at Montreux by the President of the Egyptian Delegation to that
convention in a letter dated May 8, 1937, addressed to the
President of the Delegation of the United States of America,
under which such institutions existing in Egypt on the date of
the signing of the Montreux Convention “may continue freely to
carry on their activities in Egypt, whether educational,
scientific, medical or charitable” subject to certain conditions
set forth in that letter.
For some months those institutions, together with other alien
institutions of a similar character, have, as a result of
conferences with officials of the Ministry of Education and
items appearing in the local press, had cause to fear that steps
are being taken to have enacted certain amendments to Law 40 of
1934 governing the activities of the private schools in Egypt
which would be in derogation of the aforementioned assurances
and conditions. The Legation has, therefore, been authorized to
invite the attention of the Egyptian Government to the fears of
the American institutions in this respect and to express the
hope that, in the enactment of any legislation bearing on
foreign schools due regard will be taken of the rights
guaranteed American institutions under the Montreux Convention
freely to carry on their activities, at least during the period
of transition provided in the Convention.
The Legation has also been authorized to express the additional
hope of the Department of State that, apart from the question of
the rights involved, nothing will be done which might be
regarded as a backward step from the position taken by the
Egyptian Government at Montreux. The Department of State and the
Legation have closely followed the course of this matter and
cannot but feel that, if American educational institutions are
placed in the defensive position of having to justify their work
continually and in detail, their effectiveness and the
enthusiasm of the personnel will be bound to suffer with severe
results to their contribution to Egyptian education. Sooner or
later, if the questions of educational restrictions are
constantly agitated, these institutions would be bound to
consider whether the contribution which they are permitted will
be sufficient to justify its continuance. It is hoped,
therefore, that their work will be permitted to go forward under
reasonable conditions consistent with the assurances given at
Montreux and in a spirit of mutual respect and
understanding.
