198 Egypt
But its proceedings were now public, and it had new
powers of suspension and initiation. The debates were
from the start lively, though at first mainly concerned
with the new Standing Orders. Its large majority of co-
operators was principally composed of responsible and
substantial landowners and lawyers, whose nationalism
was too reasonable to obstruct useful measures merely
because they were British.
Legislation was mostly concerned with agriculture and
its two ancillary services, irrigation and transportation.
The Five Feddan Law freed the holding of the fellah
from foreclosure by the local moneylender; whose
ravages were still further checked by the development
of agricultural syndicates and savings banks. A Ministry
of Agriculture was established, cotton - growing was
extended, and great irrigation schemes undertaken.
Never since the first years of our intervention had the
British occupation had firmer foundations in Egypt than
when the outbreak of the Great War thrust suddenly its
terrific strains on the structure of their government.
On the outbreak of war (August 4, 1914) both parties
in Egypt were leaderless. The Khedive was on holiday in
Constantinople, and Lord Kitchener on leave in England.
Neither were ever to return. For the Khedive was in-
formed that he had better remain where he was. While
Kitchener, hurrying back to his post, was intercepted
en route and recalled for larger responsibilities. He was
replaced by an Anglo-Indian "political,3' Sir Henry
MacMahon, who had no knowledge of Egypt, and who
was in turn succeeded (19*6) by Sir R. Wingate,
Governor of the Sudan and Sirdar. Wingate's twenty
years' experience of arms and affairs in Egypt were a
strong tower that stood well the strain of the war. The
Premier throughout the war was Hussein Rushdi, acting