280 Egypt
Ittihad replaced a Constitutionalist Cabinet Minister with
one of themselves and forced the resignation of the
Nationalist Sidki and two others. There were there-
after five ce King's Friends" in the Cabinet as against
two Constitutionalists. When Ziwar returned and tried
to restore the balance he was curtly checked by the
Palace (November 17). Ziwar then appealed to Caesar,
first to King Fuad, and then, getting no satisfaction, to
the new High Commissioner, Lord Lloyd, who had just
replaced Lord Allenby (October, 1925).
This Palace coup d'etat brought about a general re-
conciliation of all Parliamentary parties to make head
against Neshat and the Ittihad, and to maintain the
Constitution against the King. Their attempts to
assemble in Parliament, which was still dissolved, were
prevented, as all approaches to the Parliament House
were blocked by troops. They thereupon met in a hotel,
constituted themselves a session, and passed a vote of
censure. Ziwar was thereby stimulated to reconstruct
his Cabinet, taking many posts himself, and to transfer
Neshat from the Palace to a diplomatic post to which,
however, he did not proceed (December 3, 1925).
Which, being popularly interpreted as a decisive defeat
for the Palace, had the curious result of causing an out-
burst of public enthusiasm for the new High Com-
missioner, to whom the victory for constitutionalism was
generally attributed. Upon which favourable and unfore-
seen flood of popularity Lord Lloyd, a rather angular
Anglo-Indian, was carried a long way towards direct co-
operation with Zaglulism.
Before any real co-operation could be resumed
Government by the Palace and by Decree had to be
ended and a reunited nationalist block restored to office.
But this by no means suited those in power. So the