322 Egypt
between Italy and the Senussi broke out again in 1924,
and in February, 1925 the Italians pressed the Ziwar
Government for execution of the Milner-Scialoja agree-
ment of 1919. The nationalists opposed violently, but
constitutional government was suspended at the time,
and the Ziwar Government, just before going out of
office, signed a frontier agreement (December 6, 1925),
which gave Italy Jarabub in return for a rectification in
favour of Egypt near Sollum on the coast. As it is diffi-
cult to see how Jarabub could ever have been of any use
to Egypt, and the suppression of the Senussi was a great
advantage, Egypt has nothing materially to complain
of. But the accusation that we were paying qur debts
to Italy at the expense of Egypt might under nationalist
cultivation have grown into a great grievance.
Under the sidelights thrown from Mossul and Jarabub
we can see more clearly how the Egyptian claim to the
Sudan really originates. For in substance the Egyptian
claim to rule this territory as of right, and without regard
to ourselves and the Sudanese, is very weak. It rests
mainly on the conquest of Mehemet AH in the pic-
turesque but rather primitive pursuit, of gold, ivory, and
slaves. The occupation was given a more philanthropic
and progressive colour by the attempts of Said to pro-
mote cotton cultivation and of Ismail to prevent slave
trading. But it remained essentially an exploitation of
the resources of the Sudan in raw materials for the
benefit of Egypt. Nor was it ever recognised formally
by Europe. For the Convention establishing the con-
dominium (1899), an arrangement described by Lord
Cromer as *c a hybrid sort of government hitherto un-
known to jurisprudence/* gave Egypt only a rather un-
defined share in the sovereignty of the Sudan, and so,
if anything, bars its claim to sole sovereignty. As to the