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FAILEDEXPECTATIONSONBOTHSIDES 103

To doSO,McMahoninformedGrey,"wouldprobablyhave farreach-
ingeffectsonMoslemfeeling,notonlyinEgyptandtheSudanbut
inArabiaandpossiblyeven inIndia.?"
StillanothersignofBritishuneaseregardingEgyptianpublicopin-
ioninvolvedBritain'sinitialinterestin asettlementwiththeex-
khedive,AbbasHilmi,whostillresidedinVienna.Bythisagreement
hewouldrenouncetheEgyptianthroneinreturnforfinancialcom-
pensationfromBritain.Apparentlytheinitiativesforsuchan agree-
mentoriginatedwith(separately)boththeex-khediveandthenew
sultanofEgypt,HusaynKami1.^29 Thelatter,influencedby arecent
attempttoassassinatehimandby fears thatBritainmightname
AbbasHilmi'syoungestson, Abdal-Moneim,as hissuccessor,pushed
theBritishtoestablishtheorderofsuccessionthroughHusayn'sson,
brother,andcousin.ButwhileMcMahonassuredthesultanof
Britain'sloyaltytohisfamily'ssuccession,theHighCommissioner
onlysequesteredAbbasHilmi'spropertiesinEgyptanddidnothing
atthetimetoexcludeofficiallytheex-khedivefromtheEgyptian
throne. 3 D
McMahonalsomadeaconcertedefforttocentralizeandcoordi-
nateBritain'sArabpolicyinCairo.WhileEgypthandledthenegotia-
tionswiththeSharifofMecca,whichresumedinJulywithoutthe
knowledgeoftheGovernmentofIndia,thelattercontrolledBritain's
relationswithIbnSaud,thePersianGulfshaykhs,andtheSayyid al-
IdrisiofAsir.TheIndiaOfficeviewedwithalarmhintsmadeprevi-
ouslyofputtingArabsfully incontroloftheIslamicholyplacesin
theHijaz, andoftheassumptionofthecaliphatebyHusayn,the
SharifofMecca,"
McMahon,whohadbeenappointedHighCommissionerinEgypt
afterservice intheGovernmentofIndia'sforeigndepartment,knew
aboutthepolicydisputesbetweenCairoandDelhi.OnceinEgypthe
determinedtocontinuethenegotiationsthatCairohadbegunwith
thesharif'sson,Abdullah.InthisregardheresentedIndia'scontacts
throughAdenwithal-Idrisi,contactswhichon 30 April 1915 produced
atreatythatboundthesayyidandBritaintocooperateagainstTur-
key.McMahonfearedthatthetreatymightunderminehisdealings
withHusayn,whodislikedal-Idrisi.Butotherdifferencesalso sepa-
ratedCairoandDelhi.Theydisagreedover policyintheRed Sea,