(5) Foreign Privileges (1) Introduction In my report for 1904, I stated the necessity of changing the system known as foreign privileges. In my report for 1905, I outlined the necessary changes in general terms and invited the public to research and discuss them. The local newspapers discussed them with great diligence, as I had anticipated, and I received letters from three important public bodies. The first letter was from the General Chamber of Commerce in Alexandria, which agreed to change the current system of privileges, provided that the change was subject to conditions and circumstances that I will detail later. The second letter was from the legal professionals in Alexandria and Cairo. Their opinion on this matter is significant, as they are more aware than other classes of people of the hardship and cost resulting from the current system. Their opinion is also for change, but on the condition that the guarantees for foreigners in Egypt against an autocratic government are preserved. The third letter was from the Mixed Chamber of Commerce in Cairo. This body rejects the reform I proposed, but acknowledges the hardship and cost that result from the necessary delay imposed by the current system, and hopes that the concerned countries will devise a means to prevent this delay. Therefore, I am not generally justified in being displeased with the results reached by the researchers and discussants in their past inquiries and discussions, as I did not expect unanimous agreement and the absence of any disagreement on an issue like the one we are dealing with. However, it appears that the opinion of many prominent and trusted individuals regarding Egyptian affairs is that the country has moved beyond the era when foreign privileges could be used as they are now, and that change is indispensable. The critics, who based their statements on a thorough knowledge of the facts, did not defend the current system in their words; rather, they pointed out its flaws and shortcomings. I do not disagree with them on this, nor do I diminish the value of those flaws. Rather, I hope they are not insurmountable or impossible to overcome. However, I found that much of what was said in criticism of my proposal was based either on a lack of knowledge of the actual system