- 60 -Egyptians who meet the required qualifications and conditions. In general, I am confident in the possibility of gradually replacing Europeans with Egyptians in positions that currently necessitate the use of Europeans due to the Egyptians' lack of knowledge in industries and arts. However, this replacement will be slow out of necessity, and any attempt to hasten it will likely lead to disappointment and failure, possibly resulting in a backlash that harms Egyptian interests. I mentioned that some Europeans are employed because their technical or industrial knowledge is indispensable, while others are employed to compensate for a deficiency in Egyptian character. These latter individuals are few compared to the former, but they often hold positions far more significant than their numbers would suggest. I will not elaborate further on this matter, as to explain the necessity of employing Europeans for such purposes would require me to write a lengthy article on national character, a subject to which I am entirely devoted and sincerely sympathetic. If I were to do so, my words could easily be misinterpreted, and I would risk offending those whose feelings I am most keen to protect and treat with the utmost delicacy. I would also be compelled to explain the reasons behind the difficulties encountered when the East seeks to absorb Western spirit and adopt its administrative methods. This is not the place for such a discussion, so I will suffice by saying here that replacing Europeans with Egyptians in positions of this nature will require a longer time than replacing them in technical and industrial roles, as national character is a slow-growing plant, and education in schools of all types is but one of the elements that change and refine it. The utmost that can be said is that no effort should be spared in cultivating all the moral and intellectual qualities that together constitute character. It appears to me that the most significant deficiencies requiring reform and correction in qualifying Egyptians for administration are the fear of personal responsibility and the lack of ability to perform the duties entrusted to responsible officials with the necessary steadfastness, intelligence, and consideration for others. The Egyptian's tendency is usually towards extremism in thought and action. I have previously discussed the general principles involved in this issue, and I will now discuss the realities of the situation. Although I have diligently observed the employment of Europeans in the Egyptian government in general, and the appointment of certain individuals to important positions has often been referred to me, I have not investigated the details of this matter for years. Instead, I have limited myself to clarifying the policy that should be followed in such matters by department heads, leaving them ample room to implement it. I believe that if we were to try another approach...