60 COMPARATIVE Statement showing Grimes reported to the Police from November I to the end of October, of the following years.

Murder Attempted murder Theft with violence Attempted theft with violence Other crimes Total ..

19U.

758 528 338 53 2,092 3,769 1915.

805 593 441 65 2,288 4,192 1916.

803 564 417 73 2,123 1917.

785 560 506 no 2,280 3,980 ! 4,241 1918.

869 704 726 134 2,061 4,494 1919.

1,236 1,215 l,6p6 247 2,647 6,951 41. City Police.

The energies of the City Police since 1914 have naturally been very largely devoted to the execution of measures arising out of the war. While the duty of carrying out regulations concerning, for example, maximum prices of commodities, ■the sale of controlled articles, lighting and early closing, and the trade in adulterated liquors, as well as prosecutions before summary military courts, has fallen upon the Cairo, Alexandria and Suez Canal police alike, the Alexandria police has been called upon to provide supervising staff for a variety of other activities of a more or less military nature. I may mention the press censorship, which as far as the control of enemy and neutral newspapers was concerned was concentrated under ultimate military control exercised through the Ministry of the Interior at Alexandria, where during the earlier part of the war some 4 million Weign newspapers were dealt with annually, in addition to the local Alexandrian press, which itself is published in seven different languages; the postal censorship, which, up to the beginning of 1917, when the military authorities assumed direct control of it, had dealt with million letters; the registration of 3,000 enemy aliens and the supervision of their movements; and the dnties of compensation officer in connection with claims on account of damage to property or expenses due to the occupation of land or buildings by allied troops. The commandant of the Alexandria lolice was appointed provostmarshal for that area, and among his functions were the control of Alexandria Harbour, which was declared a military port in August 1916, and the issue under the military authoi’ity of permits to leave Egypt by sea and to enter military zones in Egypt.

The Suez Canal police were called upon to register enemy aliens in their area and to assist the military authorities in the administration of the canal military zone. The force behaved most creditably in the emergency of the air raids on Port Said in 1916 and 1917.

The presence of large numbers of troops in Egypt raised to greater importance the problem of prostitution, and with the co-operation of the military authorities measures were taken in Cairo, Alexandria and Port Said both to delimit more effectively the prostitutes’ quarters and to ensure the constant medical examination of the women.

Both this question and that of juvenile vagabonds demand the urgent attention of the Egyptian Government. During the last year in Cairo alone 710 children were convicted of stealing, and 487 of begging and other offences. It is estimated that there are at any moment on the streets of Cairo some 200 homeless children and 300 sent out by their parents to pick up such casual earnings as they may. The same evil is almost as rife in Alexandria.

The disturbances of 1919 and the general political, excitement which has Erevailed severely tried the police both in Cairo and Alexandria. The Cairo police ave been subjected to a long period of unremitting strain with outbreaks of disorder, while the Alexandria police have on several occasions had to cope with acts of violent and determined aggression. I am glad to be able to pay a tribute to the efficiency, good discipline, and restraint which all ranks of the police force have displayed in the difficult times through which they have passed.

Crime showed a tendency to diminish during the period of the war but increased in 1919. It would no doubt be advantageous to public security in Cario and House of Commons Parliamentary Papers Online. Copyright (c) 2006 ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved.