Extract from a confidential report from Con Cremin to Seán Murphy (Dublin)
'The Egyptian War'
(Confidential)

The conflict of opinion over the Anglo-French attack on Egypt grows deeper and more angry. It is probable indeed that political passions in this country are now running higher than at any time since the Home Rule quarrels before the First World War. The scene in the House of Commons yesterday was the most tumultuous for twenty years and the attack on the Prime Minister was renewed this morning with equal vigour when the news of the overwhelmingly unfavourable vote in the General Assembly last night was received. The Opposition demanded an undertaking of compliance with the General Assembly’s resolution and pressed hard for an immediate answer; this Sir Anthony refused to give pleading the need for time to study the actual text of the speeches which have been made in New York.

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The growing opposition of public opinion to the Government’s policy is shown by the condemnatory resolution of the National Council of Labour (which comprises the Parliamentary Labour Party, the Trade Union Congress and the Co-Operative Societies), the demonstrations in London and a number of other towns yesterday and the correspondence which is now reaching the press; for example, Lord Russell,² the eminent philosopher, has a letter in today’s Manchester Guardian in which he says ‘The criminal lunacy of the British and French Governments’ action against Egypt fills me with deep shame for my country’. There even begins to be some evidence that doubt and misapprehension is spreading into the ranks of the Tories.

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An important contributing factor to the mounting tension is the realisation that the Anglo-French attack on Egypt may have resulted in the sacrifice of the Hungarian people. It may well be indeed that Russia has seized the opportunity of Western dissension over the Middle East to reverse the decision to evacuate Hungary which it apparently had begun, and to move in once more with overwhelming force.

So far the stock and commodity markets have not reacted with great violence to the Egyptian crisis. The £ is undoubtedly under considerable strain – the ‘free’ dollar premium widened yesterday to over 9% – and commodity prices are rising but at present the City seems to be expecting a short campaign only.