276 A Short History of the Middle East
nationalists in their efforts to throw off British influence, and the
left-wing parties have been quick to adopt such catchwords as
'national, 'liberation9, and 'democratic' in their titles. There is a
'National Liberation* committee,jparty, and league, in Egypt, Iraq,
and Palestine respectively, and a 'National Co-operation Front9 in
Cyprus, the counterparts of the 'National Liberation Front' which
is seeking to seize power in Greece. Some of the 'intellectuals' who
form the leadership of these movements join them out of genuine
disgust at the inefficiency and corruption of the present ruling-
class; others despair of ever finding what they consider, none too
modestly, a fair return for their abilities under their present con-
servative rulers; and some are chronic malcontents who, in their
envy of the established order and hatred of the British in-
fluence they see behind it, have sold themselves to Communism
now as they sold themselves to Nazi propagandists nine years
ago.
In the cities of Egypt bookshops dealing in Soviet and Com-
munist propaganda were opened in the latter part of the war, and
Communist opinions gained some adherents among members of
the foreign communities and Egyptian students and organized
labour. In a number of strikes in 1945-6 the strikers appeared to be
well supplied with funds from some undisclosed source. The
Egyptian authorities, always on the alert for any revolutionary
movement, for which Egypt with its glaring contrasts of wealth
and poverty provides a favourable field, arrested seventeen alleged
Communists in December 1945; and in July 1946 nearly 300
suspects, apparently 'intellectuals' for the most part, were arrested,
and eleven social or cultural organizations suppressed. They were
alleged to be working in league with the radical wing of the Wafd
to organize opposition to Sidqi's negotiations for a revision of the
Anglo-Egyptian Treaty. No positive charge was made that the
movement was Russian-inspired, though the paper Akhbar al-Yom
declared that it was doubtful whether the full facts would be dis-
closed 'owing to international considerations'; and it is significant
that about this time Soviet press and radio propaganda had been
applauding the Wafd for its opposition to compromise with
Britain. In October a royal decree was signed, prescribing severe
penalties for persons who sought 'to spread propaganda to change
the basic constitutional principles of the country* or to form with-
out official permission societies with an 'international colour-