Show t r Jf d II 0 7 th b OLDE OLDEr r c vOld NATIONS NATION'S Old Egypt Takes on Old Worlds World's New Ways Ways Playground Playground of Five Cent Conti Conti- Is Now Finding a New Na Na- Life of Its Us Own By WILLIAIM T. T EL ELLIS IS Cairo alro Egypt This This old nation and newer ever IS in a n new a Egypt The whole worlds world's playa play play- playground ground because of the charm barm and mystery of Its past it yet has ba nothing m more re alluring to sho show the thoughtful H traveler than Its Us own own transformation I fl I The rhe emergence of Egypt within a genc gen gen- c- c from a land of bloodshed in in- injustice r justice poverty ai arid and misery miser into awell a awell well vell l kept ept prosperous and I Improving land Is one of the great achievements of the present generation Still there Is unrest of which civilization civil civil- civilization has not yet ct heard the last Of f the complaints of the nationalists and the answer of the defenders of tho the British regime morn w will ll be said I IHie in Inthe the Hie next article This one can treat only of the awaking of this ancient people Into surprising modernity That it carefully retains retain some somo of the bizarre and Oriental effects so that the unsophisticated unsophisticated tourist in Cairo thinks himself him him- himself self In the simon pure east Is merely good business policy The fully understands the commercial commercial commer commer commer- cial value of the impression of which he makes on the visit visit- visitor or r No o other city on earth is more cleverly staged for purposes of revenue rev rev- revenue enu than this same sam Cairo Calro Even the swaggering Bedouin posing in front of the l hotels knows that his enhances his wage earning vage- vage capacity as a guide The The bazars of old Cairo never lose ose sight for a mot moment mo mo- t ment went of the gullibility of the traveler who sees no incongruity In being addressed addressed ad ad- dressed in the English tongue in this to him remote spot orne Changeless Things In Old Egypt Antiquities and are the thel l roost Ost marketable assets of Cairo Truly r there is something awesome about the 44 persistence which a discerning person may perceive here Out at Mj one looks Blocks upon pictures In the tombs cr s' s painted three four or five fie thousand f. f years ago of farmers plowing with witha a bent stick sick drawn by humped aloes Then he goes out into the r H neighboring r fields and perceives that identical picture ro in re real 11 life Ilfe The Thelow 1 plow low I is the same the animals are arc the v same the very physiognomy my of the i farmers are the tho same Sq with themen the themen men carrying w water ter in fn skins One could Imagine that the very pictures from the tombs had hail stepped down and come to life Ufe The along the theer thet t river liver er and canals canal's whereby the the animals sometimes camels sometimes donkeys donkeys donkeys don don don- keys sometimes bullocks sometimes cows draw cows draw up up P the water ater for tion purposes has been drawn with fidelity to present day life Ilfe b by artists a who have been mummies for thrice the length of time that Great Britain has been a nation i In even larger aspects the survival of ancient Egypt is noticeable In Inman Inmany Inmany man many essentials this nation with the th oldest recorded history has remained the same It is still stilla a rah rainless i ss land and and andas as of yore It is still dependent upon upon the Nile for its life Even as f anciently it is threatened by the environing en en- i vi and nd encroaching desert The I Coptic fellaheen of t today day are the sons of the ancient Egyptians of five or six thousand years ago In physiognomy and habits the type remains un un- unchanged changed though the new education which has lately come In will probably probably probe e ably a alter r the fatter within a generation generation genera genera- tion or r two The philosopher who in the presence of these strange SUrvivals survivals sur stir asks asks' himself whether the Egyptian Egyptian tian fellah will be working his shads shad shad- s dui due and plowing with his bent stick centuries after Great Britain has ceased to exist as as' a nation n will probably probably ably have to return a negative answer IJ In pr present sent day wor world d phenomena nothing nothing noth ing Is more remarkable than the Uie final overthrow of usages and institutions which have lasted from the beginning of recorded history i A High Type of Oriental 1 Tall handsome stately the Egyptian tian is the best looking type of man manin manin manin in he the east Both Doth the Copt and the Arab h have ve a free self confident and r swinging carriage They are quick o of wit and self sel resourceful Like all sun sun- i w warmed peoples they are of an affectionate affectionate w and passionate disposition and little given to orderliness and method meth meth- od They would rather wear fine finer r clothes than practice the homely bomely vie vir- tures of thrift Poetical philosophical cal and courteous they have a real intellectual future before them For this nation of the wondrous past I with memories of of world dominion in its breast Is far from being a spent race The future futuro undoubtedly undoubtedly undoubtedly un un- holds for it a destiny even as did the past For Egypt has suddenly suddenly sud denly awakened from its fruitless reverle rev reverie rev rev- erie erle upon the glories that are gone to ambitions for the future that that that-Is Is ahead The contact with the west has stirred Into flame its latent powers The The magical magical mag mag- ical leal learning o of the west vest after which all the older nations are thirsting has bas made its ap appeal eal to Egypt also The i young men and women omen are breaking with the tho deadly conservatism of the I past and seeking the new life lICe and power pow pow- 1 er that at the western school books hold I Riots Riots at the Old Oldest st University II t I El EI Azhar university at Cairo has a of cf about 1000 In that C. C if time Its character char has bas changed very little though it has grown to such pr proportions proportions pro pro- portions that I if It Is not the oldest it is surely surel th the largest university In Inthe inthe inthe the world with about students Its recent history quite typifies the change that has hag come com over over Egypt The title university is a misnomer for El EI Azhar Is really only a theological theological theolog theolog- ical school holding Its sessions on the floor of a hugo mosque or group of mosque buildings Garfield's definition definition definition defini defini- tion of or a satisfactory tory college as a log with l I Mark rk Hopkins on one end and a student on the oU el Is nearly realized at El EI Azhar for tor the students simply sit on the floor with a teacher in the center Any place will do for a class room though certain pillars are associated with certain classes If a visitor threads his Iris way among these groups as I have done he is likely to tobe tobe tobe be hissed In token of the students' students hatred of all Christians The books studied consist almost exclusively of ot six works dealing with the Koran and the life lito of Mohammed Of or course courso the stud study is entirely In tho the Arabic Arable language lan Ian language guage and the student studena come from all parts of the Moslem world No fees are paid by the students but on the contrary they are paid for attending attend attend- ing Of ot course none of the modern sciences have had a place In the cur cur- Twelve years Is a common period for students to spend at El Azhar and some have been in attendance attendance at at- for or 20 and 30 years All live In the mosque Within the past six months the history history history his his- tory of tho the venerable school has been stormy There have been riots with violence to tho the professors and destruction destruction de do of property The university has been closed and the students have made mado demonstrations before the palace of the tho khedive Both Doth professors professors professors sors and students have been on strike and now after revolutionary overturns overturns overturns over over- turns the whole establishment has been put on a new basis The story of ot the riots in their successive phases is too long to be told here It began with the demand of two-thirds two of the teachers wh who who- were receiving only a pound and a half a month wages to be raised nearer the level of the other third who were getting twenty and thirty pounds The students students stu stu- dents thought the time to demand an Increase in the food tood which they got from the state and also for fora a stated payment in cash every month They also demanded a modernization of the institution All this means that old El Azhar Is I The College Collego of the American Mission Egypt disintegrating The Khedive Is said saido I to o desire a reduction of the students to o two or three thousand as the present present present pres pres- ent lot are a heavy expense to the thes s state ate and are really useless It Is from the village and mission schools that hat the new life lite of Egypt Is coming So El Azhar has been graded and reorganized reorganized reorganized re re- re- re organized from top to bottom and the students will henceforth have to learn such revolutionary teachings as that the world Is round and that there Is Isa isa a history and geography entirely untouched un un- untouched touched by the career and teachings of the Prophet Americas America's Unique Place In Egypt In sharp contrast to EI Azhar are the schools little and big scattered over Egypt which are commonly known mown as American schools or more specifically as American mission schools These are a feature of the J work of the United Presbyterian churchs church's mission In- In Egypt which has almost a monopoly of the mission work in this country In the educational educational department they have upwards of students and these are scattered scat scat- ered through all grades of schools from ireIn village day schools to the really remarkable college at All sorts of observers from Lord Cromer and Mr Roosevelt to everyday officials om- om cl dials ls and travelers have bave credited these schools with being potent tt factors fac fac- fac- fac tors perhaps tors-perhaps perhaps the most potent potent potent-In in the thereal thereal thereal real awakening of Egypt It Is an open secret that the British British British Brit Brit- ish government In Egypt frequently consults with the American missionaries missionaries mission mission- aries upon governmental policies for forit forit forit it Is freely admitted that they know more about the real situation than anybody else They are closes closest to the tho people and the tho officials really lean upon them for help In no o other er nation known to me is the standing of i the missionaries s so high as it is here I It Is a curious instance of the Interrelationship interrelationship interrelationship Inter inter- relationship of nations that the members members members mem mem- bers of one one one-of of the smallest American religious denominations should be a potent force In the national affairs of one of the oldest nations and that half a world away Old and New Cairo This Is a aland land of paradoxes Here at the tho roads cross-roads of the earth is the worlds world's popular r playground The Tho very greatness and mummies of f the ancient ancient an an- clent pharaohs before whom the whole world trembled is b but t a diversion diversion diver diver- sion slon and a spectacle for tourists touristS' and g globe obo And old Cairo Casio is one of the newest and b best st governed cities clUes on earth Most American municipalities ties could take lessons from what the British have done here It Is is- isas as safe as New York or safer and as clean or cleaner It is thoroughly well poi po- po J i iced Heed and managed Traffic Is quietly quiet quiet- quietly ly and carefully regulated All public pub pub- lic lie servants of whatever department are in uniform The city has literally literal literal- I ly y all tho the modern conveniences s sew conveniences sew sewage w. w age water gas electric light streetcars streetcars street streetcars cars telephones excellent paving and andr street cleaning and anel the tho whole mana mand man man- a d a-d Jd d with British thoroughness and i precision The order of London Is here but none none of London's somberness Tho The sidewalk cafes seem more numerous than In Paris and the streets are full of all manner of costumes from the veiled women of Cairo to the tho swaggerIng swaggerIng swagger- swagger Ing Macedonian 1 with his huge hugo sash and pis pistol tot or the white robed Moor or the trotter globe-trotter In helmet or Tyro Tyro- leso Ieso hat A veritable panorama of tho the nations passes dally daily in front of the big hotels Small wonder that the tourist fascinated by the strangeness strange strange- ness and colorfulness of it all thinks himself in the veritable east The Tho barbarism which underlies mor- mor Cairo creeps out after nightfall nightfall night night- fall and one who strolls up the side streets and alleys allers may see the dignified dignified fied fled young Egyptian put aside his college col col- college lege education and forget his Parisian Parisian Paris Paris- ian clothes and do the sinuous Oriental Oriental Oriental Ori Ori- dances common to all barbaric people to tho accompaniment of a a. tom tom-tom and other primitive musical instruments Painted sit at doorways and windows but there Is 13 less open vice on the streets of Cairo than on the streets of New York That some of the worst phases of the life of old Cairo persists under tho surface Is party due to the patronage of ot the tho tourists At the tho Roads Cross-Roads of the World The meeting and mingling of the east and tho the west at t Cairo which even the most casual tourist observes Is but typical of the political conditions condi condi- which obtain here Egypt Is the meeting place of Africa and Asia and within a few hours sail san of Europe It was in the battle ground of all the world conquerors In the pre-Christian pre centuries Egypt Itself was once the most powerful as well as the most highly civilized on earth Its dominion extended clear to the Tigris river and the Hebrews were not the only people who felt its oppressive power Today the greatest waterway that the hand of man has fashioned or controlled runs through Egypt the Suez canal So crowded is it with profitable tonnage that the British are seriously considering the creation of a a. new and exclusively British canal to compete with It For this be it ever remembered is the one best route to India which Is the most precious precious pre pre- cious clous and jealously guarded jewel Inthe inthe In Inthe the crown of British empire Although touched In every way bythe bythe by bythe the Influences of new life life ran railways wars s 's steamships literature i schools travel and free speech Egypt remains in tome some respects the most reactionary country on the globe It ItIs Itis Itis Is Intensely Moslem and It witnesses outbreaks of fanaticism which show that almost anything is possible at any moment in Egypt When the sacred carpet for Mecca 1 left Alexandria Alexan Alexan- Alexandria dri dria last year there was an unprovoked unprovoked unprovoked and unexpected attack attach upon inoffensive inoffensive in in- offensive Europeans merely because they were Christians It is known that the movement which has its headquarters and stores of arms arms at an oasis in the desert desert desert des des- ert Is powerfully represented In Cairo and has its teachers in El EI Azhar to Inflame the fanaticism of the students against the Christians Forthe Forthe For Forthe the old old Moslem dream of world conquest |