Show J E r 9 IOLDER 1 rhe The Lid Down Tight on Young Egypt me Great Great Britain Following Roosevelt's Roose velt's Advice Pursues Sterner Measures Measures Meas Meas- ures urea With Egyptian Nationalists P. P By oy WILLIAM T. T ELLIS y all Cairo Egypt Thanks Thanks to Theodore i Roosevelt the attention lon of the whole tL world even of the man of ot the street U has be been n directed to the Interesting fi fact that the somnolence of centuries d In th the land landof of the Pharaohs has been broken and that unrest self conscious rid ind nd actively directed Is the present outstanding characteristic of the political poUt pout- ical life Ute of ot this oldest of ot living na na- na I Lions Rather strangely this very Interest In terest on the part of ot a n visiting American Ameri Amen I can did more to quell the unrest than I any other factor for Mr Roosevelt's famous Camous advice to the British to deal more vigorously with the agitators was straightway followed by a policy of Df sternness that has not since been relaxed The result Is that all the British and especially those who hold Egyptian Egyptian tian Uan shares are enthusiastically grateful to Mr Roosevelt while the Egyptian nationalists hate bate him with C- C an Oriental intensity such as none none of 01 7 his political enemies at home are capable ca ca- ca pable pablo of feeling Meanwhile the situation situation situ situ- atlon continues well in hand Sir Edwin Edwin Edwin Ed Ed- win Gorst Gerst announced shortly after the distinguished American visitor had bad gone that his former policy of leniency had been a mistake and that henceforth severer measures would be the rule Now the lid Is down downS tight The Tho nationalists can no longer S write and speak as the they please lease MeetIngs MeetIngs Meet Meet- Ings are held only under restrictions and surveillance Some Sonic of ot the leaders have been sent to jail jaU for their sediS seditious seditious sedi sedi- S utterances Demonstrations can canno canno canno no longer be held at the pleasure c cS erf d. S the agitators Complaints are very ven bitter that tho the latter cannot get their grievances before the public British Rule Threatened t Interested observers statesmen tock stock brokers missionaries delare de- de lare elare that prior to the stiffening up of ot the governments government's backbone by byI SIr Mr Roosevelt the rule of Great Britain Britain Brit Brit- I am ain was really in peril Assassinations and riots were both growing alarmIngly alarmingly alarm alarm- I frequent More than once the thet t army o of occupation had to be paraded In order to overawe the turbulent popI pop pop- I ulace Residents felt apprehensive of ofa I a fanatical outburst of the notoriously Inflammable Cairo mobs who cared I I less for nationalist principles than for disorder and loot These fears were t In large measure removed by Sir Edwin Edwin Edwin Ed Ed- win Gorst's Gorat's surrender of his policy of ot tolerance and conciliation and d by his firmer measures Theoretically the Egyptian nationalists national national- I 1 Ista have the best of cases Their plea Is the old American one for the right I L. L of ot self self government They want relief from Crom a government which they say truly is only a usurper Great Brittin's Brittin's Brittin's Brit- Brit tins tin's control is only by right of might and possession The country is nominally nominally nominally nomi nomi- nally under the suzerainty of ot Turkey The British occupation is by BritIsh BritIsh British Brit Brit- ish avowal only temporary But It will be many a long day before Great t Britain moves out When she and Franco France stormed Alexandria and It became necessary for some strong power to remedy the prevailing conditions conditions conditions condi condi- of anarchy the task devolved upon Great Britain acting in behalf t of ot the cause of ot international order Her answer to the other nations and to the Young Egypt party is that the country Is not yet ready to resume the task of governing itself Now the government frankly Is assuming an enlarged degree of or authority and responsibility responsibility re re- re- re and diminishing the tho power pow pow- er In the hands of or natives This of course Is In the face of ot sedition In Egypt proper and In view of rather I alarming rumors of ot sedition among the native troops In the Sudan When Lord Kitchener recently visited Egypt and the Sudan ostensibly for tor sport It is known that he called together all the resident officers who hart had ever served under him and went over ho i situation In the Sudan with theIr theu t Some British Blunders In Ia all aU the accusations that were r made aade against the British by tho the nationalist nationalist na na- na le leaders ders whom I Interviewed I detected a note of ot personal resentment resentment resent resent- ment of ot offended sensibilities Apparently Apparently Apparently the most fundamental of tho the British mistakes mistakes and and I count It really serious serious serious-Is Is that the tho dominant power has hRs not been considerate of the feelIngs feelIngs feel feel- Ings of or the natives of ot the land With characteristic British tactlessness the r. r authorities have bave sought to help the 1 people without at nt all aU trying to please them When a measure was deemed for the nations nation's welfare It was adopted adopt adopt- ed cd often in a way that ran roughshod t over the peoples people's sensibilities In a word the British have bave very often orten displayed displayed displayed dis dis- dis- dis played b bad d manners In dealing with the Egyptians As one ono adviser or assistant to a minister put It to me My minister upstairs Is quite a a. decent decent decent de de- de- de cent fellow no no attempt being made to conceal t the e fact that the was t the e power power behind the throne and mu superior officer wa was wa only Mm ster There Is a great deal of tho the public be damned attitude about the tho British official in colonial service and small attention Is paid to explaining a course or conciliating the tho public When men misunderstand and protest the tho British have bave as much as said Let them howl Jf It t the authorities had bad fielded yielded oftener on minor points con con- ceding many really trivial demands of the nationalists and explaining patiently patiently pa pa- the present Impracticability of or others the ominous nationalist movement movement mo e move move- ment so far tar as it is bona bonn fide tide would have had scarcely a leg to stand upon The doggy bull attitude of the administration administration administration admin admin- is not necessary to real reat firm firm- firm j ness The Donkeys Favor British Rule The substantial and manifest advantages advantages advantages of or British rule are better Illustrated thus Illus than explained at length The donkeys of ot Egypt for tor instance would vote unanimously for the present regime re re- re- re gime If it the suffrage were extended to them The simple reason Is that It Is Isnow Isnow isnow now against the law for tor a man to use a a. beast with a sore back The policeman policeman police poUce man may stop any donkey camel or horse on the highway remove its load and If It its back Is raw arrest the driver There are even policemen for this special lal ial purpose The great significance of ot this instance lies in the fact that the Moslem seems to delight in treating Ill and starving half-starving his animals and any European or American Ameri Amen can travelers through Islamic countries countries coun count tries is In a constant state stat of ot Indignation Indignation indignation Indig Indig- nation over the sore backs of most of the beasts Now In Egypt the Brit Brit- Isk ISI have replaced d these usages usage Ith lith the tho standards civilization Another straw straw straw-a a r whole haystack of W Am 5 r 2 T S t X V fj v s y s sv v f fx S I iv 4 x i r I y 4 Mc 4 i Mt c W I A Mosque Near Cairo Egypt straws In fact which fact which shows the trend hend of the new times is the fact that the natives are no longer allow allowed d to torment travelers for tor Egypt without Its swarm of ot beggars and pseudo guides crying back Is almost inconceivable to the travelers who know only the Egypt of a few years ago This miracle miracle miracle mir mir- acle has been wrought Signs have been posted In trains hotels on ships and at th th- j principal sites urging travelers trav tray elers to do their part In saving the people from this pauperization In the same category might be mentioned the dispensaries to deliver the land from the curse of ot sore eyes and consequent consequent con con- sequent blindness The Bedouins have been made tractable tractable tractable tract tract- able the safety of the tho whole whale country has been assured and the welfare and prosperity of ot the people sought In every every ev eVe ev- ev ery conceivable way The Nile dams and Improved Irrigation which have enabled the fellah to make a goo good livIng living living liv liv- ing in the possession of which competence competence competence com com- the government safeguards him are in themselves sufficient jus for the British occupation Old residents of the east have called my attention to the he tact fact that 25 years ago Syria was a model of prosperity while Egypt was bankrupt and aud In the tho grip of all that goes with Oriental des des- Today Egypt's prosperity Istar is far tar ahead of anything Syria has ever known and educated young Syrian men by the hundreds find employment in Egypt and tho the Sudan All this is clear testimony to the beneficence of ot British rule The rhe Moslem Menace A diligent study of ot conditions In Egypt leads me to the conviction that the real root of the whole unrest lies In the seemingly Ineradicable antipathy antipathy antipathy antipa antipa- thy between Moslems and Christians It Is less because Great Britain Is a foreign power In Egypt than that it Is Isa Isa isa a Christian power which makes it ob- ob For thirteen centuries Egypt EgIt has bas been under a Moslem government government gov gov- now to find herself herselt under Christian rub rulo Is galling to tho the faith faith- ful Such Sich men as Sheikh the nationalist leader recently out of prison with the halo balo of martyrdom on his brow frankly avowed to me me that the nationalists look forward to TurkIsh Turkish Turkish Turk Turk- ish sovereignty He said that it was because Great Britain was scared cared by bythe bythe bythe the success of constitutional government govern govern- ment In u n Turkey and tho the knowledge I that would never be content I Ito to let Egypt remain out of her ber hands that the British stirred up this bugaboo bugaboo bugaboo buga buga- boo of sedition He says that in terror terror ter ter- nor of ot consequences the British have strengthened th their lr forces at t the e Gulf GuU of Akbar putting only Englishmen in command and are preparing to resist Turkeys Turkey's expected attempt to compel the return of ot Egypt to its rightful su su- su- su All An of which is merely an Indication of ot the allegiance of ot Young Egypt to the caliph It is said that all Moslems Moslems Mos Mos- lems say my mi sultan I speaking of ot the toe ruler of Turkey No Moslem i is it counted a n foreigner no Christian IE If counted a brother Th The pertinent point Is made made made-I I have bave It from a Caire editor that editor that If IC the nationalists sincerely sincerely sin stood for Egypt for the Egyptians Egyptians ti ns they would give the Copt a ashow ashow ashow show for he I is Ia the simon pure Egy- Egy tian an As a matter of fact the Copts are solidly opposed to the plans and methods of the nationalists They say that it Is merely a subtle form torm of ot the theold theold theold old pan-Islamic pan propaganda and that what is really intended is to restore the temporal power of the religion of ot the Prophet when It would be goodbye goodbye goodbye good good- bye to the liberty and equal equality ty which the persecuted oft-persecuted Copts now enjoy under British rule A rather sinister fact is pointed out in this connection The prime minister who was was assassinated assassinated by the tho nationalists was a Copt Copt Copt- that Is an Egyptian of the ancient lineage lin Un- lin- lin but but the present prime minister is perfectly acceptable because he be is isa isa isa a Moslem though he is a Turk and a n. foreigner Despite the he dreams and nd ceaseless of t the pa pan the new movement In Egypt will fail fall Only or six per cent of the people can be bo said to be at all affected by it the nationalist leaders themselves told me rae and in the face of the spirit of ot III mN YN the times the Justice and prosperity which pr prevail van In the land and the modern education of a steadily Increasing increasing in In- creasing number of ot the young people it Is not likely that reaction can pre pro ya vail None the less international public public public pub pub- lic sentiment will demand of ot Great Britain here as in India a more sympathetic sympathetic sym sym- sympathetic pathetic and conciliatory method of ot dealing with the people of the land and a readiness to accord them all the self-government self for which they ire r prepared The tide of democracy Which is sweeping around the world cannot be stayed 1911 by Joseph B. B Bowles |