THE BRITISH ARMY IN EGYPT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 960, 4 June 1883, Page 2

THE BRITISH ARMY IN EGYPT.

, On Wednesday, April n, the longpromised civic ceremony intended to do honor to the forces which had served in Egypt, in the persons of their leaders, came off in the Guildhall, |and

the Guildhall to witness the presenta- ' tion df‘ the address to Lord Wolseley, and of the Freedom of the City of London to Lord Alcester. The first was accompanied by a magnificent gold casket, surmounted by a sphinx, the latter with a sword of honor. The speeches made on the occasion were neat and appropriate. Lord Wolseley ;was especially happy in his remarks, which included' a handsome acknowledgment of the assistance he had received from the sister services, and from the Indian Contingent; and Lord Alcester returned the compliment. The late war was no doubt was followed by a crowded banquet at the Mansion House. There was a great and distinguished gathering in one in which every individual item contributed its full share. The base of operations could not have been transferred from Alexandria to the Suez Canal without the co-operation of the navy, nor could the army have marched away miles inland unless backed up by the strenuous efforts of the blue-jackets on shore. The part played by the Indian Contingent in the campaign was no less conspicuous. The movement of the extreme left immediately after the carrying of Tel-el-Kebir, under Sir Hugh Macpherson, and his prompt occupation of Zagazig, was the first step towards completing the victory, and the war was practically ended when the Indian cavalry galloped to Cairo almost without drawing rein. It was only right and proper, then, that in the speeches uttered in the City the services rendered by the Indian troops should .have been ,reppgnised and recorded. Indeed, more prominence might perhaps have been given to them.

At a banquet in the evening both gallant officers again spoke, and more at length, repeating in a measure the sentiments already expressed at the Guildhall. Lord Wolseley, However, expanded his thanks to the troops he had commanded, and expatiated fully and feelingly upon the debt of gratitude he owed to the rank and file. No doubt in all wars the private men came in for most of the hard knocks and get but little of the after glory, and it is satisfactory to find a general ready to acknowledge his obligations to those who were, after all, his strotig right arm. This species of recognition should become more, ; generally the- rule. To ignore the'services of all but the commissioned ranks is not fair to the rank and file, and in these days cannot but injuriously affect recruiting. There was nothing very remarkable | in the rest of the speeches. The Duke, of Cambridge dwelt largely upon the. value of moral force, especially when’ backed by physical, and Lord Hartington followed in the same line. Whatever may be the views of the opposite schools of politicians, it can hardly be: denied that armed intervention in, Egypt was not carried out a moment too soon, and that the results achieved are distinctly beneficial to India and the Mother Country. The security of the great artificial waterway and main line of traffic with the East is now established beyond dispute and for a long time to come. As to the future the speakers were wisely reticent. It is better to make no promises at present. The continued occupation of Egypt by British troops is still a manifest necessity, and our garrison has already been reduced to its very lowest terms. When Sir Evelyn Wood has got his new local army more into shape, and Baker Pasha’s Gendarmerie are more completely organised, further withdrawal may be possible. But until then, more particularly while the Mahdi remains un'subjugated" and Upper Egypt in a state of misrule, we must continue to bold the country. This is so generally admitted that it is not surprising so obvious a postulate was not insisted upon by the statesmen speaking at the Mansion House.— Home News. .