GERMAN EYES ON EGYPT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2303, 10 November 1914, Page 6

GERMAN EYES ON EGYPT

COMMIRCIAI, ACTIVITIES Considerable attention is given by tho German newspapers to Egypt, and great disappointment is obviously felt that nothing has been heard of" the revolt which Germans expected to break out there when war between England and Germany began. Germans ) also bitterly resent tho fact that they have been treated as alien enemies in Egypt, for it does not suit their purpose to have to leave that country at a time like "the present. An interesting and enlightening article on the subject is published in the "Kolnisohe Zeitung" recontly. It is written by Dr. Hugo Grothe, of Leipzig, a German traveller and author who has spent most of his life studying the economic and other conditions in the Near East. Dr. Grothe declares that England acted illegally when it ordered German and AustroHungarian Consular agents to leave Egypt, and when it "took into oustody" German and Austrian subjects. He asserts that it was not military considerations that dictated these measures, and that tliey were adopted from essential})' economic .'motives. According to him, England took the excellent opportunity; which was thus offered to get rid of a very inconvieut rival, 7 and "to destroy the peaceable work successfully carried out. by this rival in the domain of trade and of culture during the past few decades." / Some Statistics. What a. strong grip Germany had already obtained in Egypt is fully explained by Dr. Grothe. ■ The value of the goods exchanged by Germany and. Egypt in .the years '1885 to 1889 was, on the'average. £50,000 per year; in the year 1912 it was £5,000,000.- In the year 1882 the number of German vessels posing through the Suez' Canal was 109, with a tonnage of 127,000, in 1913 the number of vessels was 700, and the tonnage about 3,000,000. ' In tho year 1912 there were 2000 German subjects in Egypt, and about the'same number of Austrians and German Swiss. A German bank established itself in the country in the beginning of tho present year, and opened eight branches in various towns. German merchants, and engineers were facilitating . the intercourse' between the two countries by devoting much attention to one of tlie main products of the country, namely, cotton, and by erecting factories and storehouses. It .is'no-wonder, writes Dr. Grothe, that "in these circumstances England has. looked 011 the growth vf tlie German '-.economic influence iti Egypt with the! greatest uneasiness. Spreading Culture In Egypt. . Dr. Grothe adds that it was not only' in economic life that. Germany came into ever closer touch with the Egyptians, for much lias been done in the domain of culture by spreading the German language and German education.'_ Successes were achieved in this domain, aJ6o, he states, which were by England with -great jealousy. Germans were active m ; the library at Cairo,: in tho Department for Experimental Farming under the educational authorities, and. in the Office of Health. The influence of German sohools and German churches became ever greater, German hospitals were opened, and during the past few -years a German: quarter, has been established in-Cairo. One can. imagine what would, have happened; if English people had shown any_ inclination to adopt such measures in a country that occupied towards Germany the position that Egypt occupies - towards England.