BOOKS OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2964, 30 December 1916, Page 11

BOOKS OF THE DAY

A Maker of Modern Egypt,

A very interesting; and, in its way, historicaJlv valuable book, is that entitled "Chapters from My Official Life," by Sir C. .Rivers AVilsou, edited by Evorilda Macalister (London, Edward Arnold). Tho author, who died about a year ago,, had a long and distinguished career in the British Civil Service, which he entered as far back as. 185G, afterwards becoming secretary to the Secretary of the Treasury, .a post ho owed to the discernment of Lord Palmerston, who was specially pleased with an essay the young man had written for his examination. Wilson was afterwards secretary to two Chancellors of the Exchequer, Disraeli and bis successor. Robert Lowe, and by 1873 had attained to the 'onerous and honourable position of Comptroller-General of tho National Department. The purchase of the Khedive's Suez Canal shares by Great Britain was the indirect cause of Sir.Rivers Wilson's long and honourable connection with Egyptian affairs. Nominated as one of the three English representatives on the board of the Suez Canal Company, he was lent to Ismail to reorganise the Egyptian finances. His hands were tied, 1 and a French scheme for the consolidation of the Egyptian debt being accepted, ho returned to London. The scheme, however, did not work very smoothly, and the bondholders being. dissatisfied, a Commission' of Inquiry- was appointed in 1878, consisting of a president (De Lesseps) and two vice-presidents, of whom Wilson was one. Wilson's career in Egypt was eventful. His most important position was that of Minister of. Finance, under Nubar Pasha. In. this capacity ho was successful in raising a loan'from tho Rothschilds of £8,500,000,-on the security of the lands surrendered by the Khedive, who had been forced to relinquish the immense estates which ho had acquired from his subjects by'various illicit means. Tho Nubar Ministry's attempt to govern Egvpt on constitutional linos was a failure, and after its fall, and the de--position of Ismail in favour of his son Tewfik, Wilson returned to England and resumed his work at the National Dobt Office. He was a member of the •Brussels Monetary Conference in 1892, retiring in 1894' on a pension, after thirty years of official life.-, Still an active man, .whose advice was much sought after in tho world of high finance, he'wcilt.out' to" America to represent the British shareholders in the Central Pacific Railway, and from 1895 to 1909 was President .of the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada, being largely responsible for the extension of that company's operations to.the Pacific Coast. • ■■•

Besides giving an exhaustive account of the various important offices held by Sir Rivers' AVilson, tho book contains a large- number of interesting character sketches of celebrities and many amusing anecdotes. When Wilson arrived in Egypt the riotous extravagance of Ismail had been somewhat checked, Hut the whole Egyptian', atmosphere still reeked witb corruption.' Everybody's hand had to be greased, and many officials were little better than daylight robbers. An amusing story is told of Said Pasha. Said was, visiting England, and was living on' his yacht in the Thames, near Woolwich. One day as he was about to sit down to dinner,with a large company,' a servant announced that a person urgently desired an interview with "him. • "Who is he, and what does he want?" said Said. "He wants to sell Your Highness some diving jbells.'' "Diving bells! What tho devil do I want with diving bells? Tell him to go to the devil!" As the servant was leaving he called him back, saying: "Stop—l will have a diving bell; it may be useful to fish up those horses of my friend- which always have to be thrown overboard in the Bay of Biscay!" The fact being that used to receive an order from the Egyptian Government to buy, say, twenty horses in England, but somehow or other only ten would arrive, tho others having generally been "lost in a storm on tho voyage to Egypt.". Said Fnsha, who was no fool, was well aware of tho methods of his entourage.

Ismail's terrible extravagance caused hiiii to develop a singular shrewdness, plus an -unscrupulous disregard for anyone's interests .save his own, in devising means by which he could add to his wealth. Apropos to this, Sir Rivers AVilson tells the following story:— ' .'

In - tho best quarter of the European portion of Cairo there was a handsome building, with a large garden attached to it, wheh was popularly known as the "Maison des Mitrmitons''; it had, indeed, been bought by the joint contribution of tlio kitchen stall" of the palace. The Khedive, hearing of this, sent for the chief of the marmitons, and asked how it'had been possible for them to commit such an extravagance out of their savings ? Tho man thus interrogated replied, that they had been able to acquire the property for a very low sum of money (which he named), so they had invested their savings in it. "Well," said his master, "I don't approve of my marmitons holding house property, so I will take it off your hands at the price you gave for it." It is scarcely necessary to say that the unfortunate scullion had named it sum infinitely less than that which had really been paid for the property, and the Khedive, who was well aware of the fact, made a considerable profit by the transaction..

The author knew .Ferdinand <lc Lesseps very intimately, and evidently liked the famous French engineer very much. He says:— | In the earlier days of my connection with him, J[. de Lesseps was probably the most popular .man in France. Gnnibetta bad christened him Le Grand Francais; and the whole nation was proud of him.' His loans were eagerly subscribed,- and the small French - investor had the utmost confidence in him. Ho was fond of telling a story of a would-be contributor to one of his issues. Tho individual in question wrote saying that ho wanted some shares in the company of tho "Chemin de i'er de l'isle de Suede"! ("the Railway of the Island of Sweden"!) He was duly informed that Jl, do Lcsseps's company" had nothing to do with a railway, an island, or Sweden, but ho replied: "Cola ne fait rien, on ni'a dit que e'etait quclqiic cbos pour cnibcter less Anglais." ("That doesn't matter. T have been told it is Komethiun which will annoy the English"); and he sent in his contribution all the sniiie.

As a rule- Sir Rivers Wilson has little hut good to say of the French .officials in Egypt. Sometimes they thwarted his plans, 'but "that ho seems to' have thought was only what they-were ordered to,'do. Occasionally a black sheep became visible. Thus thero-is mention ol-

a certain marquis who hid been rather a well-known character iu I'aris .society, aud had carried his friendship with Hie wile ul' au intimate friend to a. somewhat indiscreet length. One ilii.y ho received a visit from the husband, who entered tin; room abruptly, exclaiming "I know all!" The marquis sprang to bis feet in alarm, but the other promptly reassured him, trying, "We arc Meads of lons standing. You it ro going to tender mo-a Inst service; take her. She is yours!' 1 no affair created a considerable; sensation in

Paris, anil efforts were made to bring about an amicable divorce with a view 'to marriage. This 'arrangement did not -suit the marquis, who excused himself on the ground of his want of means. Goodnatured friends thereupon used influence to .obtain for him tho nest in Egypt which was then vacant. Flo secured the appointment, but did not marry the lady. A specially interesting chapter is that devoted to the author's acquaintance with General Gordon, or Gordon Pasha as he was known in Egyptian circles. Wilson found him a singularly unworldly When Gordon took up tho position of Governor-General of the Soudan, in succession to Sir Samuel Baker, Chcrif I'asha was commissioned hy the Viceroy to settle the terms of tho engagement. Gordon said he left the salary to the Government, whereupon Chcrif I'asha asked if ho would be agreeable to tako £10,000 a year and all expenses paid, the same salary as that received by his predecessor. "Good gracious!" said Gordon, "1 couldn't think of accepting anything like that. Would H.H. consider £2000 a year suitable? So far as I am concerned, £1000 would bo ample; but I should like to he able to make some provision for my family." "In telling me this," adds Sir Rivers, "Chcrif did not appear to he struck by tho selfdenial of Gordon, but rather was amazed at his refusal to accept so good an offer, Elsewhere Sir Hi vers, Wilson writes:

I once travelled from Alexandria with an Italian bishop, who was on his way from Khartum to Koine. I talked to him about Gordon, supposing, there could be Httlo in common between a. man of Gordon's somewhat narrow evangelical views and a Woman Catholic prelate, but tho bishop expressed.the greatest admiration for him. I asked if he could account for the cause of Gordon's extraordinary influence over the natives of Africa. To my surprise he answered simply. "His chastity.". . The possession of this quality, which was absolutely incomprehensible to tho Arab,-seemed to.raiso him to tho position of a mystical and almost divine 'character.

Sir Rivers Wilson, it may bo noted, considered that Gordon might have been saved', and Khartum would not have fallen, had the desert route from Suakin to Berber been taken by tire relief expedition; .He says that this course was strongly advocated by his uncle, General Sir George Stephenson, then Commander-in-Chief in Egypt. But Stephenson was put on one side, and Lord Wblseloy'sent olit to command the expedition, which, alas, arrived too late to fescue the Hero of Khartum. .The book contains several portraits, including ah interesting group of Do Lesseps and his family. (N.Z. price, .155.) •