THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 1882. THE EGYPTIAN WAR.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2607, 15 August 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 1882. THE EGYPTIAN WAR.

The interest taken in England’s prc ceedings in Egypt still continues nr abated. The kaleidoscope shifts ever day, and wo hear of new combinations b almost every telegram. As far as w can see at present, England is gettin very judiciously out of what was at on time a decidedly awkward business. A the juncture when France had withdraw from the movement, and when Tnrke showed no inclination to assert its right in Egypt; when there wore ugly rumor of the intentions of Germany an Austria; and when the whole burden of somewhat complicated transaction la entirely on the British Government, tl outlook was far from cheering. But th atmosphere has cleared wonderfully aim those days. It has been recognised thi the retirement of Prance was about tl best thing that could have happened fc English interests; Turkey has come 1 see that it will do no longer to vaccillal when one of the Great Powers has take up the matter in earnest; Geiman and Austria show no symptoms c wishing to interfere with siniste views in the background; and, lastl; as is always the case when a subject i once taken seriously in band, the con plications of the situation, as far a regards England, are being smoothed oi in a most satisfactory manner. A present the matter stands thus :—W have forced the Saltan to take up decided attitude and to declare Aral Pasha a rebel: the Turkish troops wi be on the ground in a very short time wo have ourselves an efficient force read; to carry on active operations: the eon ferenco of the Great Powers has come t a settled decision as to the desirabilit; of the plan proposed by England : and by handing over to the Porte interests ii the expedition which should belong t a suzerain power, we have given i guarantee that we have no nlterio motives in onr action, beyond the neu tralisation of the Suez Canal. And al this has been done by a perfect!; straightforward course of action com' bined with firmness. For once am away the Liberal party has shown itsel equal to manoeuvre in the general fielc of European politics. It has beei shown to the world that in certaii matters it is perfectly ready to aei when its mind is made up. Indeed in the past, the great drawback to the Liberal party being in power when a European crisis was eventuating has beer that it has never been able to know exactly what it wants. The policy oi non-intervention has always been the creed of the party. It has said that whai may take place on the Continent is no matter to Englishmen in general, who are happily placed beyond the chance of being drawn into quarrels that arise from purely Continental jealousies. The nnsonndness of this logic has time after time drawn the party into serions perplexities. Up to a certain length the reasoning is sound enough, but, carried to all lengths, the effect has been that England has often found herself pnlled at the last moment into the stream, nolens volens. In these days nations are so closely bound together that complete isolation is impossible, and it is folly to suppose that it can be. Even in the instance of the present complication, had the Gladstone Ministry avoided the shrinking from interference at an earlier date, the bombardment of Alexandria might never have eventuated, and Arabi Pasha might never have had the audacity to take np the attitude he occupies at present.

However, it is easy enough to be wise after the event, and, as matters stand, it will be well to be satisfied with the present position. A few months at the outside should now see the affair settled, ®£Typl quieted, and all danger to the canal averted. And, even if England obtains no territorial foothold in the country in recognition of her services, she will at least have gained an immense amount of prestige in those quarters. Up to the commencement of the late crisis the Power that exercised the largest influence in Egypt was France. With them lay the credit of constructing the canal. The small towns along that waterway swarmed with Frenchmen, and the action of France in Tunis further heightened the influence of the nation. But all this is now a thing of the past. Franca has declared that it will make no sacrifice to maintain its prestige in Egypt. It has practically asserted that the Tunis expedition was no bid for the command of the shores of Mediterranean. In point of fact, it has agreed to what has all along been maintained by English writers on

tte subject namely, that the interests of France in Egypt were more sentimental ” al - amount of shipping belonging to that country passing through I" 6xtremel y small, compaL WelJ speaking. The tradition of the Battle of the Pyramids and other actions m bygone days are not strong enough to commit the country to present expense “ d ,™ k *, A rea J cris; a tas shown which country has real interests in Egypt, and which country has sham interests. The country with real interests has pul down * 8 f °° i The country with sham interests has gracefully retired from the contest.

The latest telegrams show in an amusing manner the shifts England is pn o not to excite the jealousy of Europe at large. The proposal to give the command of the joint English and Turkish army to the Khedive is one of the most curious outcomes of this sentiment. The feelings of that worthy may be more easily imagined than described. . * 3O a decided case of embarras de ric/iesse. To be handed down to history as a great commander may he a consideration, but his will be a role not easy tO . carr 7 if the proposal is entertained. The ability to fulfil satisfactorily the part of figure head is not given to all men. He will have his suzerain to deal with on the one hand, and, on the other, the commander of a powerful expeditionary force from England. Eatatleast it will have the effect of placing him in agood position with regard to his subjects.. Nominally he will have in bis own hands the patting down of a rebel against his own power. The bulk of the Egyptian nation are not given to looking into political matters too closely. Their sovereign will he recognised as the moving spirit in the quelling of ArahL That ho knows no more ahont war than; he does ahont the other side of the moon will not matter to them one button. They are a simple folk, and will take things as they find them. Taking everything into consideration, the idea would' seem to be a sound one. The Khedive’s - position when the war is over will be- ' immensely improved by the part which it is suggested should be allotted to him.