THE CRISIS IN EGYPT.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2608, 16 August 1882, Page 4

THE CRISIS IN EGYPT.

£“ European Mail,” June 30th.]

Al we close, the situation in Egypt is critical in the extreme. The Conference is now deliberating what course of action, if any, it will recommend for rescuing the country from the rule of the military faction into whose clutches it has fallen. Meanwhile, Arabi Pasha remains master of the situation, and he has surprised the world by announcing that his various movements have been made at the instigation of the Porte, and if the Sultan throws him over he has threatened to publish the whole of the correspondence which has passed between them. Whether the Grand Order of the Medjidie, which the Sultan has just bestowed on Arabi, is to bo taken as a sign that the sovereign of Turkey means to support this mutinous soldier in the dangerous game which he is playing with the European Powers remains to be teen. One of the first acts of the Conference was to send a conciliatory message inviting the adhesion of the Forte ; and negotiations to that end are still proceeding, without much prospect of success. But the Sultan will evidently not be «asily tempted from his position of vantage. Prom adopting the alternative of recommending intervention to be carried out by European troops, the Ambassadors will probably be deterred by mutual jealousies and difficulties of detail. With such a prospect before us, it becomes imperative to consider what should be the British lino of policy. It may bo assumed that our Government have excepted from the scope of the deliberations of the Conference the right of protecting the Suez Canal from possible interruption, Ko Government in this country coaid allow a right so indispensable to the continuance of onr Indian Empire to be hedged round by any piotoooU whatsoever. The important point to be now recognised in that the time may soon arrive at which we should be justified in taking decisive steps to secure our paramount interes‘B in that quarter. If the Conference should be unable to discover any satisfactory way out of the Egyptian embroglio, France will agree with England upon same united plan of Mtion or leave us free to sot alone. To the maintenance of the status quo in Egypt, as Mr Gladstone lately laid down in Parliament, the efforts of our diplomacy are directed, and to this we are distinctly pledged. We might long ago have left Egypt to its own devices — that is, to relapse further into bankruptcy and degradation. Snob a policy would have been simple and easy. The Government of the day chose one which was more embarrassing to the Western Powers, but at the same time one which opened up a great future to Egypt herself. By establishing the Control that country was within a comparatively short period plaoed in such a position of material prosperity as it had never dreamed of. For Ismail there was substituted a ruler who was willing to recognise the Control and abide by his engagements. The prosperous position thus attained by Egypt has been shattered by a military adventurer, who has persuaded others, and. perhaps himself, that be is at the head of a genuine National party ; and his first service to his country is virtually to throw her backwards for half a century. Any decision to which the Conference may come teaching this mutinous soldier bisjplaoe will be a real blessing to the native Egyptians, whose cause he affects to espouse. The exodus of Europeans from Egypt is one of the most painful features of the present situation. Not only at Alexandria and Oau?o;~bnt along the Suez Canal and the Valley of the Nile, lived thousands of skilled and intelligent people from the West—some as managers of industrial or financial undertakings, others as leading artificers—and all helping to lift the land out of the sleep of centuries. They represented the capitalists of Europe, and were producing handsome profits for their employers ; but the great benefits they conferred on the native papulation were obvious. The fellah can seldom " make both ends meet” without borrowing from somebody; and before the capital of the West was poured in he had to pay frightfully usurious interest to village money lenders. He was rescued from that kind of oppression, and, in addition, steady employment in factories and plantations was provided for him. The stream of tourists atr' traded to certainly the oldest and, perhaps, the most interesting country in the world was also largely increased in volume, because the country was considered to be absolutely safe. No Mohammedan country was ever before so thoroughly Europeanised, and English travellers felt almost as safe in the heart of Egypt as they woold be in British India, and certainly more safe than many an Irish landlord in Connaught today. This sense of security, encouraging the residence of a scattered population of Europeans, has produced an embarrassing result. Were Egypt inhabited by nativee alone, the task of punishing the murderers of our countrymen would be easy enough ; but there is an actual danger that measures taken to restore order at Alexandria and Cairo might lead to attacks upon isolated Europeans up the country, and thus add to the horrors of a painful situation. The exodus, therefore, although deplorable in itself, and indicative of a terrible relapse in the prosperity of Egypt, may be necessary to clear the ground for action. When it is more or lesa complete, the work of reparation must begin. Her Majesty’s Government are apparently coming to the conclusion that an armed intervention for the restoration of order in

“Sgypt is becoming inevitable. The War Office os June 26th issued orders for 20,000 arms and accoutrements to be ready within three or four days, with a view, it is believed, of calling out the Army Beserve. During the whole of that day the War Office was in telegraphic communication with the generals commanding the various garrisons, instructing them to receive the arms and accoutrements, and to make arrangements to have everything in readiness in the event of it becoming necessary to despatch troops to Egypt. It is within the range of probability that the Army Beserve will be called ont within the next two or three days, and if so they will be told off to garrison duty to relieve the regular troops who may be sent out on active service. The number of men in England at present being held on war footing is between 30,000 and 40.000. The sudden order for war stores has caused the utmost activity in the Government establishments affected by the order, and these military depots will have to put forward all their strength to meet, within the period given, the unpreoedently large demands upon them. It was currently reported a few days ago that Her Majesty’s Government had directed the preparation of a large force for immediate employment in Egypt. The expedition would consist, it was said, of about 8000 men of all arms, and Sir Evelyn Wood was mentioned as the commander of the expedition She Channel Fleet is already anchored in Valetto harbor, where everything is ready for embarkation upon the order being dispatched. The .detached squadron is to rendezvous at ' Gibraltar, whither the Belleisle, ironclad corvette, is ordered ont, while the Heola, torpedo ship, has sailed for the Bock with an enormous store of explosives, several torpedo launches, and an extra detachment of marines. [From Homo Papers, ] A Greek gentleman who has escaped from Alexandria writes to the “ Times,” under data Athens, June 22nd : “Although I have carefully read the daily issue of "The Times” up to that of Friday, June 16th, I have seen no mention made of -Jjy far the most serious and cold-blooded fixture of the riot in Alexandria of Sunday, JniKKUth. I pass over the street fighting, and the fact that the * mustafezin,' at first passive though sympathetic spectators of tho riot, ultimately joined in and killed many Europeans, and come at once to the essential point of my letter. During the riot two soldiers were killed, and their bodies having been taken to the guard house or ‘ caracole ’ in the principal street leading from the harbor to the square of Hehemet Ali, this so infuriated the soldiery there that a systematic butchery was commenced of all Europeans whose misfortune led them that way, peaceable citizens, many of whom bad gone down to the harbor to see the ironclads, and others were out ■ fishing. Several Arabs were employed by ■he soldiers to give warning of the approach ■f any carriage containing Europeans. On Hs arrival at the caracole it was stopped by Ha officer, the occupant made to descend on Hie pretence of searching him for arms, and Be was immediately run through with Bayonets from behind by the soldiers. The rpookets were emptied of the money they contained, and this was quarrelled for by the soldiers. The body was then thrown into a

place close by, the water-carriers washed up tiro blood, sand was thrown over the

’ place, and the soldiers waited for fresh —-victims. Many people ran to this caracole 4ot protection from the mob, and were with-

out exception killed there by the soldiers. Alto at the time there was a certain number of prieonert in the caracole, Bayahs or Turkish subjects, confined for various email offences; these were all brought out and murdered. Although the soldiers from Bas-el-Teen did not appear to quell the riot in the streets until five hours after it had commenced, this butchery at the caracole continued until long afterwards—namely, until after 11 p.m. The bodi s during the night were packed into six ambulance waggons and taken and thrown into the sea. Lest you should think that I have been led into exaggeration, 1 hog to inform you most positively that these are facts which I can prove by the testimony of three independent eye-witnesses who were in hiding in the houses near the caracole, . and saw everything, only escaping the next morning. One of them counted 132 Europeans killed before his eyes. Further proof, too, is afforded by the number of bodies which are being daily washed up from the sea, all showing bayonet wounds. It was the knowledge of these facts that caused ourselves with many other families to leave Alexandria, as we saw that those we had to fear moat were the nominal guardians of order. It is possible that all this may bs well known in official circles, and is purposely kept back. It, however, remains with you. Sir, to decide whether or not to publish my letter in the "Times,” A correspondent in the “Times" makes this final observation as to England's interest in Egypt. No Egyptian believes the Suez Canal can bo maintained and protected by ar Power that has not a hold on Egypt. Snips, or even ports, at Port Said, Suez, and Ismailia, would not suffice. The waterway is ninety miles long, approached from Egypt by desert or marsh, and a handful of dynamite would choke the passage for days by the disruption of the bank. While such a risk exists the Suez Canal cannot be considered a perfect military highway. The Delta must be held also before the Canal can ha held to be safe. Thus also would be obtained the inestimable advantage of a railway route from Alexandria to Suer in case the Canal was blocked by dynamite explosion or by the wilful sinking of ships in the fair waterway. The following remarks which were made by an Egyptian Moslem, of high position, but never in office, are quoted by the “ Times” correspondent:—“ Your statesmen and newspapers all make the mistake of trying to ascertain the views of the people, and of allowing their ideas of such views to influence them. There are only two parties in Egypt—the one consists of ragamuffins, who desire any sort of disturbance in the hope of getting something out of it j the other consists of all the rest, who wish to avoid disturbance, for fear of losing what they have. Beyond this no party or political view exists in Egypt. As for Tewfik, Arabi, Halim, Ismail, no Egyptian cares a piastre for any of them. The one party will support any one of them, if a disturbance can be thereby brought about; the other will support any one in order to obtain peace. No solution will please the one party ; any solution will please the other.” “But,” I said, “the army at least care for Arabi; that is a third party.” He said, “ That is very nearly true, but not quite ; with a little more time given him it might bo entirely true. By continually relying on them, and appealing to them, he is gradually creating an esprit de corps , which every day grows stronger. Still, even now there are very few who would be faithful to him if they had any harder work than marching through Alexandria to do.” “ Would they fight for him f" I asked. “ Yes, with women and children ; but not with half their number of armed men. Near Sennaar, on the Nile, 1500 of them, armed with Bemington rifles, met lesi than 2000 followers of the false prophet, armed with Bedonin guns, sticks, and knives. They were led up in firm order. They fired one volley, took the rifles by the barrels, flung them into the orowd, and bolted.”

In the House of Oommom on Jane 20th, in reply to a question put by the Earl of Feversbam, Earl Granville said“l will only say that on coming into the Government wo found the integrity of the Ottoman Empire somewhat diminished by arrangements immediately owing to f ormer circumstances and to the provisions of the Treaty of Berlin. Our policy was to carry out the arrangements of that treaty, and beyond that to maintain entirely the integrity of the Ottoman Empire as defined by that treaty, and it is certainly not with regard to Egypt that her Majesty’s Government have been at all slack to maintain the tie existing between the sovereign of Egypt and Egypt itself, or in any way helped to dimish the sovereignty of the Sultan. There was another point on which the noble earl touched, and in which I entirely agree with him. It was this that with regard to outrages on British subjects and loss of their lives or property, we have not to address other countries, but have a right to judge ourselves what satisfaction or reparation wa want. [Hear, hear,] Sir E. Malet has been instructed to make it clearly understood that her Majesty’s Government will require full reparation and satisfaction for the outrages committed during the late disorder at Alexandria. [Hear, bear.] Notice will be given to all British subjects in Egypt to register at the Consulate the claims they may have to put forward, and a similar notice will be given to the relatives of those who have been unfortunately killed. Instructions have been given to the Admiral which we believe will be sufficient in case any farther disturbance takes place at Alexandria, and we have been informed by the French Government that they have also given instructions to their Admiral to concert with ours the measures that would be taken in this contingency.” The Alexandria correspondent of the “ Standard”gives an account of an interview he has had with Arabi Pasha. He was surrounded by about a score of officers, who, with the other native visitors, are said to have treated him with a deference not easily distinguishable from servility. His bearing was quite haughty—it was, indeed, that of a man full of overweening self-confidence, and perfectly assured as to his position as an indispensable personage in the present orisis. Ha displays no desire to communicate his views to England. “My friends Blunt and Gregory,” he is fond of saying, “have told all that there is to tell that is true. What is the use of asking me to recapitulate their observations ?” At the same time he so far unbent himself to converse a little with me. He said: “I attribute all the evils of the presentcrisis to Malet, Colvin, and several of the correspondents of the English newspapers. They have all with one accord made it a point to mislead the English publio by persistent misrepresentations, England bad the whole truth from Blunt and Gregory, but she preferred to believe, not these honest men, but the lies, official and unofficial, to which she has lent a too ready ear Let her, then, take the consequences of her folly. I hold her responsible. I warn you, however, you will not find Egyptians as easy to deal with as Afghans, or Zulus, or Ashanteee—in fact, England has not the faintest idea of the peril in which she stands the moment she dares to meddle with the rights and liberties of the Egyptian people, who all anppczt me because they are with me. I will hold my course regardless of any one, and I will resist to the death every pretence on the part of the enemies of Egypt to interfere with her affairs.”

The report of the military preparations in England, and that troops were to be lent to protect the Suez Canal, is said to have caused great excitement in Egypt. The “ Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent at Alexandria says the Egyptians are determined to keep the Canal from England, and are prepared to blow up the banks at certain points at any moment. He adds that oases of dynamite hare been prepared with a view to destroying the banks of the Canal near Suez. He predicts that if English troops come—unless they come suddenly—the Canal will be destroyed. Arabi Pasha, however, it is said, “ has gone out of his way to tell people that he considers the Canal an international work, and would never think of stopping the traffic ; and Eagheb Pasha, in reply to a telegram from M. de Lesseps, asking the Egyptian Government to contradiot the rumors to the effect that the Canal is endangered, telegraphed as follows:—“The rumors which have reached you are devoid of foundation, the Egyptian Government recognising its duty to maintain tranquillity in the country in general and in the vicinity of the Suez Canal in particular. You may therefore rest perfectly assured that the security of your work will not bo disturbed.” Notwithstanding all declarations of this character (a telegram says), an uneasy feeling continues to prevail along the Canal, Great precautions are being taken by the officials in order to guard it from being tampered with ; and some suspicious looking craft at Ismailia are, it is said, being watched night end day. The “ Standard’s ” correspondent, however, says that the alarming reports about prepara*

tions to destroy or block the Canal are mostly untrue. On June 22ad the correspondent of the “ Standard ” telegraphed Few natives here believe that the Sultan will send troops, an opinion which is shared by all well-informed Europeans. Such a course would fatally compromise the Pan-Islamic aims of Abdul Hamid. Thus, if Dervish’s compromise be rejected by the conference, on the European powers will devolve the task of enforcing order. In that event Arabi, beyond doubt, means fighting to the bitter end. lam informed on the best authority what steps he proposes to take if England and Franco, or both, interfere actively. Ha will blow up the Suez Canal by means of dynamite and torpedoes, which were prepared for this purpose as far back as lost February. He will also out the railway to Cairo and oppose the landing of European troops at Alexandria, If beaten lie will retire to the desert, where he is promised the smport of 30,000 Bedouins, who are partisans of Halim Pasha, whoso mother was a Bedouin. Once in the desert ho will say to the powers, “ Catch mo if you can.” Ttoso steps, lam told, the present Egyptian Ministry are prepared to sanction on patriotic grounds, and they would, of course, be preceded by a general massacre of all Europeans left in the country. Of this those of them who are Arabi’s personal friends will, however, have fair notice, so that they may have time to run away.