“THE BRIGHTEST GEM.”

Hokitika Guardian, 19 April 1926, Page 3

“THE BRIGHTEST GEM.”

REFLECTIONS ON THE SOUDAN. EGYPT NOT CAPABLE OF RULE. " Egypt is not capable of governing herself—mill’ll less governing a primitive and subject people. If Great Britain withdrew from the Soudan it would he a great calamity for the people.” This is the , considered statement of Mr I). N. AlcDiarmid, IS.A., :i missionary from the Soudan, who addressed members of the Rotary Club yesterday.

“They want the waters of the Nile with which to water their gardens,” lie went on. •• and they want the people as slaves for their places. ff Egypt becomes a dominant power in this part of the world it would he only a matter of from five to twenty years before slave driving would be as rife as it was hack in the olden days—only perhaps under another

name.” BRITISH RULE WANTED. Mr AlcDiarmid conveyed a fund of useful information about the Soudan, prefacing his story with a short piece of history. The Anglo-Egyptian Soudan, with which lie was directly concerned. was not the useless possession which General Gordon had in fit of depression described it as; but was destined to become one of tho brightest, gems in the Crown of the British Empire.

The chief question which was exorising the minds of the people thereat •resent was as to whether the eounry would be* governed by Great Briaiu or Egypt. Following the claims if the Egyptians for equal rights in (ovorninont, the British authorities alowed the two flags to he flown side i.v side throughout the land—an anonaly which still existed in spite of he declared opinion of the more ivilised people to have tlie British

regime. BIG COTTON RESOURCES. The people in southern Soudan were if the most primitive—so primitive bulced as to lie beyond comprehension. But, into this country there was rapidly working the vast movement of civilisation. and it was feared that the transition would he too fast to ho beneficial to tlie' people themselves. Soudan was not the desert which uiany people thought it was. In fact Tie people were made prisoners yearly through vast expanses of mud, and prolific rains fell to water the land when cotton was being grown in huge quantities. It was going to he. the greatest source of cotton for the British Empire, for in parts where the natural rains did not prvoide sufficient water, a huge irrigation scheme costing something in the vicinity of eleven million pounds and covering .‘IOO.OOO acres, was being provided. CIVILISATION TOO EAST. “ Trade is forcing itself into the country,” continued the speaker. “AH kinds of civilised ideas are being sent there, and we realise that it is a serious thing for their Government and for tlieir morality. Trade must come for the eventual good of the people, but wherever trade comes it oust break down some of the old tribal customs of the people. “It is a disturbing thing to see this 20th century industry knocking up againts these people of the Stone Age. The question is whether they -an stand civilisation coining in as fast as it is doing. For instance, at one time a man received 2s a year, and found it easy to live on account of what he bad to buy. Rut now lie receives C 25 per year from cotton growing. They want a moral standard by which all these tilings can bo regulated.” The physical condition of the people also required attention, for they were subject to all the diseases which wore experienced in this part of tlicl world—and many more. The medical attentions totalled something like 50.000 annually. There was not a great deal of remuneration attached to the job. however, because for 9000 treatments last year the total amount received in money was 17s 6d.