The English in Egypt.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 11 August 1891, Page 2

The English in Egypt.

: — «. The London cablegrams contain the short announcement that Lord Salisbury declines to reopen the question of occupation ot Egypt by the British. The powerful position that is possessed by England in having an army in Egypt has been most clearly shown by a writer in a German military periodical. Apart altogether from the contingency of a Russian invasion of India, there is always a possibility that unforseen occurrences may make it a matter of vital necessity to despatch reinforcements to the East without a moment's delay. England must therefore be in a position either to enforce the neutrality of the Suez Canal or be able to take possession of it if necessary at a critical moment. ".England is fully alive to the tact that the most powerful fleet of ironclads is incapable of preventing an accident from happening to the Canal at an awkward moment, but such could only occur if the Canal remained neutral. As, however, France claims the protectorate of the Canal it becomes necessary for England to be strong enough to hold her own in the Mediterranean. He supposes the position of the fleets of France and England and says, if a division of the French fleet escaped eastwards from Toulon, a simple telegram from Gibraltar would ensure the occupation of the Suez Canal by the troops already in Egypt— 6ooo or 7000 of whom would be sufficient to guard against a coup de main. It appears therefore that the preponderance of England's power in the Mediterranean is necessary for the protection of the Suez Canal, and that the English occupation of Egypt is alike necessary to secure the Canal and England's power in the Mediterranean. This is evidently the opinion of Lord Salisbury, and he appears to speak very firmly on the subject.