THE EGYPTIAN RIOTS.

Taihape Daily Times, 13 August 1919, Page 3

THE EGYPTIAN RIOTS.

5 AN INCIPIENT MASSACRE. .._...... WORK 0?? MOUNTED TRO'OPS. " .......... The troops who ‘returned from Egypt by the Ulimaroa at Auckland last week state that the riots which‘ broke out in the Delta region in March last were for‘ a time of a very serious character, and but for the speedy -.lrl‘i'v'al of troops would have developed into a wholesale massacre of Europeans. The misguided fellahcen, among whom false and outrage—ous statements had been circulated, did not ctnfine their hatred to British people. Their hands was against all Europeans, Greeks, Armenians, and Italians, of whom there are hun-

dreds of thousands in the country, uuffering from the rioters. some units of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles had actually handed in all their equipment preparatory to emabarking for home, when the outbreak of the riots u.=,(;url'ed, and in certain cases the men had to redraw horses and equipment and were entrained for the scenes of the trouble within a fe”w hours The long campaign had trained the men Ihtrnmughly in such rapid movementsz, but their tempers were 11ot ‘iniprovcd by ‘she orders on this occafsion seeing that they had expected to see their homes so soon. The whole of the Anzac mounted division was split up into patrols of two squadrons om! amt -’iJ«.<e Columns moved about the delta until the trouble was subdued. . There was no loss of life amt:-11g the txrops during this week, the natives being cowed by the demon-str-».t-ion of force. The airmen co—operated in the operations, and one of them has aieécri-bed the Wholesome effect which "zooming” -had upon angry c-1--m-ds vhich gathered. i The chief loss of life occurred durin_9; the first few days of the riots, when officer-5 and men on leave and unsus-

pecting civilians Were caught while travelling. It is stated that. the number of deaths among Europeans is not definitely known, but the men are emphatic in stating that the number of deaths among the rioters was greater. One bra"~;‘e party, including Colonel C. E. R. Mackesy, of Whangarei, and Misses M. and E_ McDonald, of Wanganui, who were on the staff of the Aotea Convalescent Home in Heliopo HS, and who returned by the U]imaroa, had a narrow escape, They were

at Assouan when the riots started. ‘By night they escaped on a. launch, [and travelled to the dam, where they ‘caught a steamer for Wadi Halfa. iThe trouble had not extended to the ‘gsoudan, although they did not know :what to expect, and they were able to itravel by the Soudan railway to Berjbcr, whence they travelledbby train to Port Soudan. There they caught a steamer, which eventually reached Suez, after calling at various ports on the Arabian coast. l -Lieutenant-ColonelD. Chaytor and lhis wife also had a most dangerous ‘experience- They had been down the Nile and were returning by train on the first day of the riots_ They decided to leave the train at 'Assuit, and it was fortunate for him that they did so, because .-at the next: station the train was attacked and some eighlt or} ten oflicers and men of Imperial units were killed. their bodies being so mutiliated that they were -beyond recognition. Colonel and Mrs Chaytor joined 3 Darty of Europeans and Indians in Assuit, where they were besieged. They Were practically Without arms, but an aeroplane dropped them a ma-chine-gun and ammunition, which imrroved 51911‘ Position very consider‘Vol3’: and they were able to keep off the enraged rioters until relief came_

At this time parts of Cairo were in a state of lawlessness, and soldiers were forbidden to go about alone. Armoured cars soon restored order, however. One of these cars was patrnlling a dangerous quarter ~ when those on board noticed a single Australian trooper leaning against a lamp-post. They immediately pulled up and cold the Australian that it was not safe to be alone. “That ’s all right,” drawled the Australian, “I’m the bait, and my mates are waiting round the corner.”