MARCH THROUGH CAIRO.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 204, 5 February 1915, Page 4

MARCH THROUGH CAIRO.

NEW ZEALAND'S TRIUMPHANT PROCESSION. GENERAL'S INSPECTION. ' * NEWS FKOM THE CAMP. (Auckland Star Correspondent.) Zeitoun Caf .p, December 26. Following upon tin; grand military ceremonial consequent on tike aceessioa to tue throne of the lirst Sultan of ; Lg.vipi, -New iSealanders took the sola| pari, in a grand route nmich through the - city or Cairo on Wednesday, and were; there inspected by the commander-in-ciiief of Uie British troops in Egypt, Lieut.-General Maxwell. Almost the en-f tire city, including the European anj Arab centres of the city, were taken in; tlie number of the troops taking part ill' the event approximating fySOO infantry and mounted, the inarch embracing a disj tance of well over 16 miles. J On every hand, from the mixed a* sj.iliiy of r.ative and white populations who throng the streets in tU'-ir U'.im areds of thousands, tllt-re was ampul indication of the popularity* of the Naßf Zealand visitors to these shores, aim though little outward show of applauiJK was manifested, yet a marked imprceaioa was made on tiie populace at the crowKl ing event subsequent upon the iutnji duction of the new regime. The njfj tives looked on in moods of quiet i|| terest, little or no cheering being hea™ As the procession passed by the priftj crpal hotels, however, where were com gregated prominent European and Egyji tian officers, officials, etc, rounds of atij iplause greeted the troops. After tnl tioops had marched through Zeitoni city,' Rcliopolis and Cairo, and had givau the general salute to their commander in chief, a circuitous route was talced through the native districts, wher v ere assembled Arabs, Soudanese, and ■ 'powerful quota of a cosmopolitan popi lation. From the windows of the vaH ous French seminaries passed on fj§ line of route, the soldiers received ronJg after round of applause, but little q monstration of any other kind was « denced. '•] Each man carried twenty rounds 'j ammunition in-his pouches, and was"J full marching order, with grcatcoaj and arms. After the return to ju .camp, the company majors announe that the General was extremely pleas] .with the soldierly bearing of the Nj Zcalanders. And there the affair end ' aa far as the men were concern 1 There had been no disturbance of a J -kind, and everyone had seemed sat ' fU-d. But now for the inner signiftcai ' of the day's event. 't The route march had a meaning aj ■ hud a reason. The soldier under ar| ! has littb knowledge of what is going! ' smongst the diplomatic minds wnj ' govern the government and surround i ; army. Big events take place, and 'j I .p.rently meaningless things are don^ • high quarters. Orders are given, and! ! soldiers obey, but why they are c| i manded ip do so is a mystery to then! Your correspondent was aible to lei , from tbe highest diplomatic sources \ bearing of the day's events j the political and military situati , Tlie declaration of a protectorate o . Egypt had been considered ail imminc \ probability ever since the war "broke ol [ It was inevitable, but was to be co ' svmmated with the utmost tact and sic 1 Prior to news being received from-i 5 Foreign Office that the British' Gove ment hud fixed upon the day for f 2 overthrow of the Turkish suzerainty i ■ Commander-in-Ohie'f had an infori 3 meeting with a high Ambassador of t < Edward Grey, acting as direct wp» ' sentativc to the now deposed K&edljl t At the irjeeting there were also a ft t prominent officers and diplomats. T, - matter of a probable rising amongst • Arabs was mooted, and suggest! ,nade as to the best steps to be tal to prevent an insurrecion, A repri>|j tative of the' French: Government | also present, and he expressed thai lief that the Arabs Wbuld : submit toj new regime quietly, provided no attel vere made to interfere with theiSi ligious beliefs. There was undoub'tl no said, a large number of the natfi r who feared that t!he exclusion of 1 • feultan of Turkey from Government! ffcirs would probably tenfl towards] attempt at Christianising the Moll ' medans. The bare thought of sucS 1 thing might occasion a furious real " ance to the proposed new regime. "! ' however, the declaration of a Briti piotectoy.ate were diplomatically andi ostcntaticnsly brought about, th ' affairs might assume a normal qui 1 "We must necessarily be circumspect '■ our actions," he said, %ut must firm | though benevolently insist upon tihe ft ' prerogative of the Kings." ** Other views of a like nature werei pressed by the diplomats, and flnjj • tin- gent ral, who ihad been quietly seft 1 in his chair, silent but attentive, bint) • broke in, "March 80(X) through Cairo ( : show them what we've got." Ae arW " of this 'leeision the diplomats an&£j ! General forwarded their recommendai to the Foreign Office through the Ugjfl secret quarters. 1H ! Shortly afterwards word was leoenfl from London that' the day had been fflfl 1 for the accession, and that New 2H ' landers had been chosen as an outwJß and visible sign of a portion of |B ' army's etrength'; 9 Many were the opinions expressed™ divers quarters as to the probable IB come of the march, and'it was not vjm ' tilie entire brigade was "back in cflfl that officials breathed a sigh of rafl at the outcome of events. ]H The mnrch wis undertaken undaiM most procisely the same conditions'H those whiih attended' similar eventgH New Zealand; the cavalry taking up jfl lead, and the infantry tlie rear, witto tH Aucklanders, by right; of seniorHy, lietß ing the battalions; I