THE EGYPTIAN RIOTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 May 1919, Page 5

THE EGYPTIAN RIOTS.

PROCEEDINGS IN MARCH. BEDOULS RIOTERS ACTIVE. A Cairo message to London at the end of March says that refugees from Benisuef, including officers, army nurses, and Americans, relate experiences which typify the terroristic outbreaks throughout the country.

The natives at Benisuef began their demonstrations peacefully, but developed to the highest excitement and boldness. Hundreds of Bedouins arrived and joined in the raiding of shops. Europeans sought help from Fayoum, and British oiueers leading a small Indian force with Lewis guns arrived. The mob was reinforced, and besieged the irrigation otlicis and the judge's*house, demanding their surrender. The officials barely escaped. The subordinate* persuaded the natives that the officials were absent; but the mob completely wrecked the offices.

The natives similarly attacked Mudira. The shopkeepers, who are mostly Indians, were armed with rilles, and they killed a number of Bedouins and stopped the onslaught. The natives letired, swearing lo return next day for revenge. The garrison was reinforced with machinesuns from Fayoum, and officers and men froi'i Minia. The Bedouins returned, but, realising the risks, did not storm the ■place; they contented themselves by sniping and looting in the neighboring settlements.

Reuter's correspondent at Cairo states that at a meeting of Egyptian notables the Commander-in-Chief (Sir Edmund Allenby) declared that he was, now forced to the necessity of employing measure* of active repression Which mus-t bring tremendous suffering upon the people and result in great lof-s of public and private property. It had been found amporsible to restore order merely by defensive measures. It was the duty of every patriotic Egyptian to do his utmost, in order that the measures he was forced to take might achieve the desired results at tha earliest, possible moment with the minimum of suffering. He con- ! eluded with the solemn warning, "I intend to do my-duty; it is for you to do youra."