The Wairarapa Daily. HURSDAY, JULY 27, 1882. EGYPT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1136, 27 July 1882, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. HURSDAY, JULY 27, 1882. EGYPT.

The great Liberal party in England have been forced by circumstances to act, very illiberally towards Egypt. The National party in that country, ground down by taxation to pay foreign loans and governed virtually by foreign influences, had a right to struggle for an independent existence, 'and under ordinary circumstances Great Britain would .have sympathised Vith" the l..desire of the oppressed',!' Unfortunately, the highway to India lies through Egyi>t, and. England having acquired the right of passage through' the ' country former.'.ships,-is obliged, for the protection, of her commerce,; to keep the Sue? Ganal open. '.ln order' to protect';the Canal it' has to defend' its banks, .and as a writer.dovm south sarcastically remarks "its bariVare land of, Egypt." ■ England; v has undoubtedly a vested interest in the: Canal, and is entitled to defend it, but it' does .'not folbw that its claim in the' Canal should enable" it to spread a strong hand over then whole of the Country,- The Nationality and the 'Khedive should • have, been permitted to settle;the,intprnai affairs, of Egypt among .themselves,.provided that the party in power kept aloof from 'the •Canal. It : is against the. traditions of ■! England'that it should break down, by, 'brute force the national aspirations of ■any oppressed race, and we'fear that -in sending;anaraiy /to ■. invade the country Great Britain has taken a step which'.cannot be justified;. Had'the Canal itself."been blocked the English wmil'd undoubtedly have had a right to ■intervene for .its. protection. But simply because its traffic was threatened it is not warranted in annexing Egypt and bombarding Alexandria,. Had tho National party in Egypo been allowed full ;swing it would undoubtedly have repudiated the obligations .to British bondholders. This, however, is'a.risk which was inseparable when money was lent' to a country in such a.peculiar position, and there' should be "more; sympathy for, the ■suffering people- of the land of the Pharoahs than for the speculators in the Stock 'Exchange, who run the. chance of-losing their capital which 'they invested in it, : The .work', into which England has been .drawn is the conquest of Egypt, and'all thought of justice to-Egypthasto be suppressed.