The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-12-01 00:00:00

OUR POSITION IN EGYPT.

Referring to Egypt, Lord Hartington said :—We
have in Egypt a difficult and delicate task. We had
no desire to extend the already vast burdens of this
empire. We held ourselves bound in honour to Europe
not to take advantage of the position which we occu-
pied as the mandatories of Europe to turn it to our
own profit by annexation. At the same time we
felt that we were equally bound in honour, having
served the Khedive, to restore his Government,
and not to leave Egypt until we had done something
to give to the people of that country abetter, firmer,
more just, and more efficient Administration than
they had enjoyed before. I admit that is no easy
task. How has it been lightened by the con-
duct of the Opposition, who have this session en-
deavoured by every means in their power to hold
the British Government responsible for every act
of the Egyptian Administration—an Administration
weakened by recent events; an Administration at that
moment in the course of reorganization ? Is there no
alternative, then, between annexation and the aban-
donment of the Eayptian people to the fate which
wit; theirs before we went there? We think there is.
We believe that there do exist in Egypt the elements
of self-government—the elements of a Government,
no doubt imperfect, no doubt wanting much in our
conceptions of what a Government ought to be, but yet
a Government more adapted to the wants of an
Oriental people, and less exposed to excite the
jealousies of European countries than a Government
directly administered by this country would be. But
do the Opposition advocate annexation or a permanent
protectorate, which comes to much the same thing, or
self-government ? If self-government by the Eyptians
be the ultimate end we have in view, then our aim
ought to be not to multiply and increase but to diminish
the occasions for our interference, and to increase
not to diminish the responsibilities of the Egyptian
Government itself. And we ought always to bear in
mind, if we hold the view that Egypt is ultimately to
be a self-governed country, that the time will sooner or
later come when she must rely upon her own armed
and organized forces, and not upon the soldiers of the
British Crown. In all these discussions the aim of the
Opposition appears to have been, without directly com-
mitting themselves to a policy of annexation, to make it
impossible that the government should ever cease to be
responsible for the government of Egypt. As to the
recent events in the Soudan, we have not yet sufficient
information to enable me to speak with any certainty
or assurance. The province, or rather provinces, of
the Soudan, constituting an empire almost as large as
India, have always been administered by a Govern-
ment almost detached from that of Egypt. To say
nothing as to what the future policy of the Egyptian Go-
vernment in respect of those provinces should be, it is
quite evident that the Egyptian Government has
undertaken a task which is beyond its strength. I
will not say how far it might be expedient that it
should retire altogether from the task which it has
undertaken; but what does concern us practically and
immediately is the r ffect which the recent events may
have upon the condition of things in Egypt proper. I
do not attach much importance to the apprehensions
which seem to be felt that the-victorious army of the
False Prophet will succeed in invading the provinces
of Egypt proper. The physical obstacles in his way
are enormous. The ordinary route of communication
between Egypt and the Soudan is not by the Nile,
but by the sea, which is, of course, closed to the rebel
chief There are many positions in the Valley of
the Nile which are easily defensible, and may, I
believe, he held by a comparatively small foroe. What
is important is the effect which these recent events
may have upon the mind and the temper of an
ignorant and fanatical people like the Egyptians, and
it la possible that disturbances and trouble may be in
store for us there ; and, therefore, it is not contrary
to, but in strict accordance with, the policy of her
Majesty's Government that until we can obtain a
clearer view as to the progress of events in that part
of the country we shall retain the force which we have
always said we should retain there until order was
assured, and until the Egyptian Government was able
itself to organize a force on which it could rely for
assuring order.