The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1875-05-13
e G Y r T
Something New About an Old
Country.

from Charles Dudley Warmers Cores pom.
dence Of the New York Times.
The most noticeable thing to one
passing the length Of France this year
is the number Of soldiers aud the mil
itary preparations. In lesser de-
gree the sans is true in Egypt. There
are soldiers everywhere, camps and
drilling, and the bugle note in the air.
As to tho organization of the army,
the number in = regiment, the total
number of troops, it is almost impos-
sible to obtain any correct informatin.
An English officer, VINO has just come
from Gondokoro, thinks tho Khedive
has one hundred thousand soldiers
He is adding 10 the number every
day. All winter . conscription has
been going on along the Nile where
ever | have been. 1t is not heavy
some Governors have told me not
more than two per cent of the young
men are subject to draft. But what
ever it is, the officers pick out of each
village what they want, and great is
the weeping and wailing. The fail
ure of savings bank with US could
not make more commotion than the
CONSUMPTION of tive or three idle
youths in Nile village. The women
howl as if it were funeral. The re-
cruits are gathered At some large
town, packed upon barges, and towed
down the river. Wherever q barge
was getting its load there were scores
of women sitting in the sand casting
dust on their heads and ~ailng.-
Sometimes the grief was organized in
a town as if it we're funeral with
paid weepers.
In one point of view this con.crip-
tion is not bad thing for Egypt, and
may be one of the rough ways Of pro-
gress. The boys taken are utterly
ignorant, and would never be any
thing else if they were not forced in
to activity. They will see something
of the world, many Of them will learn
to read, and all Of them will be SUBJ
iected to discipline that is always a
good thing in itself. When their
term of service is up, they will bring
new life and new ideas into their
villages. But when will it be ended
and how many Of them will live
through it?
And this brings Us to the question,
what is the Khedive organizing such
a large army for? Putting one side
his relations to Turkey, he is endeav-
oring to open up and add to Egyp a
vast equatorial region. These expe-
ditions must swallow up soldiers.
am told that eighty per cent Of those
who 70 down into the Soudan below
Kartoom, die; the Arabs or Egyptian.
do not stand the climate as well q.
Europeans. He is making directly
tributary to his treasury the riches Of
. vast region, including the almos
unknown Darfour, recently occupied
He has monopolized the ivory pro
duct, for one thing. He has sent tw'
small so-called scientific expedition
down to Defour to make a complet,
survey Of its resources, and then Il
continue on to the quator and explor,
the water courses. The expedition
under Purdy Bey is to be gone thre'
years. Extravagapt stories are tol,
about the wealth Of Darfour, and
have heard its population estimate,
at Eve million. When We were a
Korosco the head of the late Sultan
who WAS killed in the fight last fal
arrived there picked in jar. It wa
to be sent to the Khedive, and l un
derstand that the Sultan's son an
heir, is to be sent to Caiao with hi
head on his body, and his harem,
one hundred.woman power) and hav
q palace here. When We were q
Asoit, the other day, active prepars
tions were on foot for establishin
stations between that city and Dal
four, twenty eight days journey b
camel. The Governor, Shakir Pash,
told us that it was the intention I
make that route as safe for merchant
as any highway in Europe.
Is the Khedive really attempting
make vast African empire, or is b
only endeavoring to suck out Il
riches Of the south for his deplete
treasury? This question is as dificu
] to answer % that other one; 10 hs