Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-06-20
England, France. and Egypt.

II news that roacued us recently be
true, England is about to undertake an.
other OF those troublesome little wars,
of which she already has two on her
hands. A Paris special to the London
Telegraph, recalled to this side, says
that the French government is fitting
out several of its frst-class war vessels
to be used against the Khedive. The
general assumption at present is that
the Anglo-French partnership for the
control of Egyptian affairs still subsists.
In that case. of course, France and
England will act together and send a
joint fleet to Egyptian waters. The
Sultan's authority will be invoked,
doubtless, in the first place, to depose
his vassal at Cairo, and then, if the
Khedive insists that he is not O vassal
bat peer, and refuses to be deposed,
the allied fleet of the two Western
nations will proceed to bring him to
reason.
Assuming there is no Intervention by
other powers, this line of policy may
he carried out without much risk to
England, except the additional annoy
ance and expense of another small war.
And yet that will be enough to awk-
wardly embarrass the already worried
Ministry. With the Afghan hostilities
still dragging along, the Zulu blunders
not yet more than half retrieved, and
another ugly little war cloud rising in
the Asiatic sky, in the direction of Bur-
NAH, the Beaconsfield Cabinet might
| we'll wish that the Khedive had chosen
some more convenient season to pro-
pound his Egyptian puzzle to them.
But there is possibility that this new
difficulty may involve England in q
more momentous dispute, to wit, one
with France. One of the most recently
received files of the London Economist
clearly indicates the apprehensiveness
felt in the British capital on this point
MIR. Bourke, the Foreign Under Secre
Iary, was in Paris ut the time the Econ
omist's article appeared, trying to arrive
Egypt by his own government and that
Of France, and the writer fatty says
that the whole policy of the joint action
is mistaken, and calculated to provoke
eventually y rupture between Paris
and London. The Ecomomist, which is
regarded as the leading financial organ
If London, and specially cautious and
conservative paper, writes thus:
There is the accustomed anxiety dis.
played in this extract lest England
should go step further or do an iota
more than her own interests demand.
Eugland's chief interest in Egypt, as all
tue world knows, is the Suez Canal, as
one Of the roads, the best of all roads in
fact, to India. France is concerned for
her bondho!ders, and not at all for
India. Now, if the two countries act
together the conditions of q joint pro
tectorate would give France an equal
say with England as to the future OF
the Canal. and this, in critical juno
ture. would be disastrous to the latter
power. That is what the Economist
means to say. 1t would be strange
denouement to the evidently strained
situation if the joint Intervention Of
France and England, designed to in
timidate the obstreperous khedive,
should have the final result of antago-
uizing the two intervening Powers, and
giving Russia the chance she has 80
long hoped for. to separate England from
her strongest ally.-B0si0n ztdvc!ler.