Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-29
THE EGYPTIAN CRISIS.
Sketch OF the Character az d Career
OF Arabi BeT-Egyp,'s -Four Poiisf-
cal Divisions.

or ara Di Ber-EgTp,,s -Four poiitf-
cal Divisions.
Achmet Arab Bey is undoubtedly the
strongest man in Egypt. By birth he is a
fellab, or peasant. BE entered the army as
private and worked his way to the front
against jealousies and all the unprincfpled
schemes envious persons could throw In his
course. He was dismissed from the army
on dubious charge Of corruption by jeal-
GUS War Minister. Subsequently he was re-
instated, and still later, on account Of his
b0ldness In thought and uttersnce and great
popularity, he was made sub Minister of
War in the hope of silencing him Il
proved failure, however, and he has been
constantly growing In power. AS
soon as he entered the War Office
he ousted the Christian, Jewish and
Coptic clerks. He is ambitious,
balanced zeal to Elind his Judgment, and
remain so until his country Is invaded and
occupied by England and France. The
Egyptian people are sll with Arab Bey in
whatever he undertakes. His unfaltering
constancY to Mohammedanism has gained
the priests as his firm supporters, and has
gained him perfect control over the people,
being capable Of influencing them in any
way ATabi Bey might suggest. Arab is
ACoAou uPon Wy VIC GRyptlAu 4s Tue SaFltr
of his country. As TO the condition of the
army of Egypt, the artillery is supplied
with Krupp breech-loading guns, the In
fantry with the finest Remington rifles, and
the cavalry with carbines and sabres.
Throughout the army is well equipped, dis
ciplined and in good condition. This is
entirely attributable to General Stone. For
some time past Arab Bey has been recruit
ing the army, and the number will probably
reach fifty thousand. The Bedouin Arabs
are fast friends and admirers of Arabi Bey
In brief period he can have in the field
from seventy five thousand 70 one hundred
and twenty five thousand men. or these
Arabs, the Bedouins are not subject to mill
tary service or compulsory labor. They are
allowed many privileges under the govern
ment which are not accorded to the Egyp-
tisns themselves.
The main feature of the excellence in the
Bedouins is their remarkably rapid move
ments. Tney can make an attack, get away
in great haste, fly to the hot deserts, and
live there for many days. A European aid
many Egyptians cannot stand the heat cf
the desert at all, and cannot follow the fly
ing Arabs over the hot sand. The BedouiIs
could swoop down ON Cairo or Alexandria,
sack them, and be away before many per-
sons could realize what had taken place.
The harbor Of Alexandra is admirably COW
cred with at least twenty forts and batteries,
having about two hundred heavy guns,
The city is walled. On the land side the wall
is forty feet In height, with dry ditch along
the outside. There are four or five forts
outside the walls also. Not only these, but
the great wall likewise, is mounted with
powerful guns, capable Of doing terrible
work II properly manned. There are in
Alexandria fifty thousand foreigners. The
people are of the most cosmopolitan chsrac-
ier imaginable. There are among the resi-
dents of Alexandria representatives of
almost every locality in Europe and a
greater part Of Asia as well. There are not
more than fifty Americans In all Egypt. It
is almost impossible for harmony TO prevail
on any issue in Egypt. There is such
mixed population ana various peoples, some
Of whom are little better than savsges, and
have different, and in some instances radi-
cally different, views on particular subjects.
A few years ago In the Egyptian army there
were ten Americans. But the feeling
against foreigners became such that all
have been dismissed except General Stone,
and 1t has been made SO unpleasant for him
that he has rendered his resignation.
Politically, the Egyptians may be divided
into four classes: l. Arabi and the officers.
They are ready to use the name of the Sui
tan or Of liberty in order to attain their
own ends, which are to acquire place and
wealth. 2. The educated youth of Egypt.
These young men, with some reason, COM
planned that the officials connected with the
control were poorly paid, and that in all
cases Europeans were preferred to Egyp-
tians, and their protests ought to meet with
due consideration. 3. The Bedouins. These
Arabs hate the Turks, and entirely ignore
the Sultan. They care very little whether
the finances are under European or Egyp-
tian control, and they are perfectly satisfied
with the Khedive. 4. The FalIahs. These
constitute the agricultural Inhabitants of
tue Delta and Nile valley. Their object is
to be allowed to live and thrive. They are
hard working and patient, and their
strongest passion Is to acquire money.
Egypt supplied the world with 1900
bales of cotton in 1880-'81. The Egyptian
supply to date in the current crop year is
417,5 bales. In 1879-'S0 is 460, ,647 for a
corresponding period. In all, the cotton
supply from Egypt runs from 100000 to
100000 baes annually, with a rising
tendency. This is about as much as
the cotton productionof Louisiana.
Everybody knows where the co ton
market would be il it were to be telegraph
ed that mob in New Orleans had killed 300
or 400 people, and that industry was disor-
ganized all over the State. Yet as far as the
general cotton supply of the world Is con-
cerned, this has taken place in Egypt. The
supply from there is only one-twentieth of
the total world supply, but in price twen-
tleth, more or less, count, as southern specu-
lators found when half their deficit of ], ,0O0,-
600 bales was made up from Egypt. Unless
peace comes soon 1t will not this year.