New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-29
INTFRVENTION IN EGYPT.

The situation in Egypt is becoming more
alarming every day. The intelligence that
England is making secret preparations for
landing troops on the lsthmus has caused in
tense excitement in Alexandria and Cairo.
Arab is reported to have sent two regiments
TO defend the approaches to the Sucz Canal,
and the fanatical mob in the cities Is so lnfu-
rated that the signal may be given at any
hour for another attack upon the European
residents. A report that several tro0p-ships
are preparing at Plymouth for a Mediterranean
voyage may precipitate second massacre at
Alexandria. 1t will be necessary for the Brit
ish Government to proceed with the ut
| most caution and as military pIepara-
tiOns cannot be concealed at home, 1t
is possible that several regiments will
be transferred from India TO Sucz, and then be
reinforced from the Mediterranean garrisons
Official explanations cannot be reasonably ex-
| pected III Parliament when the necessity for
secrecy and prudence Is so pressing. What
ever is done must be done quickly and cffcctn
ally. The Government mast know by this time
that it will forfeit the confidence OF the conn
try if it fails TO act with vgOr and discretion
The Interests of the bOndhOldcrs and the lImita-
tions of the Joint control have passed out of
sight. The highway to India is in danger and
must be defended. This is diStinctivey a
| British interest. The defence of that interest
! may cndangcr the lives of many thousands Of
| foreign residents. Before the recent exodus
began there were in Egypt 10000 Greeks,
1000 Frenchmen, $4,000 Italians, 1000 Ger
mans and Austrans, and 1000 Ehglishmcn.
| The swarm of foreigners still remaining on the
| 4 in, ('oir will he at fhp MOI of IN
Eastern mob if the Power which lands troops
Oh the Isthmus does not take adequate meas
uIes for their protection. Military Intervention
is attended with so many difficulties and risks
tina. an English Ministry cannot act without
an overwhelming sense of personal response
| bility.
But inaction is also attended with manifold
| difficulties and risks. 1t implies powerleSsness
at the true geographical centre of the British
| Empire. 1t involves a confession that the
military reputation Of England has fallen very
| low. This confession was made in the Crimea
when the Aberdeen Ministry Displayed such
incompetence in handling its army and left
| the French to carry off the laures of the
| campaign and one of the startling cOnse-
quences of military decadence was the mutiny
of the native troops in Bengal-a mutiny
which was only suppressed by supreme
effort. Inacton and yacillatOn in Egypt
may breed dstru5t and dsaliection
in India and contempt in Europe.
| Supremacy on the Nile delta has been the
| traditional policy of England since the days of
William Pitt, when Abercromby, landing in
! Aboukir Bay, put to rout the army which Ma
poeon had LETT to guard his cOnquests, and
| Malta was made the commanding fortress of
the Mediterranean. If the Napoleonic wars
were obstinatcly waged through coalition
after coalition, until Waterloo found Eng
! land weighed down with taxation and
"A debt of $4,000 900, it was because
the French victories among the pyramids had
! created across the Channel a startling sense of
! the insecurity of vast commercial empire
| If British Influence in that quarter of the
world was essential then, loss of prestige
woIld be simply intolcrable now.
But an important distinction must be
marked. Egypt was then recovered from
! France by the unaided efforts of Great
| britain. Now there is an cntangling al
lance with France in the interest
| of bOndhOlders-an alliance which adds to the
risks and respohs billtcs of independent action.
| The financial partnership has had important po-
| Lucal consequences The alliance has made it o