Iron County register., 1882-08-03
EGYPT.

Recent Condition of Affairs-A Cowardly
and Contemplate Army-Description of
the Citadel of Cafro-The Foreign Pop
ulation at Cairo and Other Egyptian
Trading Points.
The prompt manner in which England is now
dispatching troops to Alexandria and Port
Said and to vital points along the Suez Canal
shows that she is preparing to follow up the
advantages gained in the recent bombardment,
and that the mistake committed at Alexandra
will not be repeated. She has now about 5000
troops assembled at various points in Egypt,
and will need but few more unless the war
should assume the character of religious up
rising against the Sultan, OR foreign Powers
should intervene. The first of these contin-
gencies is possible, the second hardly probable.
Pres uming that the contest is to be between
Egypt and England, it will be very short one;
should France second Englands operations,
still shorter. As a military power Egypt is
weli-nigh contemplate. Her army was reor-
ganiZed in 1879, when it was reduced from 5O,-
COO men to 5000. and in 1880 arbitrary recruit
ing was abolished, and general military serv-
ice like that in Europe introduced, and the
budget for military service is only 81 $50 600 per
annum. The Paris DebG.s estimates the forces
in Lower Egypt at 5000 infantry, 1000 cavalry,
and 1908 artillery, with local troops in Upper
Egypt, composed of irregulars, of about the
same numerical strength. The infantry are
armed with Remingtons and trained on the
French system, while the artillery are armed
with Krupp guns and trained on the Prussian
system. As compared with the English forces
now in Egypt, the Egyptian army may be for
midable in numbers, but this advantage is
counterbalanced by their cowardice. In no
instance in modern warfare have they shown
themselves possessed of soldierly qualities. In
the Cretan insurrection 5000 Of them were al
most annihilated by 1,500 rebels, and before
the insurrection was over the Cretans took
crowds of prisoners whom they would allow
to go unharmed saying that they did not
want ''to kill sheep" At the storming of
Arkadi the Turks placed the Egyptians in
front where they could not run away. In
the last war between Russia and Turkey Egypt
sent contingent of Is 900 men, who broke and
ran the first time they were under fire. Prior
to this time no less than three Egyptian armies
had been defeated and almost annihiated by
inferior forces of Abyssinans. 1t is difficult,
indeed, to find any instance where the Egyp-
tians have displayed any courage in modern
times. The events which have happened since
the bombardment of Alexandria confirm this.
Arab Bey fled out of the city with his troops
without firing shot. NJ Gabriel Charmes, the
correspondent of the Paris Debats, who was in
Alexandria during the earlier riots, says that
but for the interference of the troops the Euro
peans would easily have quelled the mob OF
Arabs. He says: ''AlI the Arabs were armed
with long slaves tipped with iron points; but
their native cowardce placed them at a disad-
vantage. They almost exclusively attacked
stray individuals, and invariably took to their
heels when encountered by crowd. Their
flight, however, was not easy. The Europeans
pursued them and knocked them over by hum
dreds, showing how easily few men of cour-
age can dispose of an Eastern mob" The
troops put in an appearance and took the part
of the mob. He says in his letter that the
Egyptians mere flock of sheep. and he
imputes their boldness to the fact that
preparations were made against them as
though they were formidable enough to be
seriously attacked, and then the preparations
were not followed up. An American officer
who recently led Egyptian soldiers in Abys-
sinia informed the correspondent of the Lon
don STANDARD that 5000 English soldiers and
sailors would scatter the whole Egyptian
army like chaff before the wind, and in our
own dispatches yesterday morning it was
stated that "during the alarm Saturday night
15O Bedouins at the Gabaniz gate fed before
the attack of a midsh pman and twelve
Sailors" 1t is possible should Arab Bey re-
treat into the citadel of Cairo he might give his
besiegers some trouble, and as this citadel may
yet figure conspcuously in the campaign we
give the following description Of it from the
london Globe:
1.-THE citadel of Cairo-ElKalah, as the Cal
renes call it-was erected by Sultan Saladin
in 1l66. The steepness of its situation, the
strength of its walls formed tradition
says, out of blocks of stone brought from the
smaller pyramids of Gizeh), and the Krupp
guns with which they are now armed, would
render it an important position from which to
overawe the city, provided the Mokattam
hills, imm ediately behind it, were occupied by
the same hands. This range completely COM
mands the citadel, and it was by erecting and
arming battery here that Mehel1et Ali Oh
tanned its surrender when it was in the pos
session of Khoorshid Pasha. Arab has the
luck to be in possession Of both these points of
Almost his first thought, when
arose, was to strengthen the
Mokattam fOrttications."
As the citadel has not been impregnable,
however, in the past against forces much more
poorly armed than the English with siege ma
terial, its reduction would only be question
Of short time, especially now, as the French
are about to cooperate with the English in
their land operations. So far as the military
is concerned, that will undoubted-
" be speedily accomplished. What may be in
store politically remains to be seen.-Chicdgo
Tribune July 10.
The situation in Egypt is interesting because
It is out of the line of precedent, rather thar
because there is danger Of renewed conflict.
The Khedive. the recognized head of the Gov
ernment after being rescued from his own
army by the British, is sending orders to his
War Minister to quit his misbehav-
ng. Arab, having become tired of the tele-
graphic scoiding. has cut the wires and horse
men have been sent out after him. In some
way it has been learned that Arab has ap-
pointed Ali Feima to the command of the Suez
canal. The Khcdive has the Government and
Arab has the army. Somebody at Cairo is
sending Europeans north under guard, and Al
is patrolled by European and Ameri-
,an marines.
Such state of affairs could not exist except
n a country like Egypt. and in considering
he question of intervention ~ % it must be re,
)ther trading points $4,000 Greeks, 1900
Frenchmen, 1880 italians, $50 Austrians,
1000 Englishmen, LOO Germans and 1,400 ne
ives of other countries. None of these are
'itizens except as their rights are guaranteed
1y the supervising Governments of Europe or
oy act of the Khedive.-Chicd0o Inter Ocean,
july 10.
ALEXANDRIA, July Is.
A correspondent has opened communication
With the camp of Arabi Pasha, which, his |
Informant says. consists of little over 6,0W |