Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-08-01

The far-seeing, farTeaching foreign
policy of England is the wonder of his.
tory. To-day she is the mistress of the
seas, and should she succeed In her pres
ent contest for the virtual possession and
control of Egypt and the Suez canal, she
will have made an important Judgment
for securing her supremacy over the
world. The ostensible motive for her
attack upon Alexandria and for carry
ing the war into Africa" is her pecuniary
interest in the Suez canal, and the as
surance of its neutrality and free passage
at all times. But is it the true oneS
By late returns EngIand's stake in the
canal amounts to four millions Oh
mounds sterling ga, 900, 600, for which
sbe receives 5 per cent. on her SHARES
from the Khedive, as per contract
uence one object for keeping him IN
Mace Again, the Importance OF the
canal TO Great Britain as ready commu-
nication with India and Australia may be
estimated by the fact that in 1880 two
thousand seven hundred and twenty
seven (2,727) vessels, amounting to five
millions seven hundred and ninety
four thousand (5,794.00O tons, of
which seventy-nine per cent flew
the British flag, passed through the canal.
These figures are sufficient to explain
England's hostility TO Arab Beys revo-
luton against her subsidized viceroy
The canal is of vital importance to Eng
land in shortening by one-haf the route
to her Southern empire, and she cannot
permit her interests IN it to be in any
manner under any influences but her
own. She has wisely never allowed this
at any time, but has jealousy held them
in her own hands. And such, in paren-
thesis, it is claimed, will be the future OF
the Panama canal, should it ever be
built, as she is in fact mistress of the
seas, and we cannot dispute that title
with her, even on our own coasts, unless,
indeed, the government can get better
naval constructor than Robson has
proved himself to be.
AS the matter appears in one light,
Arab Bey is patriot fighting for the IN
dependence and general welfare of his
country, that has been betrayed by its
quasi sovereign. AS we view it in an
other position, however, it has the CLINT
upon it of modern civilization warning
with semi-barbarism-for Egypt and
its people cannot be regarded as
having attained yet semi civilization. 1t
is true that Arab Bey is represented to
be highly educated man and of I'M
usual intelligence, understanding well the
value of the Suez canal to commerce;
but could the maintenance of the canal
and its neutrality be safely entrusted to
his control2 England thinks not, and
prefers to guard both herself, beyond
question, so far as British vessels are
concerned.
If she succeeds in ousting Arab and
occupying Egypt she will hold the key
of the worlds commerce, and what will
the rest of the world say to this? Has
her past been such in her international
transactions as to give confidence to
faith in her impartial dealings in the flu
ture with other flags? What has been
with her, and in her wars with other ma
tons? Let England once place her Lion
paw on the Suez canal, and who shall
say what use shall be made of it except
by the Lions permission? The powers
may assert themselves now, but if they
help England to whip out the Egyp-
tians, they will, we think, find that they
have exchanged log for stork.