The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-08-16
The War I'm Egypt.

The Sultan Of Turkey, Of all OF them to
England, France, and the rest OF the Euro
mean Powers? What is Arab Pacha tight
| ing for, and who is he? What is England
fighting for, and by what right! Where i
the war to stop, and how, and what then
! These are some OF the questions people are
asking constantly, and now Alexandria
destruction and massacres have brought
the fact home that this is serious bust
ness, we will try to give such IN answer as
will make the present position Ineligible.
The cause is somewhat complicated. AT
It's basis lies undoubtedly the financial yoke
placed upon the neck OF the Egyptians by
the control established by England and
France. and the rise of distinctly Egyp-
tian or national party in opposition both to
the European element in government and
TO the longer continuance Of Turkish rule.
This national party, representing the Arabs
and headed by Arab Pacha. comprised
the flower and main body OF the army.
And with the army at his back, Arab was
master, for the Khedive, nominally the
ruler of Egypt and representative OF the
Turkish party, had no power OF his own
TO resist with. and could only rely upon
Turkey or the European Powers to sustain
him.
Rut we must go further back to make the
position clear and learn what precipitated
the conflict. In 1895 Mehemct Ali became
master of Egypt, increased in power. and
in 1910 gained a treaty whereby Egypt be-
came a sef-governing province, with order
of succession vested in Mehemet's family,
and subject only to yearly tribute payable
TO the sultan. When Ismail Pacha sue
cecdcd to rule in 1868 he wanted to be king
instead of governOr-general, and Turkey
agreed to this on condition OF his increas-
inc the yearly tribute from S1,SS0,00 to
$3.50 900. Ismail had no scrupleS about
taxing the poor Egyptians, and in 1872
raised the tribute in order to gain further
attributes Of sovereignty. But his eXtrava-
gance was running the Egyptian people,
and the French and English holders OF
Egyptian bonds, who had encouraged Is
mail in his extravaganza by furnishing the
money that made it possible, appealed
to their Governments TO protect their in
tcrests. The result was that England and
France set up a financial control and under
it the whole financial system Of the cOun-
try was placed. The Khedive, in his eX
tremity, conceded to these two nations the
right to send out each controller, who
should Jointly supervise the entire cX-
penditure of Egypt, provide for the due
payment OF the foreign debt, and regulate
the Government appropriations. This led
to the gathering OF an army OF European
officials to make their living out Of the i'm
poverished five millions of Egypts people.
These foreign officials before the recent
outbreak numbered 1925, and their sala-
RES alone called for Sl,SGS, $40. or one
twelfth of the entire available expenditure
of the country.
Add to this the fact that the European
Shyl0ckS had furnished Ismail means to
saddle Egypt with debt of over $500
600, 900, and were receiving from the Con-
troll from to 10 per cent. interest; that the
1900 to 100000 Europeans resident in
Egypt lived taX-free while the natives were
the most heavily and hopeleSsly taX-op-
pressed people on the face OF the earth, and
it is not strange the Egyptians should have
little love for foreigners, who stood as the
cause OF much OF their misery and repre-
sentatiycs OF q growingstyranny Add
further. the religious feeling, the Moham-
medan against the accursed dog OF Chris
tian. and we have all the elements OF a
deadly and fanatcal hatred Until Arab
rose at the head OF a national party, whose
watchword is " Egypt for the Egyptians"
the financial Control Of France and Eng
land was in reality ruler OF Egypt. and the
Khedive knew il : for he had seen his pre-
decc,sOr dcpOsed by the sultan under pres
sure Of the European Powers, and realized
that his own place and neck were safe only
SC long as he obeyed his masters.
This was the position last year, when
certain reforms were proposed in the army.
The chief officers a the army, by the way.
were Europeans. But there had been
gradually rising in influence and rank an
Arab-Arabi Bey Tor coloneD, as he. then
was. Ii was rule that the officers should
be Turks, but Arab had pushed his way
up in spite OF obstacles, and achieved a
dangerous popularity among the native sol
diery. He was the melting spirit OF ma
tional movement, whose object was to
establish an Egyptian parliament as the
first step toward q reform government.
freed from ful-saaried foreigners. The
attempted army reforms deprived Arab Of
his regiment. The regiment revoted, and
he was reiustated at its head. Subse-
quently court-martiaied, he was forcibly
rescued by his regiment from the custody OF
the Minister OF War. His power increased
rapidly, and he was successfully made
general and pacha. Then he overthrow
the Ministry Of Cheri1 Pacha and formed
new one, himself taking the post OF
Minister of War. His policy was to expel
the Europeans from public office and TO re-
form the general government. Among
other things, House OF Representative
was formed, composed OF the notables Of
the different provinces.
We now come to the immediate cause Of
the outbreak. As the head OF the Minis
try. Arab was so far in harmony with the
khedive. That Is, the khediye had Weld.
ed to power he did not see how to resist.
But crisis came. To his eagerness to rid
Egypt OF foreign officials Arab Joined an
equal desire to get rid OF the Circas,ian
ana turkish elements that had ALWAYS kent
me higher commands in the army. A plot
10 assassinate him was suddenly discovered
last March, and Arab denounced rs its
| or!ginators number of the highest Off
GERS, bad them court-martaled and sem
fenced to exile to Soudan-whicb was yir-
tually death. These men were of the most
influential families, and the Sultan inter.
Tered, ordering the Khedive to commune
the punishment. The Sultan. as ba, bcen
shown, had no right IN the premises
under the treaty with Ismail, but he
assumed it, as he had done before. I'm.
der the sanction OF the European Powers.
Ihus the poor Khedive was placed I'm the
position OF man who would be condemned
II he did and condemned if he didn't. He
must either fall out with Arab or with the |
Sultan, and he chose 10 heed the Sultan. !
Arab threatened to depose the Khediye il |
ne ana not carry out the sentence. Eng
land and France then interfered on the
ground OF protecting the European resi-.
tents and interests, said they would sup
port The khediye, and demanded Arabs
deposition and exile. May 10Th Arab re-
igned. May 9th the army arose and de-