The Mineral argus., 1884-04-24
STONE PASHA on EGYPT.
Tribute to Egyptian Soldiers and Charges
Against England.
- - ~ VI uaraId

OuIIOuuQeu Wy bLOBAS
battlefield General Charles ?. Stone
late chief of staff to the khedive OF
Egypt, talked for two hours about mil
itary affairs in Egypt to an assemblage
of regular army officers in the museum
of the military service institute, on Gov
errors island. yesterday. General Han
cock presided, and among those present
were: Generals C~rittenden, Fry, Reeve,
Rodenbough, Sickles, Sweeney, Morris,
Clarke, jackson, Tower, Perry, Whip
pie, Davis and Wilson; Colonies Hamll-
ton, Taylor, Lawrence, Beck, McFar-
land, Conrad, Story and DePeyster;
Majors Boehm, Wetmore, Mckee,
Frincke, Randolph, and Price; Captains
Fessenden, Wharton, Catlin. Merriman.
Willard, Hyde, Jackson, Pyne and Mer-
rill. and Lieutenants Johnson, Reilly,
SAWYER, Zabinski, Whipple and
Barber.
General Stone was applauded when
introduced and began his work by
sketching the military history of the
country up to the time when the cohorts
of Caesar and Mark Antony garrisoned
its forts. In the present century on a
nucleus of 10000 men Mehemet Ali
built up an army $50 900 strong, which
finally placed Constantinople at the
mercy of the Egyptian viceroy.
''In 1869 the khedive called to his
staff American officers. They We're
sworn to uphold the cause of Egypt
AGAINST any nation but the United
| States. No change in European politics
| could effect the loyalty or embarrass
tbe service of these officers. In 1870 he
Gen. Stone) arrived in Egypt. He
found there not more than a third OF the
officers in the army could read or write
and not one in ten of the rank ana ME
could do either. With the exception OF
a few Armstrong guns there were no
arms but old smooth bores in the har-
Dor forts. and the coast defenses were
about as bad as those of he United
States" At this sally the essemblage
roared with laughter, and Gen. Han
cock nodded in affirmation.
The lecturer told how he had es-
tablished a military college on the basis
of the military school at West Point for
staff officers, and how the army was
gradually instructed up to the standard
of the best European troops. The fortl-
fcations were also equipped with the
best arms and artillery.
"Mv advice to the khedive about the
forts at Alexander was" he said, thai
since it was almost an European city,
and from its position almost indefens-
( ible. the best thing to do waste establish
at that point q strong torpedo servlcet C
, be operated both by boats and electric
! ity. AS three-quarters of the property
in Alexandria was owned by Europeans
l I suggested to the khedive that M
: European power was likely to attempt
to injure it."
J an an evil hour for Egypt the
; Khedive Ismail, trusting in the honol
of European governments, allowed TIVE
d European ministers to enter his cabinet
= each in charge of a very 1mportan
I ministry. An English minister of Fl
nance and a French minister OF publ
| works entered his service, but reall
z they, while holding portfolios In a
" Egyptian cabinet, were representative
of the interests of their respective gov
ernments. Each one worked to secur
~ to his own government the commandin
power in Egypt. This unhappy chang
occurred in the summer of 1878"
Gen. Stone depicted the money grail
bling policy of the two foreign ministers
how thew abandoned the military co
a lege and did everything in their powt
:, to deprive the soldiers of money an
: put it in the pockets of civil employe
T at seemed to those who looked on an
40 saw the civil employees regularly pai'
us and the soldiers thus badly treaties
3 that it was the object of the new govern
ment to crush out everything like mi
ne itary spirit in Egypt. All military pc
sons were left unpaid, and neglecte
"" while the new ministers had their sal
20; ries increased from $15 600 to $50 90
Soldiers who had more than a We
of paw due them, and whose officers HI
families nearly starving at home, guar
ing buildings in which were daily sto
immense sums of gold, coming from t
taxes and going to pay foreign bon
''on holders. the Turkish tribute and {
civil employees. Yet so firm was t
To discipline that in no instance was the
a failure in the duty of soldiers guar
l~ ing the public edifices OF guarding
,nu escorting treasure. Applause. He W
addresses you knew officers who q
peared daily in their places for duty
Oeu clearly uniforms, and who, after a str
uc performance of their duty during {
.er day, returned to their houses, put ca
rA' fully aside their uniforms, and then,
peasants dress, labored half the mig
as porters to earn enough to give tn
mp families bread. [Applause.l Yet t