The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-04-11
STONE PiSHA ON EGYPT.
tribute to Egyptian Soldiers and Charges
AGAINST ENGLAND.
~ VI. Heal.

4 DdlLl0~uGAu OCllt4al - . ~N~'
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
ernor's island, yesterday. General Han
cock presided, and among those present
we're: Generals Crittenden, Fry, Reeve,
Rodenbough, Sickles, Sweeney, Morris,
Clarke, Jackson, Tower, Perry, Whip
pie, Davis and Wilson; Colonels Ham'l-
ton, Taylor, Lawrence, Beck, McFar-
land, Conrad, Story and D~ePeyster;
Majors Boehm, Wetmore, Mckee,
Frincke, Randolph, and Price Captains
Fessenden. Wharton, Catlin. Merriman.
| Willard, Hyde, Jackson, Pyne and Mer-
| rill, and L~ieutenants Johnson, Reilly,
| Sawyer, Zabinski, Whipple and
Barber.
! General Stone was applaudcd 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 $4,000 men Mehemet Ali
built up an army $50, 600 strong, which
finally placed Constantinople at the
mercy of the Egyptian viceroy,
I'm 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
the 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 and file
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 the United
States" At this sally the essemblage
roared with laughter, and Gen. Han
cock nodded in affirmation.
The lecturer told how he had es-
tablisbed 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 forth
fcations were also equipped with the
best arms and artillery.
"My advice to the khediye about the
forts at Alexander was" he said, chat
since it was almost al European city,
aud from its position almost indefens-
ible, the best thing to do was to establish
ut that point q strong torpedo seryiceto
he operated both by boats and electric
}ity. As three-quarters of the property
ip Alexandria was owned by Europeans
I suggested to the khedive that no
European power was likely to attempt
to iniure it."
an an evil hour for Egypt the
Khedive Ismail, trusting in the honor
of European governments, allowed two
European ministers to enter his cabinet,
each in charge of a very important
ministry. An English minister of f.
nance and a French minister of public
works entered his service, but really
they, while holding portfolios IN an
Egyptian cabinet, were representatiyN 9
of the interests of their respective gov
ernments. Each one worked to secure
to his own government the commanding
power in Egypt. This unhappy change
occurred in the summer of 1878"
Gen. Stone depicted the money grab
bing policy of the two foreign ministers,
how they abandoned the military coli
lege and did everything in their power
to deprive the soldiers of money and
put it In the pockets Of civil employees.
ut seemed to those who looked ON and
saw the civil employees regularly paid,
and the soldiers thus badly treated,
that it was the object of thenew govern
ment to crush out everything like mill
itary spirit in Egypt. All military per-
sons were left unpaid, and neglected,
while the new ministers had their sala-
ries increased from $15 600 to $50 900.
Soldiers WHIP had more than q year
ofspay due them, and whose officers had
families nearly starving athome, guard
ing buildings in which were daily store
immense sums Of gold, coming from the
taxes and going TO pay foreign bond
holders, the Turkish tribute and the
civil employees. Yet SO firm was the
discipline that in no instance was there
q failure in the dut Of soldiers guard
ing the public edihces or guarding o.
escortinS treasnre Applause. He who
addresses y5u knew others who ep.
peared daily in their places for duty IN
clearly uniforms, and who, after a strict
performance Of their duty during the
day, returned to their houses, put care
fully aside their uniforms, and then, il
/ peasants dress, labored half the night
MS porters to earn enough to give theil
!, families bread. lApplause. Yet Thu
! army spoke not OF revol
! through months OF this opprcs
sion, for the officers knew that it wa!