The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-02-18
Selected.
a Serious Business or the Me.
ENGLAND's COSTLY EFFORT TO COLLECT A
BAD DEBT.


BAD DEBT.
Tremendous possibilities are involv-
ed in the fall of Khartoum, and the
renewal of popular interest in Egyp-
tian affairs gives rise to several quest
ions. How came the English in
Egypt What business have they
there? What was Gordon's mission at
Khartoum?
The origin of the present situation
dates back half dozen years and had
its root in the mismanage of the khe
dive. 1smail had created an enormous
public debt, and the sultan of Turkey,
to whom Egypt is nominally tribu-
tary principally, deposed him and
placed Tew6k on the throne. The
chief creditor nations were England
and France. These were admitted to
share in the government, in the shape
of joint controller generalship. The
controllers were given the right to in
vestieate all departments of the adm
inistration and to have an advisory
voice in the state councils. This was
in 1879. The next year an interna-
tional commission was appointed to
regulate Egypt's financial affairs.
In 1881 Arabs rebellion broke out
1t was movement to wrest from the
foreign controllers their extraordinary
powers and restore the government to
native hands. The rebellion endange-
red the Suez canal, which was mainly
owned in England. France declined
to join in any Intervention, but Eng
land sent troops and war vessels,
bombarded Alexandria subdued the
rebellion and exiled its leader.
Just prior to Arabs outbreak the
world heard of another movement, Of
a religious character, in the southern
provinces of Egypt, where a person
calling himself the Mahdi proclaimed
that he was the deliverer of Islam,
whose coming about that time was
ioretold by the Prophet Mohammed,
and whose mission was to complete
the Prophets work and to make the
world Mohammedan. He exhibited
the personal marks which were to
characterize the Mahdi; his fame as
preacher and holy man ran abroad;
and he raised the banner of revolt.
Hatred of the Egyptian government,
which had levied heavy taxes and
prohibited the slave trade, also inhu-
enced the Soudanese to join the
Mahdi.
In the meantime the Egyptian army
had been recognized by Baker Pasha
and Sir Evelyn Wood, whom the Khe-
dive had appointed for the purpose.
Various expeditions under Egyptian
officers had been sent against the
Mahdi but he had generally beaten
them and was pressing toward Khart.
cum, the capital Of Soudan. Finally,
in the fall of 1883, about 1000 troops
commanded by the English General
Hicks, marched from Khartoum and
encountering the Mahdi's hordes near
the city of Ell Obeid, wer massacred to
a man. This left only few thousand
Egyptian troops scattered in garrisons
in various parts of the Soudan.
Colonel Coetlogon was almost the only
surviving European officer in those
parts.
General Baker was at once ordered
to Suakim on the Red Sea. His oper-
atoms in that quarter against Osman
Digna, the Mahdi's lieutenant, were
successful. But the Soudan had been
lost except Khartoum and few gar
rison which held out. Egypt was
helpless in the face of the great danger,
ane looked for help to the English,
who had been instrumental in bringing
on the trouble. The English govern
ment was averse to attempting the re-
conquest of the Soudan. Nor would
the London cabinet consent 10 have
Turkey try it. Yet it would not do to
abandon Egypt to the Mahd. Eng
land had the bull by the tail, and it
was equally hazardous to keep hold or
let go. Finally it was determined to
retire wholly from upper Egypt and
draw line of defence on the lower
river.
At this point it was concluded to
send General Gordon to Khartoum to
treat with the Mahdi and open the way
for bringing out the garrisons He
had previous been governor Of the
province and was very popular there.
1t was thought that his influence would
avail more than anything else. He
went, was enthusiastically received,
proclaimed remission of taxes and
non-interference with the slave trade,
and recognized the Mahdi as Sultan of
Kordofan. But the movement was
under too great Roadway. Gordon's
concessions availed nothing. Last
May he was beleaguered in Khartoum,
but the place was inpregnable to Arab
assaults, and for eight months he has
been able not only to hold the town
but to con duct offensive operations.
Had his troops remained faithful he
could have held out indefinitely,