St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-16
CREATES A CoMMoTIoN.
Intense Interest Among English
men as Ia the Government s
Policy in the Soudan.


men as To the Governments
Policy in the Soudan.
Special Cable to the Globe.
LONDON, Dec. l5.-Thc news Of the
capture of Henry NJ. Stanley and Emin
Pasha by the Mahdi has created intense
interest respecting the motion which
comes up next week asking the govern
ment for fuller information regarding
their Soudan policy. Lord Randolph
Churchill is lily prepared for vigorous
attack on the government, and Will in
sist upon their holding Suakim despite
The protests Of many of the pest author
tiles on the subject. who agree that
it is n grave mistake for Great Britain
10 continue Il government there which
is detestable to the natives. 1t is suS-
pected i'm circles expert in Soudrnese
matters that the true secret of half of
the Soudau troubles lies in a geograph-
Ical mistake. Ii is assumed i'm all Brit
ish official minds that the Soudan be-
longs geographically to Egypt, despite
the fact that nature has done all she
possibly can to keep the two countries
apart. Five hundred miles of desert
have been spread ont between Egypt
and the S0udan. The Nile, il is true,
runs through both, but it is made up of
an almost continuous series of cataracts
which place a barrier between the
sphere of influence of Cairo and that of
Khartoum. THE natural outlet of tue
Soudan,' said Gordon, "iS by the route
from Berber to Suakim." That is TO
say, the gate of the Soudan opens not
into Egypt, but into the Red sea. The
Egyptian government under the con-
straint of necessity, has abandoned the
Soudan, and the great belt of desert
has asserted its influence. But Suaklm,
which was protected from Arab assault
by the effects of two great expeditions
of English troops, has not been given
back 10 the natives. The reasons for
this are not by any means clear. 1t has
been alleged that
SUAKIM, IN ARAB HANDS,
would be an outlet for slayers. But
one or two swift cruisers in the Red sea
would stop all slave trade without the
necessity of holding Suakim. Though
Suakim has been held, the slave trade
has not been stopped. The fact is that
Suakim is so situated that il commands
the passage of the Red sea. 1t would
be an awkward place for naval depot
and coaling station belonging TO power
unfriendly 10 Great Britain. 1t is a
wretchcd harbor, and most unhealthy
place, so that no English government
would like to make use OF il for the
purposes of the British navy. Ac-
cordingly, the problem has been TO re-
tain quasi-possesSion of the place
without anneNing it and without
creating a station for English troops
that would be more useless than even
Alden. Accordingly the way out OF the
dilemma has been TO give back Suakim
nominally TO the Egyptian government.
Now Lord Randolph Churchill is sup
piled with indisputable evidence that
the Soudanese are wearied of fighting
aud long for peace. They would lie
delighted TO have the channels of trade
rcopened, but do not want Egyptian
rule reimposed upon them, as they de
Test Egyptians. "fhrow open the coun-
Try TO trade" say the Soudanese, land
we will trade with you where
ever and whenever you like. Then