The morning call., 1890-06-10
THE FUIUHE OF EGYPT.

The recent announcement that Great
Britain has bought out the interest of the
King of Belgium in Congo State, and the
prospect that before the end of the CEN
tury Central Africa will be the scene of
struggle for territory similar to that which
took place in India in the time of Give,
impart Importance to the opinions ex-
pressed regarding the political future of
Egypt in the latest work on the subject,
the volume lately published by Senator
jeremiah Lynch of this State. Egypt is the
natural outlet of Central Africa The
mouth of the Congo is too far from the
heart of the productive region for that
route 10 become popular. Whenever the
vast countries which surround the lakes,
and which intervene between the source of
the Nile and Stanley Pool, begin to ship
their products to market, and to receive in
exchange the manufactured goods of the
Christian nations, the line which the new
traffic will follow must be that of the Nile,
and the intermediate depots for the trade
must be Khartoum, Cairo and Alexandria.
A railroad skiTting the river from the first
cataract to Khartoum viii be an indis-
pensable link in the chain; surveys are
already being made for such line. When
it is built the traffic on the ancient river
may be more active than il was in the days
of the Pharoahs, and whatever artificial
divisions of territory may be made on the
map, the real ruler OF Africa will be the
power which controls the Nile.
At the present time the condition of
Egypt is abnormal. 1t is an independent
State, paying or promising to pay a tribute
10 Turkey. But the 100000 people whom
it contains are to all intents and purposes
as absolutely subjects of Great Britain as
the Inhabitants of India. There are no
representative institutions in Egypt; the
people have no say in managing public af-
fairs; laws are made and enforced by the
Khediye and he does as he is bid by the
English. 1t is due to England TO say that
this anomalous attitude was not altogether
of her choosing. When, under the pretext
of securing the debt due to Englishmen,
Great Britain intervened in Egypt she in
yited the cooperation of France. She pro-
posed joint Intervention and joint pro-
tectorate. France refused, and England
thenceforth acted in her own interests. OF
the L, 600 men who compose the Egyptian
army 1900 are natives of England, and the
field officers of the whole army are English
men. All the leading civil Offices are filed
by Englishmen: the Finance Department,
the Agricultural Department, the Engineer
ing Department, are all under English con-
troll. Egypt could not be more completely
British if it figured on the list of England s
colonial possessions.
Mr.. Lynch is evidently of the opinion
that, though the natives are disconteGted
and denounce the English with bitterness,
the country is, on the whole, better off than
it would be if the English were away. The
Goyernment-sueh as it isis conducted
more economically and more honestly than
it was when it was under the control of
Ismail Pasha. The Egyptians are as unfit
for self-goYernment as they were in the
days Of Rameses 1t is sad, but it is fact,
the expulsion Of the foreigner from Egypt
might crafty the national instincts of the
feliahs, but it could hardly fail to lead to
confusion, disorder, miSg0VeTnment, general
beggary and civil strife.
With the present prospects of the opening
Of Central Africa to industry and trade it
is not likely that England will risk an eX-
pertinent for the sake of seeing how il
would turn out. If the country which
Stanley has partially explored turns out to
be half as rich as he says it is its outlet
will become one OF the most lively channels
of traffic in the world, and its masters will
reap royal rewards. 1t strains the imagina-
tion to fancy coal depots on the shore of
Thebes, and grain elevators in the midst
of the ruins of Karnak. But we may yet
see Egypt the outlet of commerce greater
than any European country furnishes, and
fleets Of steamers assembled at Alexandria
as numerous as those which throng the
docks of New ork.