Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-07-10
SHORT Or GRUB.
Stories of Starvation From the
Central Part of Africa.
Last Year the British Destroyed
the Crops

In Order to Cripple the DerVishes, with
Whom They Are ut war-NO Indemnity
AlIOwed-The Heavy Yoke Of the Brit.
tsh on tho Neclks of the Egyptians Ne
Light Burden-Sadly Oppressed.
WILMINGTON, O., July 9 - Apropoa
VI the stories of starvation in the Sou
dan, as related recently, gentleman
here has received letter on the subject
from an officer high i'll authority under
the Egyptian government. The writer
is an Egyptian of exceptional education
and intelligence. He complains bitterly
Of the manner in which the campaign in
the Soudan has been conducted by the
English. An extract from the letter
reads:
"The troops last year were ordered to
lsstroy all the crops on the banks Of the
river as far rs Toski, in order to cripple
the dervishes by removing their chances
Of food supply The owners of the
crops, who We're poor men, received no
indemnity for the loss of their crops.
and if any applied for relief to the un-
der officers they were charged with in
triguing with the dervishes, and threat
ened with imprisonment if any further
complaints were heard from them. A
proclamation was made, by British Or
ders, that any native found trading with
the dervishes should suffer heavy penal
ties. The accounts of the fighting in
the Soudan which were allowed to be
sent to the press are, some of them, mis-
leading and ridiculous. WhenE3aglana
was occupied by the British, with TIVE
black battalions, cablegram was sent
to England treating the affair as though
great victory had been accomplished.
The fact of it is Baglana is is a misera-
bic small village of about fifteen huts,
and was never occupied by the enemy at
all. Mr.. Stanhope in the British house
Of commons, states that the troops in
Nubia are serving to protect the Egyp-
tan people from being massacred by the
dervishes.
"a dervish is a religious monk to Mo-
hammedans rs a priest is to the Chris
tians, and would do no harm to those of
his religion. Gen. Greenfield ordered q
force of men to be stationed at Abu
Simbel to protect the temple ruins there
against the dervishes. This showed
his ignorance, for the dervishes have
never attempted to destroy the monu-
ments even in the country which they
hold. Gen. Greenfell would have done
better had he ordered the crops of the
poor loyal people to remain. On ac
count Of the low Nile in recent years
the crops have been short, and the poor
fellahs have not been able to pay their
debts and taxes. Mr.. Slanhope says
that Egypt has DrOsDered WONDERFULLY
during the time England has occupied
the country. This is not true, 80 fur as
the Egyptians themselves are concerned.
The debt Of the co ntry has been in
creased about eli 600, 900, notwithstand-
ing the showing made before the house
Of commons.
MANY hundreds of natives employees
in the several offices in Egypt were re-
moved on the score of economy, but they
were replaced by few English EN-
ployes, who were paid ten fold the sal.
airy of the discharged men. There were
plaques ON Egypt i'll the time of Moses,
but the plague ON Egyp now is the
presence of the English in the country.
They are putting IA heavy yoke on the
necks of the Egyptians, and parhaps
they mean to treat them as the Egyp-
tians treated the Israelites. The condi-
ton of the fellahs is not improved over
that Of former years, and whatever
money is made from the country goes TO
swell the Golfers of the English"
The officer who writes the letter was
educated when boy by an American,
and is u shrewd and observant man, and
has been decorated by his government
with numerous medals.