Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-13
MEHEMET TEwFIK WAS POPULAR
Egypt's Late Ruler as Remembered by Mr..
Simon Wolf

IF Arab Pacha had succeeded he would
have been the Washington of Egypt II Wash
ington had failed he would have been the Arab
Pacha Of America
These remarks concern the most important
event in the career Of the late Khediye OF
Egypt. They were uttered to New York
World reporter by Mr.. Simon Vol. OF this city.
Mr.. Wolf knew Tewfik and he knew Arab
He met tho khedive many times during his stay
OF over a year in Cairo, and was instrumental
during that time in having the descendant of
Mehemet Ali, the tobacconist Of Cavala, do
many favors for Americans notably the maxi
inseof beys of C. Z. Barnard, formerly o: Dos-
ton; Brugch, the artist, and DIR. Warren, the
Paris physician. On his vest, over his heart,
Mr. Wolf wears a sacred bug or scarabaus
taken from the tomb Of the great Pharaoh,
Rameses il, which was presented to him by
Brugch In return for procuring him the decora-
ton. He liked Mehemet Tcwfk and spoke
eulogistically of his character
"He was a handsome man." Mr.. Wolf said;
ga devoted husband and loving father and
the esteem III which he was held By the people
was shown in the reception they gave him
whenever he went out drivin., on the Chubra-
the Broadway of Cairo-whIch he did every
Friday, the Egyptian SUNDAY. That he loved
took a second in marriage. and, unlike many
orientals who are monogamists. had not even a
single concubine. He was progressive-that is,
as progressive as he could be under tine circum-
stances-and altogether, l think. leaves rather
interesting memory. His children went to the
public schools. They we're in the khedival
school with children of ministers and army
officers Mr.. Barnard of Boston was the prin-
cipal Of this school English, French and
German are taught there Stone Pacha gave
Egypt these schools. as he did many other i'm
proving features.
The khedive's wife never met. That was
impossible under Mohammedan law. Only
one woman OF the upper class in Egypt is
privileged to meet men, and that is the widowed
Princess Nazal, who holds a firman from the
sultan granting her this prerogative. But
know that the khedive's wife had powerful
influence over him and welded it in a wonder
fu way in affairs of state. She hated Ismail
Pacha, the khedives exiled father. and she bit
terly hated Arab Pacha. If she could have
done 80 she would have had Arabi's head, but a
power greater than hers prevailed and think
the sultan, whose tool l firmly believe Arab
Pacha was, interposed objection, and Arab. as
you know, was neither shot nor decapitated
He was exiled to Ceylon, where he is now living.
have had two letters from him in Arabic, for
he neither writes. reads nor speaks any other
language.
"Tewhi was brave. He showed that during
the cholera epidemic and also throughout the
rebellion. He met Arab Pacha in 4 manly
way and did all he could to keep down the
spirit Of rebellion when it first made itself man.
ifest. reached Cairo on September 8. 1881,
tue day after the first outbreak. On November
IL there was 20 be another uprising but
managed to prevent it. Rlaz Pacha requested
Stone Pacha TO have me plead with Arab,
which did. l talked to him through an in
terpreter. The result was that the uprising
did not take place, and Riaz Pacha and the khe-
dive thanked me for my offices in the matter
If Tewtk had been left to himself there is
no knowing what he might not have done for
his country. He liked America and American
institutions and, altogether. he was rather lib
eral in his views; but he was simply a puppet
ruler and he did the best he could. which was
not SO bad after all. He gave more than usual
recognition to S. S. Cox, William Walter Phelps
and others during my administration.
II do not know Prince Abbas, the heir to the
throne. He was a boy of eight. going to school,
when was in Cairo. But don't think it will
make much difference who is the khedive. for 1
feel confident that England will profit by the
crisis and that to England alone any profit will
accrue"