The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-09-11
France, Engla nd, and Egypt.


Egypt. and the duties of this country in
regard TO Egypt. The subject is one
which calls for careful and judlcious
consideration. and we are extremely glad
that IT should have been raised. MI
Hodgson Pratt takes us 10 task for nav
ing used language which implies our
right to remain in Egypt, ana ne theh
attempts TO show that II Is Impossible
or any principle of international law, or
any ground OF moral right. 10 justify our
position,"-i e.. the present position oc-
cupied by England. We want on the
present occasion to deal with the points
thus raised. The best plan Will be TO
state first what we consider to be the
present situation, and then 10 answer
Mr.. HodgsOn Pratts assertion that We
are breaking our word. We remain IN
Egypt with but very faint prospect or
retiring, even in the distant future. be-
cause we find that what We may call the
= oral difficulties Of evacuation are prac-
tiCally insurmountable. We mean by the
moral difficulties the difficulty OF leav-
Ing Egypt with reasonable assurance
that the evacuation viii not throw the
country into a state OF anarchy, when
will mean not only ruin Tor the Euro
peans settled in the Nile Valley, but the
extremity Of misery and oppression for
the natives. At present we know That
evacuation must mean, probably within
two years. anarchy Of the worst kind.
an anarchy which either we or some
other Of the European Powers must re-
turn 10 prevent. Nothing can be more
certain than that the natives Of the Of
fetal class are utterly UNIT TO take over
and carry on the Government Of Egypt
under conditions which would secure
even a moderately good administration.
There does not exist among the cdu-
Gated natives Of Egypt a body of men
out of whom an independent Ministry
could be formed capable Of administer
ing the country without European help
and control Twenty years ago il might
have been possible TO find a certain num-
Der OF men among the sO-called TURKS
who had the instinct of government,
and who, though they would have ruled
harshly and without any very intelh-
gent sense Of the needs Of the country
would still have kept things from failinn
absolutely to pieces
There was then the material for
government though not of a good Gov
eminent such material does not exist
now. The last of the type which we are
cOnsiderihg-the authoritative TURKS
Riaz Pasha, and Riaz is an old man.
Our orderly rule has killed the old spirit
OF mastery. and the younger generation,
while they have lost the virtues OF the
nalf-civilized Eastern, have not gained
those Of the European. The men IN
whose hands the government must per-
force be placed were we 10 leave Egyp'
tomorrow, are some Of them, like the
late Khedive, amiable, well-meaning, ana
irresolute. others vain, restless, ana
weak, like his SUCCESSOR but none OF
them capable of carrying on alone the
work OF government. An independent
native Government must inevitably pro.
duce a squalid reproduction OF the cor
rupt and worthless regime of 1smail
Pasha. The result of such reproduc-
ton must either be the return OF Egypt
to a permanent condition OF bdrbarism,
anarchy. and oppression-a condition
which would be all the more horrible 10
the Egyptian people because they had
known something so infinitely better-or
the Intervention of some European Pow
err But the world would find the nrst
alternative an impossible one. Egypi
could not be allowed 10 relapse. Euro
pean Intervention in some form or other
would be the inevitable outcome OF evac-
uation. II that Intervention were I'M
dertaken by England alone, we should
find ourselves in a very foolish position
We should have gone away Tor good
and come back next year II the inter
vention were attempted by France alone
we should find a very large party mere |
thrown into state Of intense inGigna-
ton. and demanding whether we were 10 |
allow the French 10 reap the benefits OF
all our past expenditure IN men ana |
money. II France and England interVeh- !
nd together, we should be returning 10 |
the intolerable burden Of the condomlh-
ium. II the European Concert interVen'
ed we should be trying a mulupleX con !
troll fraueht with even greater evils IN |
the matter OF jealousy and friction. me |
fact remains that under present cir
We cannot eVacuale EsyP' |
without doing either INDUSTRIOUS INJURY
10 the Egyptian peasantry. and so com
hitting a gross breach OF national du-
~. or else running the risk Of inteTna-
tional complications FAR greater than
those which are caused by the present
situation.
But. though we recognize how immense
~ grave would be the dangers and al
dcultics caused by evacuation, We 10 not
wish TO say that there are no considera-
tons which should induce us TO evacuate
egypt. The preservation of good faith Is
50 essential a matter that, If II colla
be shown that we had made. a definite
greemcnt with France to leave Egypt
within a particular period-a contract OF
onstitute an international obligation-we
should counsel evacuation al all costs
ana even though it might obige rs TO re-
.urn next year at the risk OF war with
france But did we ever make sucn
contract or agreement with France. or IL
INV way constitute an imperative inter
national obligation? As FAR as we can
zee. we never did NJ. Hodgson Pratt
,nows the whole subject thoroughly and
s very anxious TO show that England
Id bind ersef to France TO eyacuatc
cgypt and he has produced the words
N w...h his case rests. But can any
easonabis person say that they amount
o a binding obligation? He tells us that.
Lord Harrington, in February, lss2.
aid that probably in six months the
British forces would be Withdrawn in
D. following month Lord Dufferin said
hat the permanent military occupation
being contrary to the repeated de.
lara tons Of her Majesty's Government
vas not an idea to which h could gi:e
he slightest encouragement In NOvem- |
ar, orders were given for the eyacua-
ion of Cairo; but they were not carried
1T. in consequence Of the SOudan War.
n 1884. Lord Granville replied 10 the
'rench Government that her Majestys
government are willing that the with
rawal Of the troops shall take place al
ne beginning Of the year 1873. and would
oppose 10 tho powers and 10 the Porte
scheme foy the naturalization Of Egypt.
n August. 1915, the Conservative Gov
rnment, on coming into power. stnt Sir
Ienry Wolff to negotiate a convention,
that II had no idea. of annex
X Egypt or of establishing q protecto-
ate. This convention was not at FIRST
ccepted by France. beause II stipulated
)r the return of British troops in case
disorder: but later on this obiectfOr