The Irish standard., 1896-04-04
ENGLAND IN THE EAST.

Triparite powers have consented to Eng
lands retention of Egypt in considera-
ton Of aid given to the Italians in Abys-
sinia is only another illustration of the
characteristic of British influence wher-
ever it has an opportunity to act, says
the Philadelphia Catholic Standard and
Times. That influence is always ac-
Or by accident, constructive. 1t has often
been said of the Jewish race by it's enc
mics that it's genius is to acquire, or as
| simulate, but not to originate; and how
! ever true or false this may be of the
Jews, it is unquestionably the fact that
British influence has not civilized any
| nation or developed, SO as to be for their
own benefit, the opportunities or the re-
sources Of any people but the British
themselves. The entire history of Brit
ish diplomacy in the Orient is constant
proof of the British inability, even if
British willingness existed, to construct
anything for the good of the Orient. The
awful record of the atrocities perpetrat-
ed for the last so years, and particularly
during the last two years in Armenia,
is a standing Indictment of the criminal
incapacity OF British influence to do good
for any people among whom it is exerted.
India, that has felt the effects of British
influence for a century and half, is an
other example. The most important fact.
in the condition of al the Orient coun-
tries today, from Egypt to India, is that
they would long ago have been stirred up
from their dreamlife and have been
brought to adopt the ideas OF modern
civilization, with advantage socially and
morally, as we'll as politically, for their
inhabitants only for British influence
that preferred to retain them in their
old condition with no changes other
than those that would benefit British
commerce and manufactures. Had
France not allowed herself to be made
catspaw from 1852 to 1856, Russia
would have ended the life Of the 'FSick
Man. there and then and forever ended
the Turkish dominion, with the long
rain of evils that have since flowed from
The maintenance of Mohammedan politi
cal power including the propagation OF
Islam among the African negroes.
There is England in Egypt. For a
number of years England has maintained
her hold there in defiance of treaty stip-
ulations freely consented to by her. All
the energies of the Egyptians themselves,
such as these energies may be, all the toll
of their masses, have, during these years,
been exerted mainly towards the one end
of yielding taxes enough to pay the debt
contracted to English bondholders by the
late Khediye, who was a mere sport
and plaything of those bondholders. 1t
cannot surely be possible that the An
glo-maniacs among us who so often grow
enthusiastic over the civilizing influence
Of British power really think Of the
hard toll and chronic degradation to
which millions of human beings in the
past been reduced by that power and in
tluence to enrich the English. Honest
and able Englishmen, such as Mr.. Glad
stone and the late historian, Freeman,
have frequently asserted that British in
auence, because of the policy that directs
it, has proved curse to the people of the
Orient by it's preservation of Turkish do
minion.
If nothing untoward prevents her Eng
land will play the same game in this new
affair of supporting the Italian attempt
against Abyssinia, that she has always
played when permitted to do so. If Italy
wins Abyssinia, England will finally
come into possession of so much of that
territory as is worth possessing, and in
the meantime, anyhow, English capital
and English expenses will be so fully Sc
cured that if Italy loses. England will
suffer no substantial loss. 1t is by
very ancient swindler's game that Eng
land has won most of her modern wealth.
What the Orient needs is the complete
destruction of the Ottoman rule and the
reconstruction of the now subject ma
lions on the basis of modern Christian
civilization. The efforts of Italy in
Abyssinia are merely a melodramatic
farce, gotten up to bolster wholly cor
rupt ministry. France has not seemed
to have backbone since the first Napole-
ons wars. Only England, conservative
by nature, not constructive, and acquis-
tive by disposition, remains of Euro
mean nations, if Russia be left out of
consideration.
Russia appears to be the only power
capable of restoring the Oriental nations
| to life. Russia may be said to be on the
! spot. quite as much at home In Asia as
! In Europe. The great obstacle to her
success in overthrowing the cause of Mo-
Ihammedan dominion has been not so
| much the opposition of England as the
bigotry of her own schism. If Russia
can. be persuaded to adopt sincere pol
icy Of freedom for the Catholic religion,
the entire power of England would be in
vain to resist her march through the
lands that have for centuries been kept
in degradation by Islam. There can be
little doubt that this is the view taken by
| that greatest Christian statesman of the
aye. Leo XIII. The hope of the Orient
4 -. -. L., ~arv1a u f,pf h