The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-08-07
ENGLAND NOW OWNS EGYPT.

Outside Of Cuba, Venezuela and
South Africa no foreign complications
SO interest Americans as those of the
land where civilization probably had
it's birth. In all these countries the
present troubles are chargeable to Brit
ish greed. No one will deny that But
there are two sides 10 the Egyptian
situation Egypt has always been one
of the most interesting countries in the
world and promises still to be. Its
land and people are sui generis and
have been for thousands OF years. Its
kings number thousands 1t has but
lust been discovered who the Pharoah
of Moses was. 1t was neither of the
Rameses. as has been supposed. AS
an editorial writer in the Philadelphia
Record declares, her historical period
goes back to the morning of the time
beginning 5000 years bofer Christi,
and her NEUROLOGICAL period more than
1900 years. In the course Of her
history she has been conquered 10y the
Persians. by the Greeks. by the Ro-
mans. by the Arabs, by the Turks and
by the English. Empires and mon
arches have passed away, and the
political face of the world has changed;
but Egypt, apart from the governing
control. is essentially unchanged She
is as the Bible describes her, and as
Herodotus tells US, "the gift of the
Nile" She is about the size of Bel
GUM, with an area of little more than
II 900 square miles Beyond the in
fluence OF the Nile the country is a
desert Yet with artificial irrigation
that desert will blossom like he rose.
Such is the soil and climate that she
produces three crops in the year. 1t
is the land or perennial fertility. The
river god annually crowns 1t with
abundance. 1t produces wheat. maize,
barley. sugar cane. cotton. indigo and
tobacco. Oldest among the nations.
Egypt is agriculturally the rival of the
youngest; and her competition in the
markets OF Europe Is keenly felt Sit
uated as she is geographically. Egypt
is the gateway of empire. Asia and
Africa are both subject TO her in
fiueDce. and she may be made the base,
in the hands of n strong power, from
which the fairest parts of either might
be conquered. She threatens the
French ro-Mediterannean posses
sions. and controlled by an energetic
enemy might leopard or overthrow the
English dominion in India
England is now in possession When
she planted her flag on Egyptian soil
she proclaimed to Europe. and has fire.
quently repeated the assurance, that
it was her purpose to withdraw with
a. lirtle delay as possible She has
been in possession for period of four
teen years, and il is now obvious that
she is not there for q temporary stay.
hut for permanent occupancy. IL IS
no longer question Of withdrawal,
but question whether England shall
avow, in the face OF the world, her
determination To retain indefinite pos
scSsion-or. in other words. permanent
possession. The current number. of
the Edinburgh Review supplies the
technical reasons why she should hold
on They are reasons that might sat
isfy the legal conscience: but whether
they will satisfy the political and
diplomatic demands and purposes OF
Ergland's uncertain and "guondam
friends France. Germany and Rms
hia-is quite another matter.
By the CONSENSUS Of European opin-
ion Engiand's rule in Egypt ha< been
heneffcieRt She has diminished the
burden OF taxation. she has abolished
the corvee: erected valuable public
works. established justice. opened
schools. provided means Of sanitation
and amazed the finances with = mas