The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11
AN IMPORTANT BRITISH soHEME.
Attempt 10 Mako Erypt q Great Competitor In
Cotton ana wheat Prodnctiop.

= Cotton ana wheat Prounction'
LONDON, March 3l.-Prof. Forbes, the we'll
known electrician, has been sent out TO Egypt
By the British Government to report on the
utilization OF the cataracts OF tho Nile for the
genJfation Of electricity. .ofacially described,
the Professor has gone out at the request OF
the Egyptian Council OF Ministers, which is an
amiIble nutton to make believe that Egypt Is
stli an independent country.
The mission OF Prof. Forbes IA In pursuance
Of n long cherished intcntit n Of the British Gov
ernment to turn Egypt, with is Soudanese Do
penuencies, Into a great wheat and cotton ihrm
10 supply the English market. The works pro-
jectsd and IN construction on the lower Nile.
with q view to the irf 0f vast areas OF
the desert dust for the production OF krain ana
cotton, are - br supplemented by railways anu
traniways worked by electricity FOR the trans
port OF the produce to the coast.
The carefully. complied statistics ana Cd
serve tons that have been. made b, the Bit
ish Government officials since tho occupation
lish the exact value OF the product OF the labor
and land OF the country, The areas "i AM
which II 10 cxpeotel will be brought 2huer
cultivation In the next few years, through the
construction Of reservoirs and tho economic
in1 OF the great body OF water that now passes
Of labor far beyond what the population OF
Egypt can afford. The Intention, 10 70 meet
p iSS es1 IaSor from ta ' indi nS' and mssShinsry from
EnEland, the motive power for wh'ch is 70 20
Furnished by electricity from the Niio Gata-
ThStb- " W hh'ee ~.
land in this way. A safe field for tho invest,
ment OF ca pital directly under English control
will TO furnished To the British investor: an
outlet will DO afforded for the superabounding
population OF India, and an additional marRet
will be created for British manufactures, and
last, but not least, n substantial, excuse VIII
have been created for The permanent occupe-
tion and administration of EgyDkby ENGLAND.
For this country. especially forRhe Southern
States, these projects of the English Govern-
me Mt in EEypt have q very serious interesi,
inasmuch as they threaten incrcasinE competi-
tion with the Southern staple cxptrt. The In
tended extension OF the area Of wheat ouiiiva-
tion will also have its interest for the West-
ern' wheat farmers, already Handicapped. by
tho competition Of India and tho Argentine.
AZ yet there Is no certain knowledge of what
area of territory can eventually be recovered
for cultivation by tho irrigation works under
constr uct.on and projected. but II Is calculated
TO be several millions OF acree. much OF when
will produce two cropb of different products
In the year. Tho report Of Prof. Forbes. will,
therefore. be looked for with very great inter
est. for II 1t leads TO tho realization OF me
schemes of the British Government for the
utilization of the now desert lands OF EGypt
and the poorly remunerated labo, Of the ERyp-
tian fellah and Of the imported Hindoo ryot,
tho American producers OF wheat and cotton
and the labor employed in their production
must be adversely affected.