The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-29

Evelyn Barring was born on Feb. &c, 1s41, the |
sixth child of his fathers. Henry Baring's, second
marriage. From his mother, a daughter of Vice
Admiral Windham, and a woman of high cul-
ture, he derived a marked literary bias. He was
intended for the army. and, after a year or two
at q preparatory school he was transferred to
the Ordnance School at Carshalton. the we'll
known seminary for the training of the scien-
tifo branches of the British army. Migrating
thence, ut the age of Is. to Woolwich Academy,
he, in due course. qualified himself for n
commission. and passed into the artillery in
1858, being then ls. The first ten years Of his
life as an artillery officer seem to have been
spent in the usual routine of military duties
during periods of peace. In the year 1868
Lieut.. Barring entered the Staff College. and his
two years course of military study in that in
Btitution bore fruit in a volume of Staff College
Essays, published by him in the spring Of 1870.
1t is pointed out by the biographer that the
moment for their publication was not 80 IA
vorable as it would have been n few months
later. when the catastrophe overthrow of
France by Germany had set every European ma
ton studying the new and terrible phenomena
OF warfare which that tremendous event had
thrust upon the public view. The two succeeding
years were devoted by Barring to the assiduous
study OF his profession, and the effects of the Ger
man victories are no doubt traceablc in the par
ticular direction taken by his inquiries. Trans
lations Of German works on military organiza-
ton appeared from his hand in 1871 and 1872,
and In the last named year an English version
OF the rules and principles of the "Kriegs-
spiel" as formulated in n treatise from the pen
Of n German officer. was prepared and published
by him. 1t was in tho following twelvcmonth,
however. that the event occurred which proved
the turning point in his career. In the year
1873 Lord Northbrook was appointed to the
ViCe-ROyalty Of India and EVelyn Rariny UNA
invited by his cousin to accompany him in tho
capacity of private secretary. This WAS, IL we
except some brief experience In Jamaica with
Sir Henry Storks. his first introduction to official
life in the civil sphere. and the biographer 10
doubtless justified in assuming that Barring here
brst disclosed that, whether or not he was fitted
to win distinction as a soldier. he possessed tho
varied qualifications for success In the diploma
lists. administrators or financier's career.
Lord Sorthbrook's viceroyalty Of India lasted
but three years. In the spring OF tho year fol-
70 lowing, Mr.. Barring was appointed English Com
missioner Of tho Egyptian Debt, Ismail Pasha
being then Khedive OF Egypt. We pass hastily
over the following years, merely noting that
when the Dual Control was revived in Septem.
Der. 1879. lsmail having been then succeeded
by his eldest son. Tewnk Pasha, Barring was
appointed English Controller with NJ. Bill.
gnieres as his French colleague. During his ten.
AAO " bhio III tho ploIooulb Ildut ~ INC COM
Uiasion of liquidation for tho adjustment OF tho
Egyptian debt were accepted, to tho general
satisfaction of the creditors of Egypt. lie re-
signed the post on juno %. 1880. in order TO
succeed Sir John Strachey as financial member
of the Council of India. With regard to his
experience In that country we will merely OBJ
serve that his three budgets are admitted to
have been the most creditable ever submitted.
and proceed at onco to his resumption Of con-
nection with Egypt. when. after receiving royal
re ;~ognition in tho form OF n Knight Commanders.
ship OF the Star OF India, he was appointed to
succeed Sir Edward Malet as her Majes,y's
agent and Consul-General at Cairo. with the
additional rank of Minister Plenipotentiary in
the diplomatic service. 1t was 10 a country at
once familiar and strange that he returned.
Tho Anglo-French condominium had vanished
In tho smoke OF the British guns before
Alexandria. and, with it, the COMPREHENSIVE
which Barring had filled on behalf OF England.
had ceased to exist. Tho Khedive had been yir-
tually deposed by rebels. and reinstated by Brit.
ish arms. A large British military force was
stil!i in occupation OF the capital. and her Ma
3eriy's Government had become. to all ipterts
and purposes. the paramount ruler of Egypt, in
much the same sense and to the same extent az
the Viceroy Of India is the ruler OF a protected
Indian state under the nominal sovereignty OF
a feudatory prince. 1t was on Sept. IL, 1859.
that Sir Evelyn Barring entered upon his dulles
as Consul 'General-just two days after Hicl,s
Pauha had started from Khartoum on his III.
fated expedition against tho Mahdi in Kor-
dofan. BY the end of November it was known
In Cairo that Hicks's army had been annihi.a,ed.
IL was hard for Barring TO have to announce a
d decision so thoroughly distasteful to Egyp.ian
feelings ~ that which the situation demanded.