The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-12-06

mast few wears has been 50 fully occu-
pi,d bv the important questions m
hnme-thc financial question. IL" cuban.
Tho Nicaragua Canal. the Hawaiian ana
others of less magnitude. but still or
great intercSt-that it i donbttHl II
they have given 70 Great Britain 'I-
e%rations in Egypt the attention 'AeN
deserve.
since our civil war. which England>
cotton mill owners in Lancashire l'i'
| 81 kccnly in il financial WAY. by their
inability To secure cotton from our
Southern States. her statesmen have
/ given much time and thought 70 the
| question whether or not cotton equally
AZ good az that grown in the | nlted
! States. could be raised III certain parts
OF the British domain. After much
| effort and i large expenditure OF money
if was found that it could he grown II.
India. but Of Il quality which would NOT
| compare with that raised in this coun-
try. Australasia. too. proved insult
able to the proper cultivation OF that
plant. Consequently those who direct
| The destinies OF the British Empire saw
that in order to make its manufacturers
independent of the United States. III
50 far at least as cotton was concerned,
it was necessary for Great Britain To
| secure for al time Il hold on Egypt and
the Egyptian Soudan, territory i'll every
way suited to the growth Of the hncSt
cotton.
How She has been aided in her Of
forts in that direction by the blunder-
ing Of French statesmen when they re-
linquiShed the joint control Of Egypt
ny declining to allow France to pay
her share of the cost of putting down
the inSurrection led by the Mahdl aud
the reconQucst Of the Soudan Is faml4lar
to all who keep III touch with the world 5
important events. Fortunately for
Great Britain. her statesmen saw their
opportunity and embraced it, with the
result that Egypt and the Egyptian
Soudan today are practically British
territory.
In another year. unless, unforeseen
difficulties arise. Gen. Lord Kitchener.
the commander OF the -Angio-Egyptian
forces. will have driven the Mahdi from
the Soudan and have restored that ter
ritory to Anglo-Egyptian rule. Seven
hundred square miles Of territory. or Il
tract fourteen times as large as the
State of New York. Will have been
added. for all intentS and purposes. to
the British Empire: Il territory. too. i
large part OF which is capable Of produc-
ing cotton Of the finest quality. better
lHtu tIltJ IilStu oily AItit Nit1lIh IL
United States. except that grown on
the sea islands. off the coast Of Georgia.
Thus it will be seen that Great Brit
ain has practically made herself indie
pendent Of us for her cotton supply. for
she will be able to utilize the Soudan
for that purpose. and have 1t her com
mand for the cultivation of her fields
the Egyptian fallahin. who are very
satisfactory laborers and III every way
as capable as our Southern negroes.
They can be secured at wage ranging
from 8 to u cents a day. as against
from % to - cents which our southern
cotton planters are obliged to pay for
similar kind OF work.
"When it is also considered that an
unlimited amount of British capital is
awaiting investment in this industry in
the SouGan. for which its owners viii
be satisfied with Il return Of from I to
; per cent. on the principal. while our
planters must pay from g to 10 per cent.
for the money they use. the advantages
of the planters Of the Soudan over our
Southern planters in this particular i'll
dustry viii be Obvious. Furthermore.
by thus utilizing the Soudan. Great
Britain Will not only be able to supply
the wants Of her manufacturers but
the world at large 1T figures with which
our planters cannot cOmpete.
This year the United States have pro
duced about tive-siXths Of the cotton
crown throughout the world. What pro
duction of the total they will grow five
years from now. when British subjects
invest their capital in the cotton fields
of the SOudan. is a question which viii
not only interest our Southern planters.
but the people Of our entire country. /
would seem. If British enterprise and
capltai take full advantage Of the sit
uation which the Soudan presents. that
tive-cent cotton or cAen lower will be
the future price Of the American article.
and with the lower price Il much lessen
cd demand.
Is this danger chenerical: We turn
TO the encyclopaedia Britannica and
find that Mr.. Townsend is quite within
the mark when he predicts severe. in
crcasing. and possibly disastrous CONF
petition from the Soudan III the produc-
ton Of cotton,
The Soudan. even in the more re-
stricted meaning Of the word. has an
extreme length Of about 1000 mites be
tween the Senegal river and Ahyssinia.
extending southwark at some points $50
miles, with 4 total area Of perhaps =
10000 square miles. and Il population
approximately estimated ut from TO-
0O.OO to S0.OG0,0 The Soudan.
properly so-called. may he described az
Il moderately elevated region. diversified
With extensive open or rolling plains.
level D!atelus. and even true hiyh-
lands. especially i'll the southwest An
eXuherant forest vegetation is favored
by the rich alluyial soil and tr0pical
heat wherever moisture abounds." The
cotton tree IS indigenous and abundant
throughout the Soudan. and cotton X
placed at the head Of the list Of ..ch;af
cultivated plants throughout this pre,t
area. twO-thirds as extensive ~ tho
United States. In every State Of the
Soudan separately mentioned cotton an
pears to be Il leading agricultural pro
duct.
But limiting the inquiry to the terri
tory formerly belonging TO Ecynt ara
now rel.NHarpl = lnrfnr Il