The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-01-21
THE RIVER WAR" BY
WINSTON SPENCER CHURCHILL.
The Story Of the Reconquest OF the Soudan.

kr. Winston Spencer Churchill, son OF
LAZY Randolph Churchill Of England. who
= now in South Africa, has recently pub
ushcd a book on the OF the Sou
dan Iongm2na. Green and Company. II
IL called The River War. An Historical
Account OF the Recnnquest Of tho Soudan."
Writing OF the work In the New York
Times, Henry q. Prnut, somecme Colonel
IN the Egyptian Army, and an English
nan, Of course, says:
The River War was not merely the over
whoimtng Of certain picturesque barbarians
II thu Middle Nile Valley, II was a logical
and sH important incident in the progressive
story o. our race. Ths British occupation
and control of Egypt. tho AngiU-Egyptian
reocnquest OF tho Soudan, the stand against
q French station at FashOda. the i8s:stence
that the British sphere Of influence must
inolu1s the Bahr EI Ghaza!. the British
occupation OF CganGs. and of all Of tho Old
Egyptian provinces Of the Equator the
dsshing capture OF Rhodesia, the slow de-
ve,opnent Of the South African colonies
Into English states, and. finally, the war
with the Boers-aIl these are part Of one
great movement THIS movement 81 CEN
turtles old. u has its ~vicissitudes: but It Is
ths most persistent political phenomenon
now visible TO mankind. 1t Is the forward
movement OF the men born to speak the
Eosiish tonguA 30 considered. the con-
quest and government OF tho Soudaa by an
EnglishTnau is Or vivid interest to 70 any
Ensltsh--p@adns man with a spark Of In
But quite apart from its place
IN he history OF our race, the episode
which began VIII the rise ead revolt Of
the Mahdi went through the Death OF Hicks
BuTnaSy. Sir Herbert Stewart. and Gordon.
ana eliminated in the battle OF Omdurman,
Is about the most picturesque matter that
has happened on our planet In the last
twenty years"
Sr. Prouts pro-English sympathies are
evident. he believes in the manifest des-
tny" OF tho E-nE!ish-speaking race as a
LeaciuE race Of the world.
Ar. ChuTchi.l's book scheme tells OF the
rise o the Nahdt. tho fail Of KhartoUm and
Inc death OF Gordon. ana of the shocking
rus or tne khal'fa. Another chapter tells
OF the patient and skiIlful work which went
on Tor 4 dozen years in preparation for the
FecGnquesE The body OF the book describes
the actual war. which began in 1895. with
The capture % Doucola, and ended IN 1895
With the battle OF OnGurman.
AS Ny. Pr1ut puts st, the story OF the
Use and rule Of the Mahdi Is more Won
ceTful the more one knows about II. A
humble priest, poor and without even fam
lily influence, slowly gathered around him
the turbulent chiefs and tribesmen OF an
empire untn his armies numbered scores Of
thousands, and re became an absolute des-
pot He ruled his princes and his people
down 10 TIE minuteSt affairs OF their house.
hold. The khalfa, who followed. was as
absolute, less Intelligent and more cruel.
He even exterminated tribes OF his fellow
oounIymen. and rszed their villages.
came famine and disease, and IL would
be surprising 10 learn that tho popu-
lation OF Egyptian soudan IL to-day less
than half as great as T. vas In 1879. when
first term "a Governor General
ended Indeed, within a few weeks, since
The Rhaliia was killed at Wingate. officers
who penetrated 10 Il Obeid find that town
q heap Of ruins. e. Obeid IS the capital Of
KorGofan. and twenty years ago was one
OF the most solid of Soudan towns, and
had a permanent population OF over 1000.
1T would be difficult to agree Upon the
when the preparation for the recon-
quest Of the Soudan began as a conscious
.nd continued effort. Perhaps 1856 may as
wei be taken as any other year. RE