Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-15

knowledged the child. but never concealed
his disappointment that the mother of his
frs orn and the heir to his throne was a
slave and not one of his wives of rank.
His other sons were sent to school in Eng
land and France. but Tewfik was never al
lowed more thar the ordinary local ad-
vantages. and when he grew up ne settled
down upon a plantation, like an ordinary
farmer. He married his second cousin, the
Princess Emine. and had no harem. He
a devout Mohammedan, but was not
a fanatic, and believed in education, relf-
gious liberation and other modern ideas.
But being of weak disposition, he fell into
the hands of conspirators who took ad-
vantage of his generosity, and Arab Pasha,
whom he had elevated to the head of the
cabinet, organized a revolution for his over
throw.
Arab was an INSCRIPTIONS adventurer.
the son of a peasant farmer in lower Egypt
He became a favorte of the Khedive Is
mail. who promoted him rapidly in rank,
gave him a royal slave for wife and gen
erous gifts of money. Arab was therefore
an inheritance of Tewfik. and was not the
only curse that went with the crown. He
succeeded in securing control of the govern
ment. and soon became involved in COM
plications with foreign governments.
British Occupation.
He is believed to have been responsible
for a massacre at Alexandria on the 11th of
June 1881, at which 100 Europeans were
killed. including an English missionary, IA
naval officer and two se2men. This was
the provocation fer the bombardment OF
Alexandria by the British fleet In the fol
lowing month, when marines were landed
and occupied the city. Arab organized an
army of resistance, and a brief war ensued
which resulted in the occupation of Egypt
by the British army, which is still there
today. .-.
1t was during the reign of Tewhk that
the rebellion of the Mahdi broke out. the
massacre of Gen. Gordon and his troops OF
Khartum occurred and the Sudan war
which followed. Tewfk was practically a
figurehead in the government during all
those years and when he died in 1892 1t
cannot be said that any loss was felt
Abbas is a much stronger man than ms
father, and is better qualined for successful
administration. Those who know him well
say that he is young man of excellent
abilities and intentions, and under any CIR
cumstances would be likely to do himself
redit, but like his father, he is mere
figurehead in the government Everything
he does of importa zee must be approved in
advance by Lord Cromer and his foreign
advisers. AT the same time, in matters or
detail, particularly in agriculture and in the
orga n.zation of his army, Abbas has been
allowed much liberty and has shown good
judgment and executive ability He is quite
familiar With European affairs. He was
Lght English by a governess when child
and afterward had English tutors lie
studied the science of war and engineering
under an American officer; has visited
every country i'm Eur ope, with the exception
Of Spain and Portugal, and has obtained,
by observation as well as study, thor
ough knowledge of European methods.
which he has endeavored to introduce
among his own people, far as prac-
ticable
Spends Much Time in Travel.
Plans were arranged for him to attend
the Columbian exposition in Chicago in
1893, and he was to make a tour of the
world, but the death of his father and his
elevation to the throne prevented him from
doing so. He spends almost every summer
in Europe, travelling about the northern
countries and visiting the several capitals.
Vienna is his favorite city, because he
knows it better than any other, having
lived there as a student for three years,
and he is a great admirer of the German
kaiser, although he does not partake of
any of that eminent gentleman's energy
and brlliancy of intellect. He speaks five
languages tiuently and is able to discuss
foreign affairs with nearly all the diplo-
matte agents in Cairo in their own tongues
His fad is music, and he is fine per-
former upon the plano. The khedival band,
composed of forty of the best musicians in
the country, is under his direct supervision
and he frequently conducts rehearsals of
new music. He encourages musical edu-
cation and cultivates the taste of the people
for modern music by having brass bands
connected with every regiment in the army
and two or three Open-air concerts every
evening in the parks and public places in
Cairo. During the winter he provides an
opera season at the opera house. which was
built by his grandfather, Ismail in few
weeks for the entertainment of the Empress
Eugene and other guests at the opening
of the SueZ canal. Verdi composed the
Egyptian opera, Aida, TO his order and
received a present of $4,000. Marietta Bey,
the famous Psychologist, prepared the
scenery after actral models, and singers
were brought at enormous cost from the
various opera houses of Europe. The build
ing cost half a million dollars and the first
performance given upon its stage cost even
more.
Abbas however, is not extravagant. On
the contrary, the people complain of his
parsimony, and, compared with his prede-
ccssors, he may be called economical. He
receives an allowance of $5000o0 from the
national treasury for himself, equal
sum for the support of his mother, broth
ers. sisters and other members of the khe-
dival family, who number nearly 100 and
has a large income from his sugar and
cotton plantations in the delta of the Nile
For an oriental prince he is very indus
trious and enterprising. He conducts the
business of his government at the city
palace where he spends five or six hours
every day, and receives officials. diplomatic
agents and strangers with courteous at
tention. He is especially fond of Ameri-
cans, and willingly grants audiences to all
u
o'clock in the afternoon. when his work at
the palace is finished, he rides on horse
back. with a cavalry guard, to the kuba-
bah Palace, on the border of the desert,
five miles from the city, where has has an
experimental farm, in which he takes an
active interest, and a breeding stable from
which entries have been sem to all tire
horse shows of Europe. He also has full
outfit of American agricultural machinery,
which he is trying TO introduce among tie
Egyptians.
AbbSs has only one wife. although under
the generous provisions of the Koran he Is
entitled to four. He keeps no harem and
has only four children. Custom does not
permit the khediv4h to appear in foreign
society, but she receives private visits from
the wives of fore.ga officials. who speak of
her good-looking. sensible wonfG
about twenty-five twenty-s years old.
The khedve himself is n handsome man..
He has a clear eye. good complexion and
even features.