The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-05
How Britain and Turkey We're
Brought to the Verge OF War.

How Britain and Turkey We're
Brought to the Verge OF War.
Up to May IA the persistent encroach-
ments Of Turkish troops on Egypt's
eastern frontier caused the British Gov
eminent to make extensive naval and
military preparations for the coercion
of the Ottoman ruler. Nor is it doubt
full that unless the Sultan ABDUL HAND
had complied at the last moment with
the British ultimatum, a British fleet
would have seized Turkish seaports OF
strategic and commercial importance,
and if such pressure had proved futile
would have attempted the passage of
the Dardanelles, The story of a quarrel
which might have set Islam in a blaze
is SET forth in letters just printed and
presented to Parliament from Lord
CRoMER, British Commissioner in Egypt,
and from Sir NICHOLAS O'CoNoR, British
Ambassador at Constantinople, to Sir
EDWARD GREY, Secretary of state for
Foreign Affairs.
The point at issue was whether Turkey
or Britain's protege, Egypt, should con-
troll the Sinaitic peninsula, which in
cludes the desert Of the Israelite Wan
dering, and the Gulf of Akabah, which
constitutes the eastern prong of the Red
Sea. To trace the political relation OF
this region to Egypt Lord CRoMER, in
one of his letters, goes back to,the four
teenth century, but for u purpose it
will suffice to state the fact adduced by
him that by the Sultan's firman of ls4l
MEHEMET ALI and his heirs were m
powered to administer the Sinaitic PENN
sula, and to hold not only the town of
Akabah, at the northeastern angle Of the
gulf of the same name, but also the posts
of Dibbah, Muelh and FL With in the
Hedjaz or northwestern Arabia. There
is abundant proof. it seems, in the Egyp-
tan archives that MEHEMET Ais sue
cessors administered the territory in
question until the accession of the pres
ent Khedive in 1892. At that time the
Grand Vizier announced the resumption
by the Sultan of the posts garrisoned by
Egypt on the Hedjaz coast of the Gulf
of Akabah and the maintenance of the
status quo as regards the Sinaitic PENN
sula, which was to be administered by
the Khedive as in the time of his prede-
cessors. Although this announcement
was accepted as satisfactory by Egypt
and its British protector, Lord CRoMER
reminded the Grand Vizier that no alter
alton could be made in the relations be-
tween the Porte and Egypt without the
! consent OF the British Government.
In spite of this notification Of the Brit
ish claim of a title to object to any fur.
Their change Of Egypt's eastern boundary,
a series of aggressive movements on the
part of Turkish troops began in January
of this year, eliminating in the occupa-
ton of Tabah, a town long esteemed
Of great strategic value, at the north
eastern corner of the Egyptian border.
Earnest representations were made
forthwith by the British Embassy at
Constantinople to secure the withdrawal
of the Turkish troops from the places
occupied by them in Egyptian territory,
but Sir NICHOLAS O'CoNOR was in
formed that the Turkish Government
pTeIeTTt0 W tidllslOi thV oSteiOiiche vi
the question to Cairo, where MoUKTAH
Pasha had been instructed to enter into
direct negotiations with the Khedival
Government. BY reason of what Lord
CRoMBR stigmatized as the "preposter-
GUS pretensions' put forward by MouK-
TAH Pasha with respect to the bounda-
ries of the Sinaitic peninsula, negotiations
we're RENTED to Constantinople, but all
Sir NICHOLAS O'CoNoR's efforts to arrive
at q satisfactory agreement with the
Grand Vizier remained abortive during
the month OF April. Meanwhile, news
arrived Of the removal of the pillars
which marked the Turco-Egyptian boun-
Diary at Rafeh, and of the subsequent
encampment Of Turkish soldiers at a
point considerably to the west thereof.
Exasperated by this fresh aggression,
the British Secretary for Foreign Affairs
instructed the Ambassador at Constan-
tinople to present on May 2 a note re-
curing full compliance with the demands
of his Government for an evacuation Of
Tabah within ten days. As it became
simultaneously evident that any further
recalcitration would provoke immediate
war, TBwFIK Pasha was on May 10 Or