Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-16
Is PANISLAMISM 4 PERIL?

over Tabah the Lewa had for collaboration
Baron Max Oppenheim well known for his
| zeal as pangermanist.
Just here 1t seems pertinent to recall that
! Nubar Pasha, who. according to the tes-
| t1mony OF Gen. Gordon. was the author of
| the ruin Of Egypt under the Khedive
| Ismail. Nubar recalled Gordon, the gov
| ernor general Of the Soudan. and replaced
| him by Herr Schnitzler. German Israel
| lite. who subsequently, assumed the title
of Emin Bey Hakim. or the Faithful Doc
| tor. Nubar Pasha, although Egyptian MINI
| lister and premier. had long before sought.
| and had been accorded. the protection of
| the German government. and this fact will
explain the significance of the appoint
| ,nent If the German Emin; also the active
| interest," at the present time of Baron Max
| Oppenhetm. attache of the German con-
| sulate in Cairo. in the interior affairs of
| Egypt-interest which would have resulted
| in the latter's recall had he been engaged
| in like manner in the affairs of another
government more powerful than Egypt. As
| 1t is, 1t appears inexplicable that the Brit
| ish government has not protested to the
German government and given Oppenheim
| his passports.
The writer was a member Of the Ameri-
| can military mission sent to Egypt QS69-
| 1871 by General Sherman. and
| was actively associated with
American all Of the enterprises Grom
Mission. the delta to the Nile source)
| which distinguished the reign
| of the late Khedive Ismail. Always a
strong partisan of Egypt for the Egyp-
tians' under the condominium or control
of the powers-Great Britain, France and
| Italy-he has persistently and continually
opposed the exclusive control of Great
Britain In Egypt He still maintains that
the condominium was the best admins
| tration which Egypt ever had. and re-
| turn thereto may be imposed by circum-
| stances. Such a solution, indeed would
| relieve Great Britain from the response
bility which Is too great for single ma
| ton. Lord Cromer appears to think that
| the abolition of the capitulation would
prove remedy for the pacification n
| Egypt. but 1t Is quite certain that it would
not, even II the sultan would assent. to
| say nothing of the Emperor of Germany
whose refusal might be anticipated Mr.
Dicey has written an article in the Nine
| teenth Century entitled The Story of the
Capituiations." He says:
"As the years passed by the dread OF
Moslem invasion OF Europe was replaced
| by the fear of an European invasion of
| the Ottoman empire; in consequence the
military and political Importance of Chris
tendon increased in proportion to the de-
crease Of Islam 1t Is therefore Ineligible
| enough that the capitulations which had
been accorded after much the same fashion
| as man kept awake by dogs might throw
| them bone to stop their barking were
gradually converted into a weapon of Of
| Tense against the Turks. Long and
bitter experience has taught the Turks
| that If any grievance should be alleged.
| whether with without justice. it is they
| who will have in the end to pay the piper.
] This being so, the sultan and his ministers
| would. to say the least, be unlikely to
| welcome the idea Of getting rid Of the
ca ptulations.
Moreover, 1t seems to me-" adds NJ. Dicey,
| absolutely incredible that England or any
| leading European state should seriously
| propose to exert it's influence to induce the
fo oh ba nj h
out the whole of the Ottoman empire In
| Syria in Tripoli, in Macedonia and even
| in the province of Adrianople the foreign
residents regard the capitulations as the
| chief safeguard Of their lives and proper
| ties and of their independence from Turkish
misrule. If I had the misfortune to reside
| in most parts of the sultan's dominfons l
| should protest most vehemently at having
these safeguards removed in order to bene-
| fit the revenues Of Egypt or. to increase
the prestige of our British administrators
| in the valley Of the Nile. am sure that
in so protesting 1 should be supported by
ninety-nine out Of every hundred of my
fellow-countrymen who from necessity or
choice are residents In those. provinces OF
the Ottoman empire which are still In fact
as well as in name administered under
Turkish rule ...--- .
There is certainly effervescence and sedi-
tious spirit in Moslem countries-in Egypt,
the Balkans, in Marocco-but it is not en-
rendered there by religious fdnatacism.
but is purely political, provoked by
the pangermanist and the Willy agents or
German ambitions in these countries. But
II the reader should object, following the
announcement made by Sir Edward Gray
in parliament that "fanaticism was not con-
fined to the Nile valley, but that 1t ex-
listed in the entire north of Africa 1t
may be answered that in certain remote
regions of Africa, in Maraketch, in Bllina.
Finder and Djanet, in the Sahara. Mara
bouts have been busily engaged In preacn-
ing .Djehad'' or holy war.
It is not only in Africa. but In Asia. In
the Yemen, in Persia. in the Caucasus
among the Tartar Moslem tribes of~the
provinces of Elisavetpol and Zanquezour,
but everywhere, as German agents nave
discovered, there is lack of cohesion and
unfey.
The arbitrary occupation of a district In
Persia by Turkish troops and the occupa-
ton of the oasis OF
Turkish Design Djanet recognized by
the Anglo-French con-
VI vention of 1899 as under
the French protectorate. are consid-
cred at Teheran and Paris alike as
provocative manifestations by Turkey
acting under the inspiration of Ger
many. Protestations have been made
by both Persia and France, but the ques-
tons are still pending. The movement is
said to have been made in the interest of
Panislamism in Persia and Djanet as well.
The oasis of Djanet can have no impor-
lance for the Sultan of Turkey. For
France it forms a point of junction of her
possessions in occidental Africa and her
colonies in the north.
When Great Britain shall have concluded
that the abolition of the capitulations is
impossible and the burden of the admin
istration of Egypt insupportable, the
writer, proud and jealous of the work ac-
complfshed in Egypt by the American
military mission, would suggest that Great
Britain invite both France and the United
in
dominium Such a combination would Sc
cure the independence and autonomy of
Egypt and secure her for all time against
the conspiration Of the Turk and German
1t cannot be too often recalled in this
connection what Sir Charles Dixie has said:
Egypt is country of transit. She is to
a certain point the common property of
the world. She may be defined as an inter-
national highway indispensable to the com
merce Of all nations"
Panislamism Is not a peril. and Egypt.