The Washington herald., 1909-06-06
TWENTIETH CENTURY EGYPT.
VII American Missions and Schools
By FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Cairo. Egypt. Nay ls.-Ia Egypt the
name American Mission" IS synonymous
with enlightenment. The people have
come 10 Icok upon the American mission
as The fountain head or educational and
physical betterment Tens OF thousands
I of young Egyptians are being taught IN
( American schools. scattered along the
I banks Ot Nile from Ethiopia 10 the
1IediterranSan. American teachers are
7 giving instruction in the three Rs
and IN the English language. American
/ physicians are revealing the blessings o.
modern healing science 70 the suffering
and benighted- American preachers are
incuicatine morals by precept and ex-
ample. And al the Americans are preach
( ing the gospel OF cleaniiness-that thing
most needed for The physical regenera-
tiOn Of Oriental peoples.
The American Mission 10 Egypt is
under the direction Of the Board Of For
I eisn Missions OF the United Presbyterian
/ Church IN North America. That den0mi-
nation is one Of the smaller Presbyterian
/ bodies. but its congregations are often
( quite wealthy and always liberal The
i
which Americans Of every faith and creed
may Wen be proud. FOR the work had been
/ done along American lines.
The mission was established ln IS54 A.
that time there was no such thing as
evangelical Christian work in the coun-
Z try There were no schools worthy OF
I the name. and there was only one woman
/ IN Egypt who could read and write. She
vas a member OF the ruling princely fam
/ sly, and a native Of Turkey. The Ameri-
/ can Mission now maintains $50 common
I schools. three girls boarding-schools. one
college. and one theological seminary.
There are l2000 boys and 5.909 girls now
attending these schools
( In addition 20 these direct benefits. the
activity OF the Americans has caused
I the establishment Of numerous C0ptic and
Moslem schools. many Of them for girls.
an unprecedented thing IN the history of
either Of the old relisi0us bodies OF
Z Egypt
Fearing TO touch the religion OF Islam
with ever so Eight a hand. the British
rulers OF Egypt for many years did not
take any active steps toward fostering
public education. There were so many
ether and greater problems To be solved
that Lord Cromer puTpOSely delayed the
educational business In order 20 prevent
jealously on the part Of the Moham-
medan leaders and the possible precipi-
tatiOn o. g holy war. Through all that
period Of more than twenty years the
English government depended largely
upon the American missions 20 aid in
keeping peace in the country The
Americans had no political entangle-
ments. and were free 10 preach and 10
teach as they chose. The English were
glad 70 have them in Egypt In the last
few years tae government has taken up
the educational work with more vigOr.
and within a few years Egypt VIII have
a public school system. the excellence
Of which VIII be due in a large measure
20 the American pioneers. The public
schools. however. are thoroughiy No
hammedan in every respect except that
OF SevOung some attention 10 reading.
writing. and arithmetic.
OF the I1.oo9 pupils in the American
schools. about one-half are Copts and
one-fourth are Moslems. The others are
native Protestants OF representatives Of
other religions. The teachers ~ these
schools are nearly all native Egyptians
who were educated in the American
schools OF the earlier days OF the mis-
sion. In addition 10 the instruction in
the ordinary public school courses. Arab
sheiks are employed 70 teach the Arabic
language and literature The instruction
in most Of the branches is in English.
and the pupil who has been through an
American school In Egypt speaks the
same language as the young European
immigrant who has been through the
public schools Of New York Ci1y.
A visit 10 one OF these schools Is in
tensely interesting. There IS one IN Cairo.
less than a block distant from Sheap-
heard's Hotel II comprises all grades.
from the primary class through the high
school ana is attended by $50 pupils The
boys and girls are taught in separate
classes, and only once during the day
do they gather IN the same room That
is at the morning chapel exercises. and
even then the girls portion Of the chapel
is screened of by a high curtain or
red silk II this American school per-
mitted the girls 10 90 where the boys
could see their unveiled faces. the build
ing would be torn down. stone by stone.
before nightfaH Both Moslems and
Copts share IN this intense feeling. and
il must be respected.
me exercises begin with the singing OF
hymn in English. one Of the adapted
Psalms sung in United Presbyterian
churches in America The singing Is
conducted by an American woman teach
er. and she has taught her charges 10 sing
we'll Then there is a PRAYER. in English.
and then a briof address on some subject
Of morals or sanitation. which IS usually
delivered IN Arabic. After another song
the boys and girls troop out in different
directions 10 their classes.
Nine-tenths Of the boys wear their red
tarOooshes. or fezzes. IN the true Oriental
fashion, Indoors and out -Four hundred
Of them in schoOlro0m having every
other appearance OF school IN Kansas
City presents a striking spectacle The
boys are nearly All dressed IN the con-