The Washington herald., 1909-06-12

IS curious contrast between Ismail
Pasha. TO whose thriftlessness the Eng
nsh occupation OF Egypt is directly due.
and hts grandson. who to-day has the
title his progenito- bore, without the
power he abused Ismaii was 2 despot
and tyrant. an ignoramus. who could
hardly write a letter. and a fool in
finance" upoS> such a scale that his ex-
travagances oaalienge the imagination.
Aobas Is as well trained for a throne as
q prince could be. but he Is a hgurhead
IN international affairs While he might
prove himself the equal OF a Pharaoh IN
administrative ability, If he had thu
chance, he could not DO the damage 70
Egypt that Ismau wrought II he com
oined IN his own person all the vices OF
Nero and all the follies OF Ismail
OF the line OF Khedives. beginning with
Mehemet All. merchant, favorite Of the
Sultan OF Turkey. brilliant but brutal
soldier, vies=cy. tyrant, woul6-be usur-
per Of his benefactor's throne. and found
er OF the semi-autonomy OF Egypt, Ismail
was the most conspicuous failure. Abbas.
seventh OF his dynasty. is by far the best
equipped Of the khedives IN point OF
education and all-round mental htness-
His admirers say that he would make
al excellent ruler II the reins OF govern
ment were really in his hands But this
is merely an estimate OF the man. 1t
does not mean that IL Europeans were
out Of Egypt this young Turk could re-
main in his place as the head Of a nation.
While his father. Tewhk. was Khedive.
and while the tolls OF British domination
were gradually closing about the govern
ment OF Egypt as a result Of the after
effect OF IsmaiTs misrule, Abbas was get
ting his education in Switzerland and
later In Austria He was taught, among
other things. languages. diplomacy. the
art OF war, and engineering. He Travelled
during his vacations 10 every important
country in Europe. A tour OF the United
States including visits 10 the great in
dustriai centers, as well as 70 Washing
ton, was projected But the death OF
his father called Prince Abbas 70 the
viceregal throne when he was only eight
cen years old He still regrets that he
was unable 20 see America
That he was a student while at school
and in college is evident from the fact
that he speaks and writes fuently Eng
lish, French. German. Turkish. and
Italian, as well as Arabic. He is a pianist
OF market attainments. frst-rate horse
man. a scientific farmer. enough Of an
engineer 10 run a locomotive. and 10 know
what is wrong when the engine does not
run, and how 10 remedy the evil. lover
OF good literature and grand opera, he
Is versatile IN conversation and an In
terested. as well as interesting, talker to
guests he receives. He attends punctually
70 the various duties OF HIS rulership.
which are as many and intricate as II his
hands were not guided by a superior
power. He arises at O'Clock in the
morning, and, from the saddle. superin-
tends the farm work upon one Of his
estates before driving TO Abdin palace,
If It Is winter, or Rasl-el-Teen Il It is
summer.
In personal appearance the Khedive Is
prepossessing. BY many persons he Is
considered singularly handsome. He will
be thirty-fve years old this July, and
seems somewhat older than his years.
He Is not democratic in the sense that he
would be slapped on the back by an ac-
quaintance and greeted with hello" but
he Is sufficiently sensible not to violate
the popular canon against taking ones
self too seriously. He dresses quietly in
the European style. except that he habit
ually wears a red Fer indoors as well as
out He is a bird OF bright plumage only
when he dons hts uniform as commander
form he Is not a mere fgurehead, but
finely trained soldier. who can direct the
maneuvers OF his regiments like a war
worn veteran He is more interested in
America than IN any other country
American farming Implements and ma
chinery IN operation on HIS various farms
give evidence OF an intelligent attention
TO the march OF progress in a more pro-
gressive country than his own. An Amer
horses, Is included in his breeding stable
A striking Characteristic OF the Egyp-
tian peasant is his abiding love for the
soil. He is never so happy as when cul-
tivattng, by primitive methods the rich
fields that border the Nile When he IS
serving in the army his dream Is to re-
turn to agricultural pursuits. although
his opportunities for earning a compe-
tency are slender and he usually passes
his life IN what an American would con-
slider The extremity OF poverty. II the
Khedive is not really an Egyptian he IS
at least an Egyptian In his fondness for
country life and for tilling the land. II
he should be removed from the Khedivi-
ate. he would probably spend an active
life as wealthy land proprietor.
Being a Mohammedan. the Khedive IL
bound by his religion not to indulge in
intoxicants Unlike Mehemet Ali. who Is
said 70 have died from the effects OF
drinking three bottles Of champagne
when overheated. he lives up TO the re-
ouiremeuts of the Koran in this respect
In a country where not only men and
women. but also children Of both sexes.
smoke cigarettes. he Is a total abtainer
from tobacco. Although he might, with
out arousing criticism in his canitaI nv
violating the rules OF conduct laid down
by the Prophet, have four wives. he is
content with one.
When the announcement that the Khe-
dive had married a slave was made in
the capitals OF the Western world many
readers Of Occidental papers believed
that a salty scandal had developed IN
Cairo. Not only difference IN the point
Of view. but also a difference in defni-
tions Of the word slave explain the
fact that Egyptians considered the match
entirely suitable. The Slaves" of an
Egyptian princess are not women Of low
caste. They are Circassian ladies-in-
waiting. as unlike real slaves as they are
unlike the beautiful Circassians" seen
in a circus tent in the United states.
In Egypt at present there are no real
slaves within the Western meaning. The
harem slaves" are educated. after ORR
entail standards. as ladies. They speak
French and perhaps read light French
novels. aside from having the womanIv
accomplishments priced in the East. Be
cause she was born princess the
mother OF the Khedive takes rank over
her daughter-in-law as irst lady Of the
land. But the fact that the consort OF
the Khedive was a slave does not
lessen the respect OF the court or the