The Washington herald., 1909-05-31

gateway or the East Entering IL. the
Occidental IS bewildered and delighted by
its strange confusion Of color and its
nameless spell; looking out OF it, the
Oriental gazes with indifference. tinged
with contempt, upon the curioUsly duh
and eonceited West. Here in Egypt the
cradle Of civilization. the fountain OF both
Western and Eastern law and religion,
the twentieth century finds the gate be-
tween the two worlds. Here the most
enlightened MoslemS are making the last
great stand for the revival OF Islam
Here the missionary from Wisconsin IS
battling for the ultra-Protestant type Of
Christianity. Opposed 70 both are the re-
dictionary and nOGpTOgresSive Moslens
and the ancient COptic church, most con
servative OF all Christian bodies.
Here the patriotic Egyptian nationalist
Is making a fight for the political reform
OF the Ottoman empire. and from here
vas directed, in part, the bIOodless revO-
luton which gave Turkey a constitutional
government, later confirmed by the de-
thronement OF Abdul Hsmid- And here
is England induIging the native patriot
n his dreams OF reform. and at the same
time ruling him and keeping a firm grasp
upon that real and tangible gateway 70
the OrIent-the Suez Canal.
Here Is q country nOminally subject TO
the Sultan Of Turkey and nominaIly q
part OF the Ottoman empire. Under that
power il is nou1inally autonomous and is
nominally ruled By the Khedive OF Egypt
he in turn IS nOminally CirCumsCrlosd
BY & sort OF constituted government which
gives the people q nominal voice in ne
nominal government And back OF ell
this Is Sir Eldon Gorst. his Britannia ma
3estys consul general who rules the
country actually. although nOminslly he
has nothing whatever 10 do wiki il
Here one sees parading the streets a
well-drilled and well seJ-up regiment OF
soldiers. II IS a part OF - Egyptian
army. Il IS ofleersd by Egyptians. for
the most part. and owes allegiance zad
fealty TO the Khedive. Il is a respecta,' 'ls
army But an hour or 50 later there :
another regiment Instead OF the khaki
and red tarboOsh Of the Egyptian, here
the scarlet coat Of Tommy atkins. /
q part Of the British army OF OcCU-
iaJiOn. That army has been here more
han a quarter Of a century. It came
18th the pr0fessed intention OF staying
lree months. but probably VIII stay as
ing as Britannia continues 10 rule the
ave
The Occidental has always looked upon
e Orient as q tOpsy-turvy land where
erything is done backward We know
at the Orientals begin 70 read and write
IN the right side Of the page instead
from the left We hear OF strange
stOms which offend our own. We learn
habits OF thought which strike Us as
possible. and here in Egypt ar the
eshold Of the East, one finds himself
'ady in the Land OF Paradox
2re was the first civilization, the first
ten history the first code OF morals,
trst law. The evidences Of the great
OF this early empire are found on
q hand IN the magnificent monuments
VI have withstood the ravages Of forty
ctries. The tOmbs Of the ancient Egyp-
Il OF to-day-miserable creatures 70
W civilization means nothing. and
WIook al the great monuments only
aSneans OF bringing tourists in whom
this the hope bakshish- II there IS
house IN Egypt, one OF two things
IS Of it-either II IS built OF mud or
u been built BY a European. The
graur and glory Of Egypt is departed.
4lere is the River Nile bringing the
uOCof Ethiopia 10 make fruitful this
rich OF all farming lands The crops
are tain and bounIrul and are re-
pearseveraI times a year The English
haV6gun 70 restore the splendid irriga-
ton iities which existed in the tine
wheIseph ruled over Egypt The Nile
IS oe cared for and its waters soon
vii ich many more acres than ever
befoTIt is difficult 10 comprehend L
Yet ittrue that the peasants are living
IN luy compared 10 their condition
before British occupation
On q side one sees the evidences OF
the mug Of the East and the West
The QtaI in his red tarboosh, cor
rvPted Western Christian nations, sits
in front an imitation Partisan cafe and
sips ansoholic liquor despite the pro-
hIbiti0n the Koran. The Occidental
pokes hvay through the narrow pas
sageWaJof the bazaars and bargains
and has and QUarrels as il be had
never osin 'One-price store" in the
West
The EDITED Occidental delights in the
society 0he wealthy Occidentals who
make thevinter homes IN Cairo hostel
RES Ihenerican giri stopping here Is
poet sIe rs al the hotel dance as she
Is IN the f7mified remains OF the great
Rameses tle museum. Even the mu-
scum IS -adox. for the bodies Of the
ancient Paohs and they priceless
crown 5eWere exhibited IN a building,
the exterior which suggests nothing
but mo5ernllv-
Cairo andlexandria are built after
ltallan andrenCh patterns. and even
tne lnnuta law OF the prophet has
been bent ththe parks might have or
naments II tues OF great Egyptians
Inc Well-pa' streets, the good street
car service, texCellent police system
al these thlnare OF the West western
Ten minutes TX IN any direction viii
taKe tne Wayer into a quarter where
the streets arRved only with ten cen
tuTles OF olrt' lere the donkey and the
camel are thele transportation agen-
cles, ana wnerse law Of the prophet Is
tne only poIcegulation needed. These
are OF me EasisterH.
Ine kneclve s II splendor, but It Is
occidental ana HOrieltal spIendor- His
palace IS EuroPs there Is but one wife
IN MS naren, a. he speaks French or
EngiSn Win nmost intimate asso-
clates- Not SO ternized IS the Arab
boy who serves y n vo11r botsi roo-n-
an extra Dollar a2uth or an unusually
liberal tip VIII Jug him IN taking an
other wife TO his som. tins sDlarging
his haTeU.
one sees oiack n in gay dress with
three deep scars each cheek-he IS
save saver! Il exists in Egypt
despite ne con5cleHOf England. but in
form Wnlcn eInpIfes the paTadoxical
character OF Iae coy Any slave may
have MS freedom D5fzing FOR Il. There
IS no other reQuIreIn4 whatever. Strange
10 say, there are ma Slaves who co not
make the request be haTem OF tke