Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-06

SO much publicity given to q pilgrimage
which does not merit It? Why such great
a religious act which should be per
formed In silence and with simplicity?
Besides the Princesses Fatima Hanem
and Nazh Hanem. the khedive took with
him the chiefs of his bureau. his master
OF ceremonies. the director OF the
'Wakfs.' the commandant of the guard.
the attaches OF the Arab bureau and
long series OF officers and functionaries
of all orders and grades, a list SO long
that the Egyptian press has not judged
1t apropos to publish 1t entirely A
large retinue of Egyptian and Turkish
soldiers attended the khedve and more
thar 800 camels were reauisitioned for
the khedivial caravan. whose passage
through the Hedjas was impressive.
The khedive arrived at Mecca. re-
cited the prescribed prayers. made the
tour of the kaaba. kissed the black stone
drank from the sacred waters OF Zemzem,
the spring that saved Hagar and Ishmael
from dying OF thirst. journeyed to Mount
Ararat and visited the tomb OF the
prophet at Medina. Abbas Hilmi thus
performed all the devotions that entitle
him to the rank and sanctity of Hadji
the insignia Of which is the green turban
presses the conviction that because no
other khedive OF Egypt
Political had deemed 1t necessary
p;1c~;ro~o to go to mecca. notwith-
standing the proximity Of
the sacred city. it was not q question of
obedience to customs nor TO conform to
traditional ceremony. On the contrary.
tho voyage was far more political than re-
ligfous. But what, asks the editor. is the
political object pursued by his highness
Abbas Hilmi? The editor confesses he
does not know. and that those in the Sc
cret only may tell. He ventures. how
ever. to suggest that the visit may per-
haps be hostile to the sublime porte.
docs the khedive believe" again asks
DR.. Samne. 1.-The moment come to
reach out. grasp the realization of q
dream which he has perhaps earessed for
some time-the Khalifat of Islam?"
The suggestion begets reflection. The
khedfve Ismail, his grandfather, indeed.
from the Inauguration of the Suez canal
in 1869 dreamed Of such a POSSIBLE
ity and for this purpose employed Amer
lean officers In his army. It was Great
Britain, then protectress OF the sultan,
which defended the sultan from the
threatened revolution. What reason may
Great Britain have now for aiding the
grandson to do what she opposed in
the grandfather?
II we follow the learned Arab editor of
the Correspondence dOrient into the
field of speculation. we must in the first
place, point out that the khedive has
never manifested any decided ambition
toward the Khalifat. On the contrary,
we have been told that his mind, like
that Of Leopold II, is speculative and in
clined to the amassing OF great wealth.
and his talent in that direction is proved
by the number of projects he has sue
cessfully exploited in the development
of his vast properties near Alexandria and
in and about Cairo. We have seen. be-
sides. that Abbas II has visited Con-
stantinople and that the sultan has APP
proved the pilgrimage to Mecca. If.
therefore, there is political object in
the pilgrimage which is made to impress
the Arabs of Asia Minor and of Yeman.
who have recently been placated in
some almost miraculous manner. we
visit Is the forerunner of an absolute
change Of policy In Egypt by England.
The liberal party In England has not
permitted to pass unheeded the cry of
Egypt for the Egyptians. :"
Liberal The crime at Denshawi.
NIL: although condoned by the
Policy. retreat Of its author, the
British agent, on the score of
failing health" was nevertheless. as as
serted. a recall because Of q scandalous
affair which touched to the quick the
conscience of all honest and fair
minded Enghshmen. The liberal party
will do for Egypt what it has done for
India. 1t may do more, because Egyp-
tians are quite It not decidedly more
apt for self-government than the young
Turks or the ''constitutionalists Of Per-
sia." both OF whom England has praised
and encouraged. The liberal party has
finally q working majority. and I'm any
event, even though new elections should
return England to conservative rule there
will be no reversiOn to the rule OF Cromer
in Egypt.
Besides, there is q question which has
not occurred to DIR. Samne In discussing
the political object OF the khediye's Wis
II to the Yemen.
Germany is profoundly interested In
the projected Bagdad railway and the
extensions to Tripoli, Alexandretta
and to the Persian gulf. But Russia has
interests In eastern Asia Minor and the
Caucasus. So also France in Syria and
the Yemen. And England, is she not con-
structing concurrent lines to Bagdad,
while an English engineer is working
upon plans which propose the irrigation
OF Mesopotamia and the reclamation of
deserts to be transformed into a fruit
full and terrestrial paradise?
If the khedive's visits to Constantinople
and Mecca are political. as we are as
sured. may We not con-
Tribunals clude that we are on the
Renewed eve OF a very decided
AsSAAo"eu' change of British policy
in Egypt? dispatch from Cairo Feb
ruary % affirms that the Egyptian mixed
tribunals were extended for another five
years from that date. Lord Cromer pro-
posed to abolish these tribunals, and his
suggestion to that effect. it was currently
reported in Cairo. was another reason
for his withdra wal. The renewal of the
tribunals is additional evidence OF Eng
lands new policy In Egypt and the res
toration OF the khedivial authority.
Egypt may soon receive some such mes
sage from Sir Eldon Gorst as that of
Lord Mimic to India. Egypt will come
into her own and be accorded by the
powers that created her a constitution
and a parliament
Meanwhile England may reclaim Meso-
pOtamia, which contains. we are told the
original Garden Of Eden," as well as
the grave of our common mother Eve.
An English engineer of distinction. Sir
William Wilcoks. is already engaged on
plans which propose to restore the rich
ness of the soil of Mesopotamia and the
splendor of her ancient cities.
II the Khedive Abbas shall have been
the bearer of such a magnificent message
to Constantinople and Mecca he will have