The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-06-10

innumerable tongues. French H. the
tongue generally affected. by the
upper classes; and perhaps. -
striking and not generally known Il!
Illustration Of how French has sunk
into the very soul Of the country is
that it is even used by British officers
In their official reports-yet another
anomaly in this home Of anomalies"
The English language Is, howevE,
surely elbowing the French even out
Of this stronghold, and in Egypt, as in
50 many other countries. is becoming
the commercial language of the peo-
pie. French. however, will long hold
sway in polite society in Egypt.
1t is said that more than $500. 000, 900
of European money is invested in
Egypt, the majority Of which comes
from the stocking leg Of the ever
thrifty French peasant. But the most
notable example of French skill and
daring enterprise is the suez canal.
the blue ribbon which cut through
Egypt and reduces the distance be-
tween Europe and India and the far:
east by thousands of miles. Until the
Panama canal is completed. the Suez
canal will remain the greatest feat
OF human audacity and engineering
skill which the world has ever known.
This canal was French in inception
and design and execution. and though
the English own the majority OF the
stock, and, through their occupation
of Egypt, control it to large extent.
it will forever stand as a monument
| Cf a canal can be said ITO stand")
Of French ingenuity and energy.
The latest statistics show the
enormous use made Of the canal by
modern commerce. During October
last. 1858 vessels passed through the
canal. and from the LIST of January
to the 31st of October. 3,541 vessels
made the same journey. The receipts
for October were almost $2.140.000,
and for the first ten months OF 1909
more than $20,000,O00. The canal
pays 16 per cent dividends upon the
stock-all it is allowed to pay by law
though it is said to earn double that
amount.
The ship on which we sailed, tho
Cleveland Of the neutrality-suspicious.
line, was the largest passenger ship
that ever passed through the canal.
and was barely able to scrape through.
with less than a foot Of water be-
tween her and the bottom of the
canal. The enormous tolls that arc
charged are indicated by the fact that
it cost the Hamburg-American line
$35, 900 to take this one ship through,
and the United States government
was said to be mulcted over $1,000, 900
for the passage of our feet of war
vessels on their return from the
orient.
What about the future of Egypt?
A question more easily asked than
answered. The British occupation ia
supposed to be only temporary. but
it's temporary character is not as yet
visible to the naked eye. 1t seems to
be growing more permanent and sta
BILE every day, and the other powers
seem to be acquiescing with better
grace than could be expected. Even
France. which might be supposed to
show some wounded pride at the fact
of Britain falling heir to the results
Of all her work in Egypt, seems to be
satisfied with the arrangement. and In
return for being allowed free hand
in northern Africa in the countries
comparatively near her own shores,
has formally and explicitly renowned
objections to the long or short occu-
patton of Egypt by Great Britain.
1t is evident that to protect her vast
possessions in India and the farther
east England must control the canal
and allow no hostile power to OCCUPY
Egypt; but an Italian writer, who dis
guises himself under the initials "A.
g." has written book. which is more
| or less convincing, to prove that Egypt
should be neutralized by all the pow
ers, as Switzerland and Belgium have
been. Then she would be left free to
work out her own destiny under the
guarantee that she should not be dis.
membered or gobbled up by any Eu-
ropean power. Thus England would
be secured. by her great fleet on the
Mediterranean and her occupation of
the Soudan and Of Alden on the Red
sea, of uninterrupted communication
with India through the canal, while
Egypt would be emancipated from the
anomaly of being under two govern.
ments aside from her own, and the
popular cry of Egypt for the Egyp-
tians!" would be in a good degree
realized.
Until some such plan is brought
about, and Egypt is 'neutralized." she
can have no better tutor than ex-
perienced. steady and on the whole
lust and fair Great Britain.
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