The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-01-05
C1eAAkING
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NAITONS
The Lid Down Tight on Young Egypt
Great Britain, Following Roose-
Velt's Advice, Pursues sterner Meas
ures With Egyptian NatlonaIIsts.
BY WILLIAM r. ELLIS,

Cairo, Egypt.-Thanks to Theodore
roosevelt the attention of the whole
world, even of the man Of the street.
has been directed to the interesting
tact that the somnolence of centuries
In the land of the Pharaohs has been
broken, and that unrest, self-conscious
and actively directed, is the present
outstanding characteristic of the polit-
ical life Of this Oldest of living ma.
lions. Rather strangely, this very in
terest on the part Of a visiting Ameri-
can did more to quell the unrest than
any other factor, for Mr.. Roosevelt's
famous advice to the British to deal
more vigorously with the agitators
was straightway followed by a policy
Oh sternness that has not since been
relaxed.
The result is that all the British
land especially those who hold Egyp.
tan shares) are enthusiastically
grateful to Mr.. Roosevelt, while the
Egyptian nationalists hate him with.
an Oriental intensity such as none of
his political enemies at home are ca
pable of feeling. Meanwhile the stu
alton continues we'll in hand. Sir Ed
win Gorst announced, shortly after
the distinguished American visitor
had gone, that his former policy of
leniency had been a mistake, and that
henceforth severer measures would
be the rule. Now the lid is down
tight. The nationalists can no longer
write and speak as they please. Meet
ings are held only under restrictions
and surveillance. Some of the leaders
have been sent to Jail for their sedi-
tious utterances. Demonstrations can
no longer be held at the pleasure of
the agitators. Complaints are very
bitter that the latter cannot get their
grievances before the public.
British Rule Threatened.
interested observers - statesmen,
stock brokers, missionaries - de-
clare that prior to the stiffening
up OF the governments backbone by
MT Roosevelt the rule of Great Brit
ain was really in peril. Assassinations
and riots were both growing alarm
ingly frequent. More than once the
army OF occupation had to be paraded
in order to overawe the turbulent pop
ulace. Residents felt apprehensive of
a fanatical outburst of the VIGOROUSLY
fnfiammable Cairo mobs, who cared
less for nationalist principles than for
disorder and loot. These fears were
in large measure removed by Sir Ed
win Gorst's surrender of his policy
of tolerance and Cancellation, and by
his frmer measures.
Theoretically the Egyptian national
lists have the best of cases. Their plea
is the old American one for the right
OF self-government. They want relief
from a government which they say,
truly, is only a usurper Great Brit
tins control is only by right of might
and possession. The country is nomi-
nally under the suzerainty of Turkey.
The British occupation is, by Brit
ish aVowal, only temporary. But it
will be many long day before Great
Britain moves out. When she and
France stormed Alexandria, and it
became necessary for some strong
power to remedy the prevailing condi-
lions of anarchy, the task devolved
upon Great Britain, acting in behalf
of the cause of international order.
Her answer to the other nations, and
to the Young Egypt party, is that the
country is not yet ready to resume
the task of governing itself. Now the
government frankly is assuming an
enlarged degree of authority and re-
sponsibility and diminishing the pow
er in the hands of natives. This, of |
course, Is in the face of sedition In |
Egypt proper and in view of rather |
alarming rumors Of sedition among
the native troops in the Sudan. When |
Lord Kitchener recently visited Egypt |
and the Sudan, ostensibly for sport, |
it is known that he called together |
all the resident officers who had ever |
served under him and went over the |
situation in the Sudan with them.
Some British BIunders.
In all the accusations that were
made against the British by the ma
tionalist leaders whom interviewed l
detected note of personal resent
ment, of offended sensibilities. Appar-
emily the most fundamental of the
British mistakes-and count it really
serious-is that the dominant power
has not been considerable of the feel
ings of the natives of the land. With
British tactlessness, the
have sought to help the
people, without at all trying to please
them. When a measure was deemed
for the nations welfare, it was adopt
ed, often in a way that ran roughshod
over the peoples sensibilities. In
word, the British have very often dis
played bad manners in dealing with
the Egyptians. AS one adviser, or
assistant to a minister, put it to me,
my minister upstairs is quite a de-
cent fellow"-no attempt being made
to conceal the fact that the Britisher
was the real power behind the throne,
and that his superior officer was only
my minister"
There is great deal of ''the public
be damned" attitude about the British
official in colonial service, and small
attention is paid to explaining a
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