The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-02-02

street cleaning, and the whole man.
aged with British thoroughness and
precision.
The order of London is here. but
none Of London's somberness. The
sidewalk cafes seem more numerous
than in Paris. and the streets are full
of all manner .of costumes, from the
yelled women of Cairo to the swagger-
Ing Macedonian, with his huge sash
and pistol, or the white robed Moor
or the globe-trotter in helmet or Tyro-
lese hat A veritable panorama of
the nations passes daily in front of
the big hotels. Small wonder that
the tourist. fascinated by the strange
ness and colorfulness of 1t all, thinks
himself in the veritable east.
The barbarism which underlies NOR
ernized Cairo creeps out after night
fall. and one who strolls up the side
streets and alleys may see the dignt-
fed young Egyptian put aside his COL
lege education. and forget his Paris
Ian clothes, and do the sinuous Orr.
entail dances. common to all barbaric
people, to the accompaniment Of a
tom-tom and other primitive musical
instruments. Painted hours ait at
doorways and windows, but there is
less open vice on the streets of Cairo
than on the streets Of New York.
That some Of the worst phases Of the
life Of old Cairo persists under the
surface is party due to the patronage
Of the tourists.
At the CROSSROADS Of the World.
The meeting and mingling of Inc
east and the west at Cairo, which
even the most casual tourist observes,
is but typical OF the political cordi.
tons which obtain here. Egypt is the
meeting place of Africa and Asia, and
within a few hours sail OF Europe. It
was in the battle ground OF all the
world conquerors in the pre-Christian
centuries. Egypt itself was once the
most powerful, as well as the Eost
highly civilized nation on earth. Its
dominion extended clear to the Tfgris
river. and the Hebrews were not the
only people who felt its oppressive
power.
Today the greatest waterway that
the hand of man has fashioned or
controlled runs through Egypt, the
Suez canal So crowded is It with
profitable tonnage that the British are
seriously considering the creation OF
new and exclusively British canal
~ n<@ vr,3A ~
ever remembered, is the one best
route to India, which is the most pre-.
ctous and jealousy guarded jewel ir
the crown of British empire.
Although touched in every way b.,
the influences OF new life-railwayA
steamships. literature, newspapers
schools. travel and free speech, Egypt
remains in some respects the most
! reactionary country on the globe I,
Is intensely Moslem, and it witnesses
outbreaks of fanaticism which show
that almost anything is possible a
any moment in Egypt When the
sacred carpet for Mecca left Alexan
dria last year there was an unprS
voked and unexpected attack upon L.
offensive Europeans. merely becazs<
they were Christians Il Is know.
that the Sennoussi movement, which
has Its headquarters and stores al
arms at Jerabnb. an oasis In the des
ert. Is powerfully represented IL
Cairo. and has it's teachers in e
Azhar. to inflame the fanaticism Of thu
students against the Christians. Fol
the old. old Moslem dream Of world
conquest has never been given up, and
the signs are that its point Of out
break Will be this same newpld cit,
of Cairo. - >es 4.
tcoDyrtsht 1911. by joseph B. Dowlans