Evening star., 1914-08-23

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mer as the English pro-consul in Egypt.
1t was during his administration that
much of the discomfort came TO a head.
His midness and his concliatory policy
We're held responsible for occurrences
which had been gathering headway under
the administration OF Lord Cromer
Earl Kitchener, the conqueror of Sudan.
was thought by many to be the real man
for Egypt. Whether that is can
hardly he judged in the present day. 1t
may he noted. however. that Col Roose-
Welt, when he came back from his Atri-
can hunting trip, after a brief period in
Egypt gave the world the benefit or
his frank views on British rule. They
were to the effect that it was too mild.
The colonel leaned very strongly 10 men
OF the type of Cromer and Kitchener a.
the rulers of Egypt. He did not, how
ever. take into account the difficulties OF
British home government which has TO
consider British public sentiment.
1t seemed To me. when In Egypt. that
both the British officials and the educated
British rule. although holding position
under ibid not fully realize the
change that was going on around them.
Ancient Egypt actually was becoming
modernized, and in the metamorphosis
every one was confused. Yet, old Gus
toms were changing.
There Was for example. the festival OF
the Khalig. This was known as the
cutting of the dam" The festival is .
very old one and marks the day when
the Nile has reached such a height that
the water can be let into the various ir-
rIgation canals. The Khalg is the canal
which once brought the water to the
heart of Cairo.
In legendary DAYS it was said that the
Nile would not rise sufficiently unless a
young virgin We're sacrtfced to 1t. Ac-
cordngly, one was selected. and at the
ceremony of the cutting Of the dam was
thrown into the water and allowed to
drown. The Khalig is now filed in. but
a mound is set up and cut away with
ceremony. and life size doll is cast into
the river. carrying out symbolically the
ancient idea.
On this occasion the ceremony had n
good deal of official formality All the
native life of Egypt was there. but an old
English resident told that the festi-
val lacked much of the spirit which OBJ
tained only a few years ago. European
ideas and European contact, he said,
We're destroying many of the old Gus
toms and he looked forward to the time
when the Egyptians would cease to take
the cutting Of the Khalig as serious
observance with a symbolical meaning.
The progress Of the woman movement
in Egypt would offer another and a more
astonishing example of the change that
is gong on, but tnat tne topic Wpulu re-
quire a whole chapter. which cannot now
be written.
The ceremony OF dispatching the sacred
carpet to Mecca, in which the khedive
takes part, is also said to be losing some
of its solemnity. Caution. however. should
be followed by non Moslems in their judS-
lnent on this as in other matters relat-
ing to Mohammedansm. An outsider is
not competent to speak of Islam and OF
what is going on in Islam.
The change in customs, however. out
side OF religious aspects of Moham-
mechanism. are undoubted evidences of
the new Egypt. The mistake of the
British rulers and of many Americans.
is in giving too much Importance to
material sides of the question and in
ignoring sentiment The sentiment
of Egyptian nationality cannot be
ignored, although advantage may be
taken of il for selfish purposes by
Egyptian politicians and BY members
of the old Turkish regime who prefer
chaos and anarchy to British rule, be-
to regain the privileges of depressing
the fellaheen, of which British author
itN has stripped them.
Nothing on the surface so far in
dicates that there Will be a revival of
the natioualistic movement under
cover of the war as means of en-
barrassing the British government. Yet
Germany, from the international point
~ view, engaged in desperate war
with England. would not be open to
criticism If she exerted herself to en-
courage the discomfort and to equip
the Egyptians against the British gar
rison.
Should Turkey. under German in
nuence, ultimately be drawn into the
war as an ally Of Germany, there
would be a further queer turn to af-
fairs, for England, internationally
speaking, still continues to recognize
Turkey as the suzerain of Egypt. But
f Turkey once goes to war against
England one outcome is certain-the
nominal suzerainty of Turkey over
Egypt will cease to be recognized even
as a phantom sovereignty by England
and her allies.
CHARLES II. PEPPER