Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1916-07-15

Europe. The Germans, Austrians and
turks have been removed or informed.
But the natives are hardly affected at
all. They rae not asked to serve
the merest handful OF Egyptian re-
servists have been called up to serve
as camel drivers. They have no in
terests in the casualty lists. All that
the war means for them is higher pric-
es for their produce and their labor,
and a much larger amount of money
in circulation among the poorer class
es than was ever the case before In
these times of short tonnage and high
prices everywhere it is naturally the
policy Of the army authorities IN
Egypt to utilize, as far as possible,
the produce of the country an dto i'm
port only what Egypt does not supply
or can only supply at excessive rates.
There IS military Local Resources
Board at Cairo, which, with the aid
Of civilian advisers familiar with the
country, Systematically collects, trans
ports and utilizes all Egyptian produce
wherever obtainalble, that can serve
the turn of the army Naturally,
fcodstuffs and especially grain are in
the first need. All the wheat, maize
and barley required Is bough inc
and barley required is bought in
Egypt and at urices which invariably
show substantial increase on the
pre-war prices. Purchases are made
in a wholesale fashion. The army for
tIloleiILCSy lOOh II1S WuOl0 Ol I1l0 ldSI
maize crop at an abnormal price, and
has seen to it that this year there is
a larger acreage under cereals than
eI er before.
"Egyut does not supply the troops
with meat-it cannot rival the frozen
meat from Australia and New Zea-
| land but all the fresh vegetables for
| the army are bought in Egypt and en-
Ormcus quantities of fruit are bought
| by the soldiers on their own account.
o.
| large producer fetched unprecedented
| prices last season. The cultivator is
not slow to observe these things and
is growing much more garden stuff
| thaI ever before. In particular, the
| very high price of potatoes last win
| ter has encouraged him to devote more
| land to growing this indispensable
vegetable. There is, in fact, nothing
! thai he can grow that does not pay
! him better than in ordinary times. The
army is g mighty purchaser Of camels
and needs vast quantities of fodder,
| farmer. The army has resuscitated
| tho moribund salt idustry at Dami-
cite. 1t has created a timber indus
| try which never existed before Egypt.
| The country is not rich in timber, but
| large quantities are needed, and the
army buyers have looked around till
the yfound supplies in various parts
| of the country.
The army is also a. large employer
OF labor. It is calculated that the
military authorities have some $4,000
native Iaborers on their payroll, and
these men besides being fed, lodged
ana clothed, earn higher wages than
they did in pe2ce time when they had
to live out of their wages. 1t should
be noted too, that although last
years cotton crop was small it was
sold at a good price and this year
there is more land under cotton thar
| ever before. Egypt this year will be
| a bigger producer in all ways than she
has ever been.
The Egyptian peasant, therefore
| has done wen these last eighteen
months. He buys little and is saw
ing money. The high prices for i'm
ported goods affect him far less thar
the Europeans in the country. The
dearness of coal has been difficulty
but it has not offset the high prices OF
all the country's products.
In one respect Egypt has been 9
loser. There is now no winter tourist
! traffic. The tourists come no more
But their place is taken by the large
number of officers who spend theil
leave in Cairo or Alexandria, and the
vendors of costly curios find them
fairly good customers. the men spenc
a great deal of money with the small
4 shopkeepers, and the Australians arc
customers worth having, even if they
have no more than an Australian pri-
Yates pay to spend. Also the new
military season lasts all the veal
round, while the tourist season at bes
was a matter of two or three months
Hotels in Cairo which formerly veg
etated in summer now do a thriving
business right through the hot season
Several of the great hotels have beer
| taken over by the army as hospital!
or for other military purposes ant
those that remain have as much bus
mess as they can cope with.