Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-08-06
PEACE OYER EGYPT
Roar Of Cannon Has Not Yet
Resounded Over This
Land.
COUNTRY is PROSPEROUS
Correspondence of The Associated Press)

| lsoiluoIl, july ia NCulCl 1OI
spondent with the Egyptian expcdi-
tionary force writes Certain it is
that this country remains marvel
ously untroubled in the midst of the
universal uproar, though its peace is
constantly threatened, for there can
be no doubt that it was long ago
marked down by our enemies as one
OF the prizes of successful war. But
the British line in the desert keeps
the active and watchful enemy on our
eastern frontier in check. The fanat-
ical hordes OF the western desert and
Darfour have received a lesson which
will probably last them at least until
the end Of the war. and in the interim
the real Egypt, the green strip of the
Nile valley and the Delta, the Egypt
of the peasant oultivator, of the tenn
ing green fields and the mud-bui!t
villages, have not been touched by
war. 1t has not heard a shot fired or
paid penny OF extra taxation.
The European element i'll the
country has felt the near neighbour
hood of war. The shortage OF ton
mage has affected business in many
cases, although in others business
men in spite of high frcights and
high prices, are doing better than they
ever did before Many Frcnchmen and
Italians have been called to the colors
in Europe. The Germans, Austrians
and Turks have been removed or i'll
termed. But the natives are hardly at
fected at all. They are not asked to
scrve-the merest handful of Egvp-
tan reservists have been called up to
serve as camel drivers They have no
interests in the casualty lists All that
the war means for them is higher
prices for their produce and their
labor, and a much larger amount of
money in circulation among the poor
er classes than was ever the case be-
fore. In these times OF short ton
mage and high prices everywhere, it
is naturally the policy OF the army au-
thorlties in Egypt to utilize as far as
possible the produce OF the country
and to import only what Egypt does
not supply or can only supply at ex-
cesSlve prices.
Utilize the Products.
There is military local resources
board at Cairo, which, with the aid
of civilian advisers familier with the
country. Systematically collects, trans
ports and utilizes all Egyptian prod
uce, wherever obtainable, that can
serve the turn of the army. Naturally,
foodstuffs and especially grain are the
first need. All the wheat, maize and |
barley required is bought in Egypt
and at prices which invariably show
a substantial increase on the pre-war
prices. Purchases are made i'll a
wholesale fashion. The army, for in
stance, took the whole of the last
maize crop at an abnormal price, and
has seen to it that this year there is |
larger acreage under cereals. than
ever before.
Egypt 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
enormous quantities of fruit are
bought by the soldiers on their own
account. Oranges. of which this coun-
try is large producer brought un-
precedented prices last season. The |
cultivator is not slow to observe these
things and is growing much more
garden stuff than ever before. In par
ticular, the very high prices of pota-
toes last winter has encouraged him
to devote more land to growing this
indispensable vegetable. There is, in
fact, nothing that he can grow that
does not pay him better than in ordi-
nary times. The army is a mighty
purchaser Of camels and needs vast
quantities of fodder, which it buys
from the Egyptian farmer. The army
has resuscitated the moribund salt in
dustry at Damiett 1t has created
timber industry which never existed
before in Egypt The country is not
rich i'll timber, hut large quantities are
needed, and the army buyers have
looked around till they found supplies
in various parts of the country. The
army is also a large employer of
labor. 1t is calculated that the military
authorities have some $4,000 native
laborers on their payroll, and these
men, besides being fed, lodged and
clothed, earn higher wages than they
did IN peace time, when they had to
live on 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 than ever before.
Egypt this year will be bigger pro-
Queer in all ways than it has ever
been.
The Egyptian peasant, therefore,
has done we'll these last eighteen
months. He buys little and is saving
money. The high prices for imported
goods affects him far less than the
European in the country The dear
ness of coal has been a difficulty. but
it has not Offset the high prices of all
the country's products.
In one respect Egypt has been a
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 their
leave in Cairo, or Alexandria, and the
vendors of costly curios find them
fairly good customers. The men spend
great deal of money with the small
shopkeepers, and the Australians are
customers worth having, even if they
have no more than an Australian pri-
Yates pay to spend. Also the new mil
itary season lasts all the year round,
while the tourist season at best was
a matter of two or three months.
Hotels in Cairo which formerly vege-
tated in summer now do a thriving
business right through the hot season.