The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-06-10

ARE INTERESTED
Trouble Over Eneiand's Protectorate
is Serious and Wilson's Four
teen Points are
Pleaded.
.TBy Lowell Mellett, United Press
Staff Correspond entl

1IBy Lowell Mellett, United Press
staff Correspondent
PARIS tBy mail How serious
Iy Egyptians are protesting British
rule and come Of the reasons there
for are revealed in letter received
today from a British soldier station
ed in Egypt Inasmuch as the
Egyptians are urging Wilson's decla-
rations in behalf of the rights of
small nations in support of their
contention that the British protec-
itorate assumed in December. 1914,
should cease now that hostilities
] have ended, Americans may find the
situation interesting.
The causes of the present open
defiance of the British" the soldier
writes, "are many and varied, and on
/ the whole do not reflect any great
credit on the present admins ration
of the country by the English When
England first entered the country,
some thirty-seyen years ago. as the
result of a decision By the great
powers. Egypt was on the verge Of
bankruptcy as the result of extraya-
gance and misrule By Turkey.
"One of the greatest causes OF dis
satisfaction in Egypt is the system
of 'capitulations.' These are laws by
which the subjects of European
powers are not subject 10 the ordi-
nary laws of Egypt When foreigner
commits crime he can only be
tried with the sanction of mis- own
government and only before mixed
tribunal composed mostly Of his own
nationals. England has promised
they shall cease during the present
year.
When England entered Egypt 1t
was with three announced objects
First, TO restore the financial status
Of the country; second, to abolish
capitulations. and, third, to educate
the Egyptians TO point where they
could govern themselves. In the first
two they have succeeded. Egypt is
in good financial condition and II is
promised eapitulations shall end
soon. But in the third object, failure
has been the result
England introduced a system of
secondary education OF secular
character on western lines, without
considering the Egyptians are an
Oriental people. A system Of edu-
cation totally separated from the
| Mohammedan faith brought about a
state OF resentment.
Then a lot OF Englishmen were
/ imported to take fat government
jobs, regardless Of their fitness, leay-
ing only minor jobs to the Egyptians.
The Egyptians are divided into two
classes: the EfYendi, or educated
class, and the Fellaheen, or peasants.
The greatest ambition OF the Erendi
| is to obtain job in the civil service
or become a lawyer. Young Egyptians
/ focked to the schools and equip
themselves for handling the greater
part OF the government work How
I reserved for Englishmen, often no
more capable than themselves
Consequently there is large
class of educated unemployed. Out
| OF this class was born the nationalist
were gained through the natural OBJ
lection of Mohammedan to being
ruled by christian.
another eause for trouble is the
close alliance Of many families with
Turkish families. They view the
breaking up OF Turkey with disnay
as lne breaking up VI LneIr rsHsioH.
$50 much for the Weather class.
4 The Fellaheen, wholly uneducated
and living on little bits Of land. have
for the most part obtained real bene-
fits form British rule; irrigation. abo-
Hilton Of forced labor. Limitation Of
transcription, protection from Bedouin
marauders, etc. They have been ap-
lparently grateful and contented.
Hence II IS difficult to account for
their attitude.
Their greatest complaint seems to
be due 10 army requisitions. The
complaint Is general that stock and
crops have been taken and not paid
for. The method generally followed
was for the British TO demand from
1.-THE headman Of the village certain