The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-30
Misuse of Wilson'S
Self termina-
ton Doctrines vi
talize S German
Engineer Peril to
Which England
Has Awakened
BY F. cUNLIFFE.oWEN.

9hu hbtldlly llHdiNcu piOpoSohuo
against the Entente is responsible for
the extraordinary recrudescenco Of
nationalism in Egypt. According to
recent declaration in the House
of Commons by Winston Spen-
Ger Churchill, Secretary OF State
for War, the entire country is
In a virtual state Of instruction
and the situation SO dangerous that
the British troops slated for demobili-
nation and the trip home have been
asked to return to service in order to
save their comrades scheduled TO re-
main in Egypt from being overwhelmed
and massacred. The revival OF ma
tionalism in that ancient part Of tho
world Is all the more startling since
there was little IL any Of 1t apparent
there during the great war or until
last fall. when it began once more to
raise its head.
Having been present at the birth OF
Egyptian nationalisn just forty years
Z ago I have always followed its move
ments with a certain amount Of in
terest. It was first brought into ex-
istence by that wicked. extravagant.
but witty and altogether charming
Khedive Isnail. When in the face OF
the extraordinary revelations of the in
ternational commission OF inquiry into
the Augean stable Of Egyptian finance
he found that he no longer could pur-
sue his tavorite policy OF playing on
one foreign Power against another,
since they had been compelled by the
shocking disclosures to unite in SUBJ
jecting him to all sorts Of restrictive
measures. impairing his authority and
depriving him of his III gotten gains,
with characteristic effrontery he
donned the mantle Of that particular
brand Of patriotism which lis the last
refuge of a scoundrel." Nationalism
was something utterly unknown in
his domintons up to that time. He
called it into life through an appeal
to his people and to his army against
the oppression Of the infidel foreigners,
for whose sole benefit, he contended.
his subjects were so heavily burdened
with taxes
Omcers Go ON Rampage.
Hostile demonstrations against Eu-
fopeans became general In Cairo a
party of foreign officials, myself among
tho number, were seized in the streets
and roughly used by some 1000 mu-
tfnous officers Of the Egyptian army
who had been informed by Khedive
1smail that We and not he were re-
sponsfble for their being left so long
unpaid We were imprisoned as hos
tages for several hours in the Ministry
Of Finance until the Khedive himself
was brought to the scene by Lord
Vivian and arrangements were made
tor granting to our assallants a por-
zion at any rate Of their arrears. This
outbreak and the evidence that It had
been instigated by Isnail himself led
TO a determination on the part OF the
Powers to remove him from his throne,
and as he was an object Of particular
sxecration to his suzerain, Sultan Alb
dull Hamid, at Constantinople, 1t was
not very difficult to secure from the
Padishah a frman deposing him and
elevating his eldest son. Tewf1k, to the
Khedivialate in his stead.
Nationalism, thus called into life by
1su,ail, grew and developed under the
new reign, largely owing to the weak
ness and indecision Of Khedive Tewfik.
Its leaders were the mutinous officers
who had assaulted the Foreign Minis
tiers and officials in the streets Of Cairo
and who had by holding us as hos
tages succeeded in obtaining at least
q portion of their demands. They had
learned that they could indulge in vio-
hence against foreigners with impunity.
and that by agitating under the cloak
of Nationalism they could get their
way, owing to the reluctance of the
, great Powers, due to mutual jealousies,
to intervene in Egypt in a military
sense. Every day they became holder
and more insolent- Gladstone was
then in office in England and would
not hear OF any armed Intervention,
even going so far as indiscreetly to ex-
;" press indulgence for Egyptian Nation
alism. So strong did the Nationalist
party become encouraged. regret to
state. by certain wrong headed Eng
l.shmen, that even members of the
Khedivial family and high dignitaries
of the Khedivial Government accorded
TO 1t their sympathy.
Rebellion of 1882.
Finally in 1882 the Nationalist re-
bellion broke out, led by Arab Pasha,
one OF the mutinous officers who had
attacked us in the streets OF Cairo
three years previously. Il was d.
rected against all foreigners. 1t aimed
at the emancipation of the Egyptian
Government from all restraints i'm
posed upon the Khedivial Govern
ment for the benefit of the Egyptian
people, and. above all, the rising was
directed against the foreign holders OF
Egyptian bonds. for whose sake, &C
cording TO Arab Pasha, the Land OF
the Nile was 80 heavily burdened with
taxation. Arabi's Nationalist pro-
gramme provided for the reputation
of the national debt the bonds OF
which were held entirely in foreign
countries. the cancellation of all indi-
vidual obligations Of native Egyptians
to foreign creditors and the abolition
OF nine-tenths Of the taxation. It was
a tempting programme to the native
IL was accepted with enthusiasm, and
the Arab instruction of 1882 ensued
IT eliminated in the bombardment OF
Alexandria and in the military oc-
cupation OF Errpt nv G-ant britain
after Arab had been defeated nv