Evening star., 1922-03-10
"Out Of the Land of Egypt"

Egypt, that cradle of all civiliza-
tion, plaything of a myriad con-
querors," is invited to come into it's
own" the ST. Louis Globe-Democrat
thinks. by the proclamation ending
the British protectorate and granting
the Egyptian people the right to their
own government and institutions.
But whether that action is triumph
of British liberalism" as the New
ark News. for instance, finds it, or
merely getting rid of a hot potato, is
matter of some disagreement in Amer
lean papers, as is also the extent to
which Egypt becomes really free"
under it's new status.
Certainly the adoption Of such a
radical policy on the part of Great
Britain, following SO closely upon Its
refutations of the notion that no
changes have been effected in the
realm of international dealings by
the upheavals of the war" says the
Manchester IN. H.) Union, and,
moreover. the Youngstown Vindicator
declares that 1T sets at naught the
charges of those who declared that
in seizing Egypt Great Britain got
more out of the war than any other
country"
However it is pointed out that Eng
land controlled Egypt for many years
before she established the actual pro-
tectorate. at the outbreak of the war,
and the Cleveland Plain Dealer inter-
prets this step toward withdrawal
merely as Official recognition of the
failure" of England's "imperialistic
aims in that direction" which tor
forty years have brought nothing
but increased evidences of hatred and
unWillingness to accept the English
protectorate as permanent arrange
ment." The Florida Metropolis 7Jack-
sonville) also sees an admission OF
"the crowns inability to smother
fires, or insurrection in far-removed
Provinces in the ashes of which ri.
e. Wells prediction that the end o..
this century may find the British en-
pire a thing of the past can
not be dismissed as inconsequential.
1t is not Britain's inability to retain
control of Egypt that has dictated her
course. other writer's think, SO much
as 1t is the inadvisability of holding
on. She could unquestionably crush
revolt" the Norfolk VirginianPilot is
confident. but ito have done SO would
have been to store up big trouble In
the future" The Asheville Times also
asserts that "it would be foolish to
portray Great Britain as panic-strick-
en- and helpless before restless and
turbulent Egypt" for the Lloyd
stamp out revolt and to bend Egypt
TO its imperial purposes if it had so
elected" But, as the Virginian-Pil
noted further. that would of necessity
involve "the maintenance of large
garrisons at heavy COST and the Brit
ish government by thus casting 1t
rNF n
always be subject to attack" Con-
tinuins the protectorate meant fur
ther fighting, the Portland (Me.) Ex-
press and Advertiser observes, and
since there is mo evidence. past or
present. that the country could ever
be pacified or become reconciled to
foreign control, Britain has appar-
emily concluded that Egypt is not
worth the price" So primarily. for
its own peace and convenience" as
the New York World puts 1t. Britain
is writing "a new Book of EXODUS.
and Lloyd George. the British Moses,
has announced that he will lead his
fellow countrymen out Of bondage,
but, the Chicago Post adds, he has
conditioned it upon his ability to take
the Red sea and some of the Egyp-
tians' treasures with him."
The conditions imposed upon Egypt,
as the Richmond Times-Dispatch re-
ports them, are "a provisional status
quo for the defense of the country,
the security of the empires communi-
cations. and the protection of foreign
ers and of the Sudan" Thus is Free
dom with an it," the Mobile Register
remarks, or. as the Boston Transcript
puts it, Independence within the firm
walls of the British empire" for while
the !, proclamation terminates the
British protectorate over Egypt in
one breath 1t ''reasserts it very
positively with the next" ana Great