Evening star., 1923-02-09
BY ARTHUR wEIGALL.
By Cable to The Star.

BY Cable to The Star.
LUXOR. Egypt. February Sit is
idle to attempt further to hide the
fact that all is not well at the tomb
of Pharaoh Tutankhamen, for there
have been references in the press to
trouble. and people are beginning to
guess, if only by the delay. that some
thing has gone wrong.
Let me hasten to say that there Is
nothing wrong with the tomb itself,
and in a few days the inner chamber
will be opened and the thrill of dis
covery will make us forget our anN-
ietieS. but for the moment people
nerves are decidedly on edge. and one
might imagine that that malevolence
which is sometimes supposed to lin
ger around the bones of the ancient
dead had been at work.
Clash Over Authority.
The fact is that something ike
direct issue has arisen between Lord
Carparvon, who, with Howard Car
ter, discovered the tomb. and the
Egyptian government department or
ANTIQUITIES The latter assumes the
right to inspect the tomb and nave
Information regarding the progress
Of the work. and the former Suggest
that the intrusion is resented.
1t began with the government SEND
ing visitors to the tomb. with autnor-
ization to enter 1t. and carter rel US
ing to admit them, saying that II
would interrupt the work. But thlngs
came to a head when British journal
lists and Egvptologists also were re-
fused access to the tomb by Lord
CarnarVon. and thereupon these Jour
nalists were invited TO inspect II, over
Lord Carnarvon's head. by the gov
ernment Now the fight mas deSeI-
oped into a battle between the eNca-
vators, who wish to open the inner
chamber, where the body OF the
Pharaoh is believed to be, when and
how they like-secretly. some say
and the antiquities department.
Opinion Backs Government.
The latter is backed up by public
opinion. which has deplored the eN-
ploitation of Egypts royal dean as
CARDS the discovery as far too nm
portant for any individual hanlty -panky
As late servant OF the Egyptian
government | find my sNmpathies nat
ura!ly OH the side of the author!ties
who obviously are trying to keep arch-
aeoIocy distinct from commerce. and l
am glad TO See that Capt Engelpach
the British scholar. who is the preseHt
inspector general of antiquities. Is 80
faithfully maintaining the dignity Oh
his department and OF Egyptology IN
general, against the rather perVeise at
titude OF the excavating party. Ihe an
tiuuities department and the govern
ment are looking broadly at the queS-
ton as one of principle and are mucfi
exercised in case any unchecked en-
pIo,tation Of this great discovery should
create a precedent and loose into Egyp'
a horde of loot hunters, native and Tor
eign. all clamoring for the puDncltE
which seems to bring such wealth. III
its train. ON the other hand. Lord
Carnarvon honestly does not see the
damage he is doing TO the ethics OF
archaeology and goes his way with a
curious admiXture of inconsequence ana
business acuteness. confident, ! kno"
not with how much reason, OF the sup
port of the British residency.
All sorts of Rights Claimed.
The talk is all Of news rights, filnI
rights. photo rights. book rights and
how TO keep them profitably exclusive
until the serious archaeologist. look
ing with anxiety into the future. Is
nauseated and his principles OF SCI
entific work outraged.
! only trust change Will come over
the situation before the present atti-
tude forces the resignation of NJ
Iacau, the French director of antiqui-
ties. or Of Englebach, whose high
minded devotion to science is now
passing through its bitter trial. Let
il be understood that Lord Carnar-
von's work, on the technical side, is
above criticism-thanks particularly
to the generous aid of the New York
Metropolitan Museum of Art. The
only danger is one to the future eN.
cavations in this country because Of
the unfortunate Introduction OF the
commercial element now manifestine
itself in a sort of plot to keep back
all news until profitable journalistic
coup. on the day of the opening OF
the inner chamber. has been secured
The only hope of combating these
private interests and preventing their
repetition is for instant representa-
tions TO be made to the Egyptian
government. on the ground of archae-
illogical principle. to assist the an
tiuuities department to enforce its
presence at the opening and TO ar
range for the Immediate announce
ment of news to all the worlds press
representatives now gathered in the
Valley Of the Kings. If this is not
done a commercial precedent will bt
established and all excavation il
Egypt will have to end.
downright 1923, by North American News
paper Alliance and London Daily Mail)