Evening star., 1924-06-15
EGYPTIANS DIVIDED
ON RULE OF NATION
Young Men Cry for More Liberty
Property Holders Favor
British Control.
NATIVES NEGLECT EDUCATION
Fail to Learn Military Science or
Government.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.
correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Daily News)
CAIRO, Egypt, May 15-"Chauvin-
istic nationalism is intoxicating the
new Egyptian generations. They be-
ileVe that the only duty of a good
CITIZEN is active politics and infiam-
matory speeches. They overlook the
fact that in order to gain and enjoy
real independence the country must
have honest administrators and edu-
Gators"
That statement was made to me by
one of the leaders of the Egyptian
moderate party who, although desir-
Gus of seeing his country entirely
free, fears that his fellow country
men are not yet prepared to be left
entirely alone.
Parliamentary institutions" he
continued, ARE still unintelligible to
the majority of the Egyptian nation,
which counts some 81 per cent illit-
crates. The crowds in the streets of
Cairo who shout for liberty want in
reality only license. Their stomachs
determine their political attitude"
NationnIism in Full Swing.
Staying ten days in Egypt listening
to local and foreign business men and
diplomats is sufficient for any one to
realize how much truth there is in
that statement Crowds of youths
under seventeen years parade the
streets, carrying green banners and
shouting Egypt for the Egyptians"
They are received by the prime min
lister and other high officials who are
always ready to discuss Egypt's fu-
be in school.
Nationalism is at it's height in
Egypt. Fortunately for the Egyp-
tians, Zaghoul Pasha, the present
and can keep it so. provided he plays
up to the sentiment of the students
and other minor but powerful ele-
ments in the towns. Nobody bothers
about the great mass of the popula-
ton. kept by the British or the
Egyptians as ignorant as they were
thousands of years ago under the
pharaoahS.
Egypt's independence is still un
doubtedly a farce. 1t is true that
most Britons who have held the most
important civil Offices are leaving the
country and that the civil admins
tration IS almost entirely in the
hands of Egyptians. But the country
still is occupied by British military
force, and whatever may be the re-
il will take some time for the British
to evacuate Cairo and Alexandria,
where there are 10000 British troops.
DO Not Teach Warfare.
Egyptian officials are doing their
best, but the native population, in
cluding the rich landowners, already
are complaining that the depart
Dents of irrigation, justice and police
are slower than when under British
control, and that since the departure
of the British, Egyptian officials re-
quire heavier bribes. When desper-
ate landowners complain to a British
official, who may still be in charge,
he smiles and says:
You wanted 100 per cent Egyp-
tian administration. You have it,"
The British seem quite willing to
give Egypt as much administrative
| independence as it likes They seem
to think that on the day Zaghoul
| Pasha-who is seventy-four years of
age and is suffering from diabetes-dis-
appears, there will be a scramble for
power among the potential leaders
and that Great Britain will be re-
quested to intervene in order to pro-
tect the foreign commercial inter-
ests in the country.
The British have really tried to
teach the Egyptian officials how hon
estly to administer the country, but
Egyptians military science. The
present Egyptian army. commanded
by a British colonel with a British
staff, wearing Egyptian uniforms
which are pleasant to look at, is well
groomed and smartly dressed. but l
am assured by people conversant
with the situation that all the Brit