Evening star., 1924-12-06

One OF the puzzlins questions In the
philosophy OF final causes and effects
is that OF the interaction between
personalities and great issues. In
their own interpreters. or are the is
sues themselves the product OF the
men who have put the stamp OF their
own personality on them?
Did bolshevism, for instance. find
It's expression in Nicolai Lenin, or
was the Soviet leader a mere passing
Incident In the unfolding of bolshevist
doctrines? And again, did Mussolini
bring facism into being, or did facism
simply enroll his services?
Conversely, would those doctrines
have died out or taken an entirely
different course but for the interpo-
sition OF their expounders?
That the doctrines may have been
in existence before they had found
a competent expounder. or that the
expounder may have given only the
first great impetus to their propaga-
tion, are but commonplace phe-
nomena. The real question Is what
would have been the course, II any,
of those doctrines themselves minus
the impetus.
x = y
whatever the answer to the Ques-
tion may be, the role played by
Zaghlul Pash2 in Egyptian politics.
and more especially in the conflict
that eliminated in the present crisis.
is another instance OF the philosophi-
cal enigma For good or evil Zaghlufs
personality has dominated the poll
tics of his country during the last
decade. Among his people he Is
known as "2aghlul the beloved,
foTh ne
Consider a little more closely the
case OF this remarkable man, whose
boidness taxed to capacity the re-
sourcefulness OF the British authort-
ties, even when he was being kept as
prisoner in Ceylon, Malta, Seychelles
and Gibraltar; whose untirinG efforts
succeeded in substituting native In
the place Of foreign rule in the land
OF the Pharaohs for the first time
since 500 B. c.; whom the clamor OF
his countrymen called to the premier
ship from his prison house In Gi-
braitar, where the politicians OF the
Lloyd George regime we're OBTAINING
him months after Great Britain had
proclaimed Egypt an independent and
sovereign state; lastly, whose defiant
attitude in the question of the Sudan
flung he gauntlet OF challenge at the
British Empire.
X X y y
With the assassination OF the sir
dar, Mai. Gen. Sir Lee Stack, the Brit
ish government accused Zaghlui open
ly OF having instigated, indirectly at
least. the murderous deed by his ut
terances regarding Egyptian rights In
the Sudan Of which the murdered Of
foial was the governor general. Nay
the British have been emphatic on the
Txrhn nnnff6f
cipitated BY Zaghlul Pashas antag-
onism to British imperial interest In
Egypt. by his desire TO eliminate Brit
ish interference in Egyptian affairs,
by his determination to secure COM
plete instead Of partial independenee
for his country.
It was natural, therefore, that the
British should heave sigh or RELIEF
when Lord Alienby's ultimatum or
| November % forced Zaghlul Pasha to
relinquish the premiership and make
place for the moderate" Ziwar Pasha.
""The tension has been eased by Zagh-
luis retirement" II was said in Lon
don.
And then a strange thing happened.
The British military authorities pro-
ceeded to arrest Zaghlufs colleagues
in the cabinet and adherents in the
Chamber Of Deputies. They had been
plotting against Great Britain was
the reason given for the arrest OF
| some Of the highest officials OF the
! Independent and Sovereign State" OF
Egypt, as proclaimed by the govern
| ment Of Lloyd George on March .16'
1892.
But why. was not zaghlul, the rec
| ognized leader and inspirer OF the ar
| rested men, taken into custody In his
turn? Needless TO say that the Brit
isi are Recognising the fact that the
former, premiers arrest would have
aroused the whole Egyptian people.
And while zaghlul's friends are under
guard in the British military bar
racks, the pasha himself Is on his way
to Europe, having left his country
of his own free will; mayhap, to ease
| the tense situation again.
| X X u 4
And what is to become, after his
departure, Of the great issues he
raised during his tenure of actual
| leadership? what of the question of
| the Sudan which he held before the
eyes of the Egyptian people as one
that. affects the life orsdeath Of Egypt
hsrse1f7
The fact 10 that all the ranking
1 bitterness, growing out OF the pecu-
] iiar independent status conferred by