Evening star., 1924-01-14

Last week. the United States well
coined the first Egyptian minister to
this country. On Saturday, in the
land OF the Pharaohs. there was held
the first election Of a freel national
parliament, chosen "by the people.
OF the people and for the people"
OF Egypt, uncontrolled by any
suzerainty. Thus opened a new chap
ter in the story OF the most historic
country in the world.
The first dynasty of civilized Egypt
dates from 5000 B. c. Archaeology
tells Of evidences Of an inhabited
Egypt 5000 years prior to that first
dynasty. There are evidences OF man
In the valley Of the Nile more than
$4,000 years ago-how much longer
is shadowed In mystery.
Egypt's history is marked by the
slavery OF the descendants of Jacob
and their exodus from bondage un-
der the leadership OF Moses. Who has
not shuddered at the tale Of how the
Nile turned to blood, which was taken
rs warning to "let the people co.?
Does not the same Nile redden each
year. just before the annual flood ?
Who has not wondered at the story
or how the fleeing thousands in the
Sinaitic desert were. fed with mama.
In confirmation, there Is today a SINH
lar food-a dried sap Of Indigenous
trees--which is carried by the winds
OF the qesert and falls like snow
Mystic romance permeates the CEN
turies Of Old Egypt. The tomb of
nf-a h-A taIJ
wealth and splendor that were hers
ages before the glory which was
Rome"
She was conquered by Alexander,
but he built one Of her great cities,
and called 1t after his own name. She
was held as Roman province. when
Rome ruled the known world. but for
a period twice as great as the Chris
tan era she was the great power Of
the world.
X y X
From so B. c. to GIG A. .. Rome
bled Egypt with taxes and took her
corn to feed the Roman proletariat.
In the fourth century. under Constan-
tine. the christian emperor OF Rome,
Egypt was further impoverished by
the church. which compelled her la Dor
TO build churches and monasteries. The
poverty Of the country grew worse
and worse. until in SIS she turned to
Persia for help. Relief came in the
form or Persian governors. who ruled
her IN tyranny for nearly six CEN
turtles.
Then came the reign Of a Kurdistan
slave. Saladin. who ruled from the
mountains of Kurdistan to the desert
or Lydia and led the Mozlem opposi-
ton to the Crusader Richard the
Lionhearted. Conauerors from Per-
sia and Turkey held Egypt in bond
age for five or six centuries. and she
was still province Of Turkey when.
IN l1ss. Napoleon Bonaparte led his
valiant army under the shadows of
the pyramids and inspired the soldiery
with realization of the greatness of
their enterprise of conquest by ap-
pealing to the past, which, he repre-
sented. was looking down upon them.
Three years later the British and
Britain rewarded her ally by giving
Egypt back to her control.
Mehemit Ali, the Turkish governor
uso5-1s4s). added to Egyptian ter
ritory by conquest of Nubia and part
.of the Sudan. His grandson and sue
.cessor, Mehemit Said. gave to Ferdi-
nand de Lesseps a concession and
some help to build the Suez canal
completed in 1869.
The reign OF Ismael, successor
GS63) to Khedive Said, was extraya-
CANT and greatly increased the pub
lie debt: England coveted the con-
troll Of the canal highway to her Eas.
Indies. and in 1875 bought from Is
fnael nearly half of the stock OF the
Suez canal for $40 900. .000-now worth
ten times the purchase price. That