Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-28
Continued from First Page.)


maging among the heaps of ruins
Suddenly he came across slab OF
basalt which carried three inscrip-
tons One of them was in Greek, the
others in hieroglyphics. 1t was the
slab that became famous later as the
Rosetta stone Another Frenchman,
Champollion, spent 20 years in de-
ciphering the hieroglyphic inscription
by comparing 1t with the correspond
ing Greek inscription. The closed
book of the history of the Pharaohs
was laid open at last. The silent mon
uments of Egypt were endowed with
speech.
In the meanwhile, however, the Turk
ish forces arrived in Egypt to free it of
the invaders and reassert the rule of the
Sultan. British forces were landed, too,
to assist the Turks against the French.
At length the invaders were forced to
surrender.
And then it was that the triangular
contest-between the British, the troops
of the Sultan and the forces of Mehmed
Ali-for the mastery of Egypt began.
For as the war went on, the Lieut.
Mehmed Ali had succeeded in gathering
about him and under his command all
the Albanians who were in the service
of the Sultan. He now had a well or
ganized cavalry force of 1000 AL
banianS.
Mehmed Conquers Egypt.
He first allied himself with the Turks
and against the British. When the lat
ter were driven out of Egypt, Mehmed
Ali turned his arms against the forces
of the Sultan. In 1906 he was complete
master of the situation, and the Sultan
acknowledged him as the hereditary
pasha or governor of Egypt.
Theoretically he was under the SUI
zerainty of the Turkish Sultan. But
during his 20 years long rule over
Egypt Mehmed Ali was as Independent
and absolute ruler as the Sultan HIM
self When his suZerain seemed to be
oblivious of a promise he had given to
Mehmed Ali to give the latter's son,
Ibrahim, the hereditary governorship of
Syria, the Pasha of Egypt embarked in
1885 on a spectacular war against his
overload The Egyptian forces, COM
manded by his worthy son Ibrahim. car
ried the war to the gates of CONSTANT
nople, following the conquest of Asia
Minor. Even the capital of the Turkish
empire would have fallen in his hands
were it not for the fact that Russia,
England and France fastened, with
their fleets, to the defense Of CONSTANT
nople.
1t was thus that Mehmed Ali, this
rough man of genius as Lord Cromer
terms him. launched Egypt in the direc-
ton of Independent existence. His vigor-
our rule shook the Egyptians out OF
their somnolence, and his achievements
on behalf of their country created in
the rising generation of Egyptians a
sense of pride which became the germ
of Egyptian nationalism," Sir Valentine
Chirol says.
MoltExe Sees Service.
The success of his policy was assured
by his discriminating selection of men
to serve him. Europeans of all trades
and professions were invited and en-
ployed by him both in organizing the
administration and in developing the re-
sources Of the country. 1t is interesting
to know that the famous Moltke of the
Austro- Prussian War of 1866 and the
Franco Prussian War of 1870 was in
the service of Mehmed Ali Pasha as or
ganizer of the Egyptian military forces.
The paSha had also a great regard
for his own countrymen, whether
Christians or Moslems. Every Alba
nian was welcome within his domains.
1t is said, indeed, that, in an effort
to induce them to settle in Egypt,
Mehmed Ali had resort to a rather
unique scheme for endowing them
with lands. They were allowed to
occupy for themselves as much land
as they were able to cover by run
ming around it at full speed and with
out stopping for breath.
Lastly, one Of his most interest
ing achievements was the conquest
of Sudan, in 1922, the Anglo- Egyp-
tian Sudan of today, the disputed
possession of which precipitated the
present crisis.
After his death, his successors fol-
lowed his policy of Egyptian develop
ment, until the extravagant habits of
Tewfk Pasha gave England in 1882