Evening star., 1925-03-28
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

The Egyptian Parliament, elected
after a. bitter campaign, was dissolved
last week at the end of its first day
A session of violent partisan de-
bate. with the election, as president
of the chamber. of that great progress
sive leader, Zaghlul Pasha of the
Nationalist party, or Young Egypt.
A new election is to be held May 20.
The issues involved are of more
than national interest in party poll
tics, They center in the conflict of
interest with Great Britain in the
Sudan. In turn, they may affect
American cotton growers, If the Brit
ish gain control of the upper Nile
in Sudan and develop cultivation of
the million acres of Sudanese cot
ton land through irrigation at the
expense of the Egyptian water supply
of the lower Nile.
On top of that crisis in far-off Egypt
comes the news that the widow of the
late Gov. Folk Of Missouri has sued
the Egyptian ''wafd"-the COMMITTEE"
of the government Of Egypt-headed
by Zaghlu1, upon a claim that Gov.
Folk was the paid agent to dissent
nate propaganda in America with
which to influence our Congress and
State Department in the support OF
Egyptian independence from Great
Britain. Mrs. Folk claims that Mr..
Folk was to receive $4,000 a month,
together with certain additional oon-
uses of 100000 in case he had to ap-
pear before the League of Nations, and
another 100000 when Egypt threw OH
the British yoke and completed her IN
dependent rule over the Sudan. A
sum of $4,000 balance due is now
claimed by the widow. The State De-
partment is reticent as to the ethics
of an Americans secret activities IN
propaganda for foreign interests
against those of a friendly nation.
"The river that is Egypt'-what
floods of international complications
it may bear! From the dim centuries
of history, Egypt has been the scene
Of melodrama, through all of Which
has run, like a thread of gold, the
river that Is Egypt" Through the
season of growing crops, not a drop
of that rivers precious water ever
reaches the sea. When the Summer
is passed the waters increase IL
times in volume and the incalculable
wealth that such abundance poten-
TALLY represents is a lure which has
caused wars and will, perhaps, yet
bring other conflicts. Even today
that river holds the key to Egypt
peace and independence, or 10 brll-
aims dominance over her prosperity
and national life. For the population
of Egypt has reached her maximum
capacity to feed without expansion of
fertile territory, and such expansion
is impossible except it be watered by
the Nile. The population in 1910 was
1000, 900; today it is 100000, and
each year is adding 100000 net in
crease of people to a land already
straining with 1000 per square mile,
There are two political parties
fighting to control Egypt's policies.
One is led by Zaghlul, the patriot
who demands, as his political plat
form, that Egypt shall be free, and
/ that she shall be permitted without
foreign interference to work out her
destiny and develop her potential re-
sources, even though 1t require, ad-
ditional reservoirs beyond her own
frontiers In which to impound the
flood waters of the Nile, that they
may flow in abundance while the
thirsty crops are growing.
The venerable ZaghluI is a pro-
gressive-not a RADICAL practical
patriot who Is almost worshiped by
young Egypt" though opposed by
conservative big interests which
see their profits endangered by add
| in &. area to the cultivable land.
At present the government of the
Sudan Is partnership between