Evening star., 1925-03-28

Egypt and England, but with immi-
nent danger of dissolution of the
| joint control. While England exer-
| cised suzerainty over Egypt, as wen
as the Sudan, there was no division
of interest as TO the development of
Egypt rather than of the Sudan, for
Egypt was fertile. and her wealth
! flowed naturally toward England.
The Sudan, in comparison with
Egypt. is an undeveloped region
peopled by uncivilized non-agricuI-
tural tribes. Her population of
| 100000 spreads over 100000 square
miles, per mile-in contrast with
| Egypt's 1000 per mile over that part
which is watered and, therefore,
| fertile. The northern part of the
Sudan resembles Egypt in it's natural
fertility along the Nile.
| X x X
In both countries the belt of ir-
| rigable land extends only about one
| mile on each bank of the river-in
some restricted parts spreading to
| five or eight miles from the stream
Beyond that extend vast deserts, all
| much higher than the river-hence.
pon-irrigable.
In 1879 the natives of Egypt rose
in rebellion against foreign interfer-
ence, which brought the combined
fleets of Great Britain and France
against Arabi's troops Of rebels, re-
sulting in his defeat and exile. That
defeat. loosened the hold of Egypt
upon the Sudan, and. in 1852, Ahmed
calling himself the Sudan savior, or
messiah, revolted against the Turks,
then in power in Egypt. The govern
ment, having neither an army nor a
treasury, called upon England for
help. The English sent Chinese Cor
don," who, organized an army of
Egyptians TO fight Ahmed. Gordon
was killed in the battle of Omdur-
man, but the English Egyptian army
ultimately triumphed, and Egyptian
supremacy over the Sudan was re-
established in 1899, with Great Brit
ain sharing authority The partner
ship provided that the Governor of
the Sudan should be nominated by the
British and appointed by the khedive
of Egypt.
At the. outset os the World War
Great Britain purchased co-operation
| of Egypt by conceding her fndepend-
ence. with a proviso that the part
nership of the Sudan should be a
subject for future diplomatic adjust
ment. That adjustment has never
been completed, and therein lies the
present crisis, in which the interests
of Egypt and England confiict, since
Egypt needs further control of the
Nile by dams and reservoirs to be
built in the Sudan, while -England's
manufacturers and land exploiters
have discovered the latent possibiIi-
| ties of raising cotton upon the vast
desert oases" of Sudan, If irrigated.
| X X x X
| 1t is claimed that International Law
or, at least, equity provides that
riparian rights are based upon the
principles: First in time; first in
right Under that principle Egypt,
! which has used the Nile waters fol
1 irrigation from a time immeasura BILE
| beyond which the memory of man
runneth not to the contrary" must
not now be jeopardized in those rights
| by development of irrigation Of the
Sudan, at the headwaters. Further
more, a commission of international
engineers declares that for the future
| needs of Egypt 1t is necessary to
! trap more Of the Winter flood water
| in great reservoirs, which cannot be
| built within Egyptian territory, and
| must be in Sudan.
| What effect upon American cotton
| will be the addition of hundreds OF
thousands of acres of Egyptian cot
ton" in British Sudan? The Folk
propaganda did not discuss that effect
in America.
Copyright. 1925. BY Paul '. eollinAl