Evening star., 1925-01-04

was perplexing, and I still find 1t so.
The demand is that the Egyp-
tian government assent that irriga-
ton in the Gezira shall not be limite ed
to 100000 acres, as hitherto con-
templa ted, but may indefinitely be ex-
tended at the option of the Sudan
government. The Gezira Gsland) is
the triangle of land of which the
southern base rests on the province
Of Seminar, the Blue Nile and the
White Nile forming the other two
sides. khartum is at the northern
angle
Under irrigation the Gezira soil pro-
duces the very best quality of Egyp-
tian cotton. A dam is under con-
struction at Makwar, near the town
of Seminar, on the Blue Nile, the object
of which is to raise the river to a
level sufficient to feed a great canal
which is being excavated across the
GeZira plain. The work Is being car
ried on by the Sudan government
with funds obtained by loan fioated
in the British market on the guaran-
tee of the British government. Con-
struction has been started OF another
dam on the White Nile about "a miles
south of Khartum, with a capacity
about double that of the great As
suan dam, and solely for the benefit
of Egypt. The Egyptian government
undertook to finance the project. Con-
struction has been suspended for lack
of funds.
The Makwar project, as officially
given out, contemplates supply of
water to the Gezira Canal for irriga-
tion of 300, 900 acres; without diminu-
tion, l take it, of the supply which
Egypt would get from the Blue Nile
were the dam not there. / quote again
the pledge given by the British govern
ment in 1922 that 1.-THE development
Of the Sudan should never threaten or
interfere with the existing water sup
ply of Egypt or with that which might
be required to bring Egyptian territory
under full cultivation
What, then, is the meaning OF the
fifth British demand? Is it repudia-
ton in whole or In part of the pledge
just quoted? 1t Is to be observed that
the great Rivernine works on the Nile,
constructed by the British, have trebled
the cultivable area of Egypt, with the
result OF doubling the population since
1882. But one hears that since, in 1922,
the British renounced their protectorate
over Egypt, the Rivernine works have
been neglected and already the desert
has begun to reclaim its own. Per-
haps in their fifth demand the British
tians could not expect to have their neg
lect and waste made good at the ex-
pense of Sudanese development, which
depends on extension of irrigation; that
the pledge assumed proper upkeep OF
the magnificent system OF water stor-
age and distribution provided for Egypt
by the British. But such fndirectness
of statement would be rather absurd.
One suspects that the fifth demand was
| in fact a threat delivered in wrath and
in forgetfulness of the pledge above
quoted. 1t is. however, a reasonable
proposition that the interests Of the
Sudan should not be allowed to suffer
from Egyptian wantonness.
X y X X
United States OF America-Secre-
tary Hoover has issued very reassur-
ing New Year survey and forecast,
whereof the following items are of espe-
cial significance; 1.-THE average wage
| in tmerican) industry has been stable
during the past year and remains
around 100 per cent above pre-war
while the cost of living has maintained
almost exactly the same level at the
end of each of the last three years
that is. about 72 per cent over pre-war.
| Our labor, therefore, continues to enjoy
| the highest real wage in it's history.
International exchange in goods,
| measured in quantities, is probably
still 10 to IL per cent below pre-war
but the United States Is unique among
| the large combatant nations in hav-
| ing recovered its foreign trade to a
point 15 to 20 per cent above pre-
| war on a value basis. The total OF
our exports for the year will show
about s4,6oo,oo0,ooo and our imports
| $500, 600, ,000."
The only exceptions to the real ad-
| vance toward social, economic and po-
litical stability throughout the world
are Russia and China, which even
| before the war contributed less than
| 31a per cent of international COM
| merce."
| At the opening session of the con-
| vention Of the American Association
| for the Advancement of Science In
| Washington on December 81, DR.
| Hugh P. Young Of Johns Hopkins an
nounced the development of a new
/ germicide named ''merchurochrome, .
| of marvellous and almost universal
virtue, a near approach to the 'SThera-
| pia sterilisans magma" predicted by
| Ehrlich.
Notes.-The racial controversies in
| Czechoslovakia are becoming more and
more acute. The minority representa-
| tfves, Sloyak, German, Hungarian and
| Ruthenian, withdrew from Parlia-
ment in a body the other day. More
over, they issued manifesto of pro-
| test to the world against the alleged
! overriding Of the fundamental rights
with respect to land, languages
schools, etc. They object also to the
great expense Of the military estab.
lishment. To be sure, 1t is not long
since the army was reduced by half
| i.e., to 10000, but there is now 9
demand that 1t be cut down to 10000
| The counter revolution appears tt
ba completely victorious in Albania
Bishop Noli and his government col
/ leagues have fed the country.
| II Is long since we have had impor-
| tant news concerning the situation ir
tha Hejaz, except for the item tha'
| the Indian Moslems have ceased te
| give moral or financial support to Ibr
Sa I'd. Sultan Of Nejd, whom now, q
little tardily. they recognize as 6
hereto.