Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-26

the Sultan to overthrow all British hold
upon Egypt, and thereupon the British,
as a war measure, put an end 10 Turk
ish suzerainty by proclaiming Egypt q
British protectorate.
Following the great war, the Egyptian
Nationalist movement for independence
assumed importance under the leader
ship of Saad Pasha Zaghlul, brave
patriot and cabinet minister. twice ex-
lied by the British and OF eyer-increas-
ing prestige as leader OF the National
lists. zaghlul died a few months ago,
and without his governing control of
his party the radical patriots have In
creased in unrest and rebellion, which
has led TO the drastic action Of King
Fuad in attempting to restore order.
even unconStitutionally. And the Eng
lish claim to be merely innocent by
ISLANDERS"
The one greatest bone of contention
between the Egyptians and the British
is the control of the water from the
Blue Nile In the Sudan before IL
reaches Egypt. The control depends on
which country owns the Sudan. m
Sudan domain there is now. q great
irrigation enterprise, owned by British
subjects. Many thousands Of acres are
in cotton cultivation. covering 500
square miles under crop absolutely de-
pendent on water from the Blue Nile.
But II that water be taken there, the
Egyptians claim 1t viii rob the lower
Nile. on which all Egypt IS dependent.
Egypt has q population OF 100000,
all dependent upon the fertile land
within Is miles of the Nile. over river
length of 500 miles in Egypt. There IS
practically no rainfall. Agriculture de-
ponds upon the annual overflow OF the
Nile, supplied by rains in AbySsinia. II
that be lessened, Egypt would be ruined.
The peace conference following the
World War confirmed Great Britain'S
protectorate over Egypt. in spite OF the
appeals of zaghlul The British high
commissioner first in authority in Egypt
was Lord Cromer. whose policy toward
the Egyptians was very liberal and con-
ciliatory. Likewise a Lord Miner COM
mission sustained the Cron1er policies
and conceded that Egypt's title to the
Sudan was sound and not TO be chal-
lenged by England Through Lord
Cromer and Premier Lloyd George,
Great Britain pledged that Egypts sup
guarded, but the pledge was not defin-
tive.
Nationalism continued to bring unrest
until November 10. 1924, when In moo
disturbance Mai. Gen. Sir Lee o. F.
Stack, British governor general of the
Sudan, was killed. Great Britain collect
ed s., 500 900 indemnity for that murder
demanded the entire withdrawal OF
Egyptian troops from the Sudan, and
announced, by Gen. Allenhy. British
high commissioner, that thereafter the
British irrigation In the Sudan would
use all the water 1t wanted regardless
OF the lower Niles supply for Egypt.
This crisis in 1925 forced the reSigna-
ton OF Prime Minister zaghlul and his
cabinet. but enhanced zaghlulS pres
tige in the Nationalist party.
y ~
The Allenby threat 10 take unlimited
supplies Of water away from the Egyp-
tianS was not sustained by the British
government in London, which forced
his resignation.
The King and Prime Minister Saiwat.
successor or Iaghlul, concluded a treaty
with Great Britain last November, but
when II was reported TO the cabinet ard
the Parliament 10 was resisted as not q
mere treaty but surrender of Egyptian
independence. Saiwat thereupon was
forced to resign. and his successor.
Nahas Pasha, last March undertook 10
form ''wafd." or coalition. cabinet;
l. e. Nationalist government,
Nattonalistic agitation has been grow
ing ever since, until the King wrote to
NahaS June IS demanding his reSigna-
ton, and at the same time he proroguea
Parliament for three years. and APP
pointed Mohamet Mahmud prime min
ister.
The new cabinet Is composed Of eN-
perieneed men. but the cabinet rccog-
mixed that merely to dissolve Parliament
within the itrnstatlons OF the constltu-
tlon-ilot to exceed three months
would be farce. for the Wafd, or Ma
tionalisI party would again elect 80
per cent Nationalist. as they had done
the last time. So the whole conStitu-
ton Is oyerthrown by coup d'etat 81
the King--and anarchy threatens,
VIII Great Britain push aside the
shadow ck Egyptian Independence, pre-
tended Ave years age. and re-estahllsh
her British power over the highway 10
India via the sues Canala
tcoessixhl aRss, ~ raul Y. caillas.l