Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-28
BRITISH EGYPTIAN
/. REIGN HELD VITAL
Strife Dangerous to World
Peace Feared il ProteC-
torate Is Ended.
BY HENRY CABOT LODGE.


CAIRO, March 23-From almost any
standpoint one can mention Egypt Is a
UNIQUE country. 1t is certainly one
which Americans should watch with
care. for it is not only her 3000-year-
old mummies and tombs which give her
that distinction but also her present
political ambitions, which, II successful,
NAV cause revolutionary changes not
only in Europe and the Mediterranean
but also in the world at large.
1t would be impossible to list here
the ways in which Egypt Is totally Diff
ferent from any other country. She
has, for one thing. longer recorded
history than any other land; she de-
ponds more on the flow OF one river,
the Nile, than do any other people
depcnd on the flow of any stream, and
this river, according to scientists, has
created a human type which has
scarcely varied throughout the ages, in
spite of countless invasions of foreign
peoples.
Isolated in Ancient Times.
In prehistoric times, however. when
the Pharaofs conquered the surround
ing tribes. Egypt enjoyed a distinction
which she no longer can claim. she
then was apart from the rest OF the
for hundreds of miles made hostile
invasion almost impossible. She was
away from the world and could do as
she liked.
But what changes time has wrought!
Today she is bound up with the rest OF
the world as tightly as any nation can
be. The Suez Canal-that vital link
between East and West-runs through
Egyptian territory and what happens to
the canal is everybody's business. II 1t
were damaged or destroyed, the world
would feel the shock-and world so
highly industrialized and organized as
ours cannot take such shocks lightly.
Egypt's fate is so tightly bound up with
the canal that little Of the canals
history must be set down.
Canal Opened in 1859.
It was built by the French, by De
LeSseps, who also tried to carve through
Panama. In 1859 it was opened, having
cost $4,000, 900, of which about 1884,
$1,000 was paid by shareholders and
the rest by the Khedive of Egypt. This
Khedive was a ruling prince, subject
to the orders of the Sultan of Turkey.
This subordination Turkey had started
in 1906, following the confusion caused
by Napoleon when the Albanian adj
venturer, Menemet Ali, had conquered
the country.
The tradition of lavish expenditure
which he began was continued by his
successors, so that the Khedive in office
when the canal was built was on the
verge Of bankruptcy and sold his shares
in the canal to the then prime minis
ter OF Great Britain, Disraeli for 500
100000, giving Britain control Of the
canal company.
British INTERVIEWED in 1882.
Revolutions and revolt, on a par with
those with which We are so familiar
In Central America. ensued until
matters became so bad that in 1882
Britain interviewed, pledging herself to
the reconstruction of the political and
economic condition Of the country. The
anomalous situation thus came into
existence that Egypt, though under
British control, was a province Of Tur-
key, ruled by q semi-independent Khe-
dive Britain's chief agent. the famous
Lord Cromer, though possessed Of great
potential power, was technically only a
diplomatic representative.
This state Of affairs lasted until 1914,
when, q few months after the declara-
ton Of war, Britain proclaimed a pro-
tectorate over Egypt-a protectorate
pledged, as we are In the Philippines,
to granting the Egyptians their indie
pendence as soon as they are capable
Of preserving it. This is what exists
today.
Mahmoud Ranked High.
Fifty years is short time in which
to expect the first seeds Of self-govern-
ment to show results, yet in Egypt to-
day is a man who must give great sat-
isfaction to all who have labored in
Egypt's behalf. The prime minister Of
Egypt today is an Egyptian-the son Of
fellahin, plain Nile farmer. His name
Is Mohanled Pasha Mahmoud, and al
though he has only been in power since
June, 1928, he has done so much and
done it so well that he deserves to rank
high in the list Of cotemporary states
men.
His claim to distinction would rest
secure If only 1t depended on the fact
that he, a fellahin, was at the head Of
a country which had for centuries been
under foreign domination. But In him
self he is an unusual rI1an-one whom
other nationalist in other countries
would do well TO emulate.
Mahmoud realizes that whatever mis-
takes the British may make, they are
there for his country's good. have al