Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-01-26
TROUBLED EGYPT
TALKS SELF-RULE
British High Commissioner,
However, Will Continue in
Authority.

CAIRO, Egypt (P.-Unhappy Egypt,
her Winter tourist season already
ruined beyond repair, her great resort
hotels either boarded up or running
far in the red, is on the verge once
more of receiving some sort of indie
pendence from Great Britain.
She has had the same brand Of
independence three times before, and
each time found it anything but an
unmixed blessing. The resultant pains
are akin to those Of the little girl
who insisted upon eating all her BIRTH
day cake at one sitting.
The older Egyptians-the solid mer-
chants and business men-who remem-
Der previous doses of constitutional
government want no part of it. The
great bulk of the population, ignorant
of any kind of government and in
terested only in scraping together
Sufficient pistras each day to provide
food and shelter, isn't interested.
Determined Students.
Only the university students, some
or III of whom have succumbed
to bullets in the most recent series of
rioting, are determined that Egypt
shall return to self-government, and
that the influence of the British En-
pire shall be swept clean from Egypt S
internal affairs.
That, at least, is the impression
gained in two months association with
every class of Egyptian. The solid, often
wealthy Egyptian citizen has said:
I'VE cannot do without England. If
England ever should withdraw her in
fluence and her capital from Egypt,
the country would be ruined"
The poorer Egyptian, squatting in
his adobe hut and happily uncertain
of the exact number of his children,
has said through an interpreter: Il
know nothing about it. Why are they
fighting with the police, and breaking
all the street lamps?"
In the midst of the street fighting
between students and native police,
when rocks were flying and shotguns
barking, older Egyptians enjoyed their
afternoon siesta. One street vendor,
having curled up on the handiest
doorstep when the siesta period ar
rived, was observed not to move q
muscle during a 5minute battle only
a few yards from his resting place.
Possibly he was awakened by the
shotglns, but he wasn't interested
70 f,,r
Clubs, Bullets and Sleep.
That is what the thousands of we'll
tailored, handsome young university
students are up against in their fight
to gain their country's independence.
While they are out taking it over the
head from the native police or absorb
ing pistol bullets from British con-
stables, the older Egyptians who might
be giving them a hand are too busy
drinking mud-colored native coffee or
sleeping.
It is why, as we'll, that the British
never lose much sleep over Egypt. Con-
certed action by the $4,000, 900 popu-
lation of the Nile Basin could make
Britain's position untenable, perhaps
even force the lion to fall back to a
secure defense of the Suez Canal. But
there is nothing at the moment even
suggesting such a movement.
Egypt now gets its 1923 constitu-
ton" back It will have its Senate
and Chamber Of Deputies, and the
representatives Of the common people
will be free to debate far into the
night and pass bills.
Yet Sir Miles Lampson, the Brit
ish high commissioner, will continue
to sit in the residency here, and his
word will continue to carry more
weight than that of King Fuad, the
aged ruler Of the Egyptians.