Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1943-03-04
Still Enslaved

The lot of the lower classes in
Egypt, mystic land of the histor-
ical Nile, is but little improved
since the days of the Pharaohs.
The same type of slave labor
that built the great pyramids
and other wonders of the an
cient world finds its counterpart
today in the baZaars of modern
Cairo.
E. L. Jones serving with the
American Field Service in Egypt,
writes an interesting letter home
on conditions there, and in dis
cussing the present day lower
class, suggests that democracy,
in its true sense, be made some
thing to live by instead of just
something to die for. His letter
as published in the Missionary
Herald, follows:
Dear Folks:
I've been Christmas shopping!
got an ancient Persian bracelet fol
Sis, silver filigree pin for Mother
as well as something for Dad. Now
I'm afraid to mail them but I cam
cart them back to- the desert!
Rommel has been defeated 1 car
assure you that for us the danger
Gus days are over for long time te
come. We've had our trial by fire
and like visiting the dentist, it.:
worse to think about than to ex-
perience. The worst part of being
bombed is not when the eggs, hi
home, but the Warrington the pilo
to stop circling and make up hi!
mind where to drop the blooming
things.
After month in the hospital,
have three-day leave in Cairo
This city has a gorgeous layer %
culture - continental hotels, rae,
courses, house boats, art galleries
magnificent homes.
But it is all supported by the poor
est, dirtiest, most enslaved lower clas
in modern society. G
Egypt has had no Sun Vat Sen
No leader, nor prophet nor philoso
pher has ever given these people /;
dream of future happiness. l looket
at the pyramids-400 feet high, bull
with slave labor which died by tn,
thousands, the work of 80 years, /;
pile of blocks, some transported fiv,
hundred miles. Each pyramid wa
built to satisfy the selfish desires O
rulers who wanted to assure them
selves rich life in the next world
Yesterday in the bazaars, l saw
hundreds of little children in dirty
windowless mud shops working al
day on beads, ivory trinkets, tape.
tries-doing the most beautiful ar
work imaginable for few cents /;
day slowly sacrificing their lives t.
make the luxury items that the upper
classes in Cairo, London, and New
York enjoy.
This current allied victory in thu
Middle East is, / think, a favorable
indication of what the war is com.
ing to. In the next two years the
Anglo-American powers will un.
doubleday put their world domino.
ton on firm footing once again
But when we've gained that domin.
ation, what are we going to DE-
with it?
A palm reader here in Cairo tolc
me that / think too much! But
do want to know the answers t.
all this wrongness-Egypt with mil.
lions living like cattle in mud hut.
and the lame, the blind, the syphi.
litics everywhere-the wrongnes.
which leaves young man half.
buried in these sands of the western
desert to breed flies.
I'll never be able to go back t.
writing about new pipe lines in New
Haven.
Frankly, l don't have much hop.
for humanity unless we change oul
spots. If only this war would NEAR
a second chance to do right by others
as Mother says.
Personally, / think the only an
swer to it all is Christian democ
racy-real, working Christianity, tn,
kind we haven't ever had-the sac
rificing of our superabundance tina
others may live-the development o
a spiritual brotherhood.
If only we would put Christianit.
on an everyday basis and maxi
democracy something to live by ant
not just slogan to die for.
l find so many Americans VIII,
talk about how the American wa.
of life must be preserved-and wha
they mean, it turns out, is not democ
racy, but the fact that we have NOR
radios, more autos, more leisure ant
education than any other peoples.