The Atherstone, Nuneaton, and Warwickshire Times. — 1882-06-17 (Atherstone, Warwickshire, England)

THE RIOT AT ALEXANDRIA.  The hope which was almost universally entertained in England and France, that the present crisis in Egypt would have passed over without bloodshed, is no longer 1)°!8• ible There has been bloodshed, although it is quite possible that the seriousness of the outbreak is exaggerated. The accounts of the newspaper correspondents materially differ from the official accounts received by the Government, but whichever be accurate no one can doubt that events of a very serious nature have taken place. There is great satisfaction to be derived from the intelligence that it is not believed that the origin of the affray was of a political character. Undoubtedly at the present time there is a large quantity of combustible material in Egypt, which only requires a spark to kindle it. The Arab population regard with the extremest jealousy and dislike the increasing power of the Europeans, and would gladly hail any excuse for a struggle between the races. The Europeans in Alexandria are a very heterogeneous body, including English, French, Italians, Greeks, Maltese, and every variety of European nationality,and character. Such a population it is very difficult to keep in hand, and one cannot be surprised that a quarrel between an 4rab and a Maltese, in which the Maltese stabbed the Arab, formed the spark that was required to set on fire the inflammable materials at hand. An Arab mob collected and attacked most of the I Europeans whom:they met in the streets. The I Square, which is the principal business locality of Alexandria, is almost entirely inhabited by Europeans, but from the Square run narrow crowded streets, almost exclusively in the occupation of Arabs. The shops in the Square were broken into and, looted, and it is said the Europeans fired on the Arabs who were armed only with sticks. This would be a very probable act, even if true. No one with a loaded rifle would be very content to allow himself to be robbed, and possibly himself and family to be murdered, without using the weapon in his hand. But seeing that there are more Europeans killed and wounded than Arabr, and that the BRITISH CONSITL was wounded with a pistol shot, the Arabs must not only have been ' armed with something more than sticks, but they must have used some more deadly weapons. SIR CHARLES DRAM stated in the House of Commons that the Arabs were aimed with knives,and this is the more likely story. It seems probable that when once the torch was applied, and the disturbance commenced all the long pent-up passion and bitterness in the Arab mind against the European found vent, and so ensued what was undoubtedly a very serious and a deplorable riot, accompanied with bloodshed. It is difficult to see how this NI as to be avoided. No one was ignorant of the bitter feelings between the Arabs and the Europeans which have for a long time been increasing in rancour. It was perfectly well-known that any favourable incident might suddenly, at any moment, fan the burning embers into a flame. But if European military had been landed, that, in itself, would, in the opinion of the most competent authorities to judge, have caused a far more deplorable outbreak than that we have now to regret. The jealousy of the Arab towards the European is partly personal and partly political. The Mohammedan resents the intrusion and the influence of the Christian anywhere, then it must be remembered that this feeling ot jealousy has been intensified by the filling up of so many official appointments in Egypt by Europeans. These causes have united to establish received as a legacy from the late Governs feeling which, at the slightest provocation, *ready to break out, and which is unquestionably perilous to the security of the European population. However glad the Arabs might be to throw off the yoke of the StniraN, they would undoubtedly, with far greater pleasure, rid themselves of the hated ' presence of the European. These elements ' cannot be ignored when Egyptian questions I are under discussion. The Government, unfortunately,is trammelled by its connection with France in Egyptian matters, which we ment. The position is not one of our own creating, we must accept it however, and make the nest of it, but we fail to see how a wiser and more statesman-like policy than the one which has been followed, could have been initiated by the present ministry under the circumstances.