The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.
FRIDAY, JUNE 24. 1898. THE RE-CONQUEST OF EGYPT.
For tits oauso that lacks assintanoo, For the -wrons that ne';ds rosistanco, I'ot the futttro in tlio distance. And tho Rood that v,'e enn do.
A cablegram in our issue of yesterday announced thai (ieiiernl Kir Herbert Kitchener had resumed his march on Khartoum, and that the Khalifa was preparing lo dispute his advance in the iKMifhhourhooil ut ilerber. The Spanish-Anierifnii war and the position vi' all'air.s in the Kar ICiibi have ei.lled our attention away from the important work the AMg-10-Hyyptiun l'orci- ■is accomplishing in Ujjper l-vL;y|)t; hut We are not to suppoKe that the gradlliil re-assert ion of l-^yptian authority in ill.- revolted Nile pro-viin_-cs, which really means the extension and strengthening of JSritisli inlluenc'L' and interests in thai part of Africa, is nol being1 closely watched by Kng'Uiml's rivals, li certainly i-an-not be jileasini;' to France to mark thi1 ascendancy (Jrirai Hritain -s 'gradually l.mt Kiirely acquiringl alon^ the .\'ih> Valloy.aml to IVH that lu-r eiVorts to Forestall Uritish uccupation in (he nyiyhbourhood of Pashcnia have corni' to nought. ICven the apparently favourable terms she has been "ranted in Has! Africa in regard to Ihe Nigel' (li<piile cannot reconcile her in what she rogfordrt :».s the virtual acquisition by (Ireat Uritain of a region in which she inijfhl have had cr|iial rijLrln of (.•ossi-ssioii and which still covets. AI this moment she is seemintflv innr," absorbed in conjiinction \\\i\\ her powerful ally Kussia in making f^ood her fooling and prestige in China against the day of the dissolution of that Kmpire, but depend upon it. she i^ only waiiiiii.;' a favourable moment. t<> re-open the ICfjyptiun question. As (he international position at. present is, I hat moment may lie deferred for some time yet. The only other Power which is deeply interested with I'Yaneo in checking I'ritish aggrandisement in Africa is (iermnny, and the probabilities point lo (iennany allying herself with Kn^hind, in which case the Kuipovor would have no reason to support the African pretensions of I'Yanee. I'ussia lias no immediate intires Is in Africa. She has no desire to extend her enormous empire beyond the con lines of the two eoiitineutsrpf which they already form such a liufe proportion compared with other Stales.. Her g-oal is now China, of which she has already absorbed some portion and is busy with schemes to got more. She is certainly not likely to join with her ally in actively thwarting" (lie ultimate destiny of Great, Uritain in the land of the Pharaohs. Of course, in the event of war between (ircat P.rilain and any of the Powers, the position of matters might be. very materially altered. If it should so happen that we got the worst of the conflict, the successful Power or Powers, supposing' we had to meet a combination of them, would iBOHir likely dictate the hardest, terms possible. The long-delayed opportunity to wreak their vengeance and jealousy on 'the best hated nation in Europe' would be taken advantage of to tlie full, and no action that could cripple the power or humiliate the prestige of England would be neglected. Then this whole matter of the occupation of Egypt would come up for review, and it would be wonderful indeed if our influence in that quarter were not rudely disturbed. In the interests o£ civilisation generally as well as in the interests of our own Empire, which have been invariably identical with these, it would be an enormous pity that the rule of the British in Egypt should come to a close before we voluntarily abandoned the control of the country. Under our management Egypt proper has improved financially and socially to a degree that i has won applause from those most bitterly opposed to the occupation of the country. The land has undergone a complete metamorphosis, and the same policy which has done so much in the Lower Nile provinces is destined to do as much comparatively for the Avhole valley. The present advance of Sir Herbert Kitchener is reclaiming once again the territory lost to Egypt in 3855. Since the expedition started, about eight hundred miles of the river has been re-conquered, and in a short
time we may expect to hear thnt Khartoum is rescued from the Dervish dominion. It is anticipated that in the near future Cook's tourists will be tripping1 it from London to Berber, to which latter place General Kitchener is now proceeding. With a strong- and settled Government the recovered territory should advance in prosperity. At present it is practically deserted, the inhabitants having4 lied before the Dervish raiders when the ■country was abandoned thirteen years ago; but by degrees the refugees would return when they knew that they could dwell in safety. According- to a very recent authority, though the area of euiturable land is not very large, it is still amply snfiieient, given an equitable administration, to pay its way and be no sort of burden on the finances of Kgypt. The same writer remarks that many of the larger islands in the Nile appear to be favourably situated for the cultivation, of sugar-cane and cotton, while date palms could be made to furnish a source of revenue. As he poinis out, the ropopulation. of the country would mean She opening up of the old trade routes and of markets for ICuropciLU goods; and if modern ingenuity and enterprise could succeed in artificially raising the waters o! the Nile to ihe level they used to stand at. fvHir thousand years ago ihe land j might become us rich and prosperous] ns it was in ancient days. That British daring and management may not j yet accomplish these seeming wonders j and make Ihe desert blossom as the j rose, who thai, lias witnessed their achievements in other lands will veil-1 tun; to proclaim impossible? We are ■well entitled to entertain the vision of] the whole Valley of ihe Nile converted i ngain into the Garden of Africa and j John MnII as gardener in charge, j What, thai would menu to Briiisb rule in Africa, what prestige and power! and markets it would ensure, anyone may see by looking at (!io map where] but an insignificant si rip of territory bars the broad red Uritish road from: Cairo to the Cape.
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Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 147, 24 June 1898, Page 4
Word Count
1,066The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. FRIDAY, JUNE 24. 1898. THE RE-CONQUEST OF EGYPT. Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 147, 24 June 1898, Page 4
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