THE EGYPTIAN BOUNDARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 14061, 16 May 1906, Page 6

THE EGYPTIAN BOUNDARY.

Turkey is an exasperating country in every way, and its delay in deciding to comply with the British request in regard to the Egyptian frontier is only in keeping with its habitual policy. Britain would be thoroughly justified in levying upon tho Porte the whole of the expenditure incurred by her through the Turkish encroachment at. Tabah and the subsequent delay in withdrawing the troops. Tho boundary question is of considerable importance, because if Turkey were allowed to make what dispositions she chose in the vicinity of tho Isthmus of Suez, tho protection of the coasts at the approaches to tho canal might easily become a controversial question. But that is a matter upon which Britain rightly intends that there shall he no doubt. Tho Porte could have created an ugly situation if it had chosen to appeal to the Powers for an endorsement of its policy. We do not suppose that Sir Edward Groy would have been moved a hair’s breadth by threats or by diplomatic pressure, but if, say, Germany had given her support to the Sultan we can imagine the turmoil that would have been stirred up by the organs subsidised by the German Foreign Office. And actually the Porte had a possible case to submit to the Powers. The position of Britain in regal’d to Egypt is well defined for ordinary purposes, but Britain has theoretically no locus standi in a dispute between Turkey and a vassal State. It has been hinted that the British action on the present occasion is' only a prehide to a more aggressive move in the direction of severing all tics ■ between Turkey and Egypt. There ca-n bo no doubt that Egypt would bo benefited if the nominal sovereignty of tho Sultan were.cast off, but there is certainly no present evidence of an Egyptian revolt.