Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1914. EGYPT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLV, Issue XLVIII, 22 December 1914, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1914. EGYPT.

TOR some time past it has been evident '-, that the Khedive's days in Egypt were drawing to a clcse, and the news that his I uncle, Prince Hussein, had been ap-< ! pointed Sultan of Egypt did not come as ' a surprise, for it was fully expected that Britain would-annex Egypt for the timei- being, as the best method of avoiding in- ; ternal complications with Turkey. In ' the negotiations it is interesting to note that the Kitchener/ touch- is in evidence. "The Egyptian's religious convictions," we read, "will be scrupulously respected." ; In declaring Egypt free from any duty ! of obedience to the usurpers' political I jjower at Constantinople, the British \ Government is animated by no hostility I towards the Caliphate. "The past his-

Tory of Egypt shows the loyalty of the Egyptian Mahommedan towards the Caliphate, independently of any political bonds between Egypt and Constantinople." Herein will be seen the wisdom of the m course adopted by Britain. Hitherto" Egypt has been nominally dependent on Turkey, and the Khedive has bc/m more or less openly sympathetic with that Pokier, and the very fact that he is at present in Constantinople indicates his leanings very plainly. From 1879 to' 1883, ; thc country was under the dual control of Franco and Great Britain; but in, the latter year Great Britain intervened after Arabi Pasha's rebellion, and since then has practically Governed the country. The British -occupation, at first regarded as temporary, has by force of -circumstances become firmly established, and the predominant position of Great Britain was. formally recognised by France by the AngloFrench Agreement (signed Bth April, 1904). The French, German, and other Governments also assented to very considerable modifications in the international > arrangements established ,in i-Egypt for the protection of foreign bohdj holders, the modifications being contained in ; a draft Khedivial Decree annexed to the agreement. the chief religion, is that .of Islam,'the Mosleiris numbering over 9,000,000; but there are about 730.000 Christians, of whom 608,000 are Copts, with the Patriarch o? Alexandria ;at their head. : -/ Whilst it is the declared purpose pi Turkey to .'march, against has I actually been stated from Constantinople, an obviously unreliable that the | Tmks have reached■Kantaa;a £ a few mrlps, east of the Suez Canal —the task will be extremely difficult, if not impossible. As the Anglo-French 5 fleets hold the Mediterranean, it is obvious that.. A Turkish;: cx- ! pedition against Egypt must-march\over-j land if it is. to go there at all: ••When I the Israelites travelled from Egypt .to j the land of Canaah r which is now under I Turkish control, Moses prudently marchied them • .through '' the desert by a I southern route, heading for Mount-Sinai, rather' than by the shorter ■- northern route along the coast, where they would have been exposed to attacks by . the Philistines, who occupied the cities of Gaza and Askelon. And a.-Turkish army marching in the reverse' direction against Egypt, it is pointed out by an authority, must avoid the coastal route for a similar 'strategical reason, for British cruisers in this. instance enact- the role of the Philistines, and bar the way. Writers on the subject point out that enormous obstacles stand in the way of an overland de'sert march by a Turkish army, on account >cf the scarcity of water, and the difficulties of transport and supply. It will be seen that the British position in Egypt is well assured, both internally and externally. The religious convictions of the people have been strongly guarded, and whilst the Bedouin horsemen may make a few raids, they will not be able to do much damage; and the.threatened Turkish invasion, which Germany hoped to bring about by sea with Austrian and Italian cruisers affording protection, will now, under present circumstances, bo an exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, task.