THE EGYPTIAN RIOTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17234, 9 August 1919, Page 10

THE EGYPTIAN RIOTS.

AW INCIPIENT MASSACRE. \ WORK OF MOUNTED TROOP& The troops who returned from Egypt by the UHmaroa yesterday state that the riots which broke out in the Delta region in March last were for a time of » very serious character, and, but for the speedy arrival of troops' would have developed into a. wholesale massacre of Europeans. The mis.-ruide|Br fellaheen, among whom f also and outrageous statements had been circulated, did not confine their hatred to British people, iheir hand «aa against all Europeans, Greeks, Armenians, and Italians, of whom there are hundreds ot thousands in the country, Buffering from the rioters. Some unite of the New Siea. lsisd Mounted Hides had actually handed in all their equipment preparatory to em* barking for home, when the outbreak ot I tho riota occurred, and in certain eases the men had to redraw horses and equip, roent ,and were entrained far the scenes of the trouble within a few b.odrs. - The long; campaign had trained the men thoroughly in such rapid movements, bat their tempera were not improved by the orders on this occasion, seeing' that they , had expected to eea thair homes go ebon. The whole of the Anzac mounted division was split up into patrols of two squadrons each and these columns moved about the delta until the trouble was subdned. There was no loss of life among the troops during this work, the. natives being cowed by the demonstration of force. The airmen co-operated in the operations, and one of them hae- described the wholesome effect which " rooming " had upon angry crowds which gathered. The chief loss of life occurred during the first few days of the riots, when j officers and men on leave and unsuspecting civilians were caught while travelling, It is stated that the number of deaths among ' Europeans is not definitely known, but j the men are emphatic in stating that the I number of deaths among the rioters was ' greater. I One brave party, including Colonel C. ! E. fi'. Mackesy, of Whangurei, and Misses M. and E. McDonald, of Wanganui, who were on the staff of the Aotea Convales-; cent Home in rleliopolis, ' and who re- : turned by the tjltxnaroa, had a narrow | escape. They were at Assouan when the j riots started. By night they escaped on I & launch, and travelled to the dam, where i they caught a steamer for Wftai Haifa. I The trouble had not extended to the Soudan, although they did not know i what to expect, and they were able to travel by the Soudan railway to Berber, whence they travelled by train to Port Soudan, There they caught a steamer, which eventually reached Suez, after calling at various ports on the Arabian coast. lieutenant-Colonel p. Chaytor and bid wife also had a most dangerous experience. They had been down the Nile and were returning by train on the first day of the riots. > They decided to leavo tha train at Assuit, and it wag fortunate for them that they did so, because $% tho nest station the train was attacked, and some eight or ten officers and men of Imperial . unite were.killed, their bodies fcefag so' mutilated that they were bsyond recogni- I tion, Colonel apd Mrs. Chavior joined a party of Europeans and Indians in Assnit, whew they were besieged. They were practically without arms* bat an aeroplane dropped them a, machine-gun and ammtmi* won, which improved their position very considerably, and they were able to beep off the enraged rioters until relief came. At this time parts of Cairo were in « state of. lawlessness, and soldiers were forbidden to go about alone. Armoured cars soon restored order, however. One of' these cars was patrolling a dangerous l quarter when those on board noticed a-' single Australian trooper leaning against a lamp-post. They immediately pulled up i and told the Australian that it was not safe to be alone. « That's all right." ' drawled the Australian, «I'm the, bait, and mates axe waiting round tfeei