NILE HEADWATERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22833, 14 September 1937, Page 12

NILE HEADWATERS

IMPORTANCE TO EGYPT / THE ITALIAN MENACE "By careful measurements over many years it has been shown that over 70 per cent of the' water reaching Egypt is supplied by the tributaries of'the Nile flowing out of Abyssinia," said Lieutenant-Colonel E. P. in an address on "Harnessing the Nile" given to members of the .Auckland ■ Institute and Museum at Auckland University College last night. "The gravity of an Italian occupation of the headwaters of all these rivers becomes obvious," he added. Lieutenant-Colonel Sawer said that the average daily discharge of the White Nile at Khartoum was only half that of .the Blue Nile, which had its source in Lake Tsana, in Abyssinia. It had been recently officially , explained that Britain's one economic interest, in Abyssinia lay in Lake Tsana. policy had always been to safeguard the headwaters of the Blu«> Nile, the giver of life to Egypt and the n'orthern Sudan.

"By treaty after treaty with Abyssinia, Italy and France that vital interest has been safeguarded, but unfortunately we have learned of recent, years how much value can be attached to 'scraps of paper,' " the speaker con--tinued. "Egypt's willingness, and even •eagerness, to sign last year a treaty -with Great Britain, the terms of which lad been bitterly contested for 20 years by the Ward, or National Party, is now to be understood." Lieutenant-Colonel Sawer outlined ■the methods employed over 8000 years "to use the waters of the Nile for irrigating Egypt and the Sudan, giving special attention to tho vast modern developments. If and when the various undertakings were completed, it should bo possibjo to store in tho various reservoirs over 25,000,000,000 tons -of water, and to employ this exactly when required by Egypt and the Sudan.

There was a largo attendance at the •Hecture. Air. S. "Donaldson presided.