THE EGYPTIAN FRONTIER. EGYPTIAN FRONTIER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2722, 16 May 1906, Page 19

THE EGYPTIAN FRONTIER. EGYPTIAN FRONTIER.

GATHERING OF WARSHIPS. TURKEY STILL SCEPTICAL. i EGYPTIAN TERRITORY TO BE EVACUATED. LONDON, May 8. The Daily Telegraph says that the British ultimatum has greatly impressed the Sultan. An extraordinary Cabinet Council was convened for to-day. • A battalion of the Worcester Regiment | left Malta for Alexandria, and two bat- , talions of the Rifle Brigade have been ordered to hold themselves in readiness. ' The Daily Mail reports that the Turks •were tliree days sawing through the boundary pillars, under cover of their ( tents, nobody being allowed to approach j them. j Turkey has occupied Marcovar, a new port in Persian territory. The Porte's tactics in connection with ' the Egyptian boundary question are still dilatory. I The German press, despite the Government's correct attitude, accuses Great Britain of land-gTabbing on the Sinai Peninsula. In tho. House of Commons Sir Edward Grey (Foreign Minister), in reply co Mr Balfour, reviewed the events relating to Tabah and the island of Faraon,' and said that the Porte contended, firstly, that Akabah and the Sinai Peninsula were outside of the territory defined by the [mperial firman -in 1892 ; secondly, that the Grand Vizier's telegram on April 8, 1892, only referred to the western side of the peninsula ; and, thirdly, that the inter- , pretation of that telegram concerned the Porte alone. j Sir Edward Grey (continuing) said that such demands, if admitted, would constitute a real danger to freedom of the Suez Canal and to the liberties of Egypt and the Khedival dynasty. The speaker emphasised Britain's patience and modera- 1 tion, and said it was impossible to defer a settlement indefinitely ; hence Britain's , reasons for pressing one. The original demand to join in the delimitation was confirmed by the presentation of a note requesting a favourable reply within ten days. Sir Edward Grey added that it was important that the frontier should remain ! as it existed, undisputed and undisturbed, j many years previous to British occupation, j — (General cheers.) ] The cruisers Amethyst and Arrogant, •which are at Gibraltar, have been suddenly ordered to sea — presumably proceeding to the Levant. There are 14 British •warships at Phalerum. ; In the House of Commons Mr Runciman, replying to Mr Lonsdale, announced that Germany had informed Britain that the statements that the Porte's action regarding the Egyptian frontier had received any encouragement were unfounded. The announcement was received with Ministerial cheers. Turkey is sending artillery and strong reinforcements to Akabah and Tabah. Advices from Ghuzzeh" state that the Turks have seized a strip of 100,000 acres of Egyptian territory, near the Syrian frontier. May 10. Prince Louis of Battenberg's cruiser squadron has reached Phalerum. May 11. Rear-admiral Lambton, in the Minerva, has proceeded to Cairo to watch the Suez Canal. The Sultan's Advisers anticipate that Britain's measures will be merely similar to those she is accustomed to employ. The Constantinople correspondent of The Times states that unless Tabah is evacuated before Monday the action on the part of- Britain will be so decided and energetic that the Turks will bitterly regret their obstinacy. In the House ol Commons Mr A. Lupton asked whether the- Government would consider the advisableness of international arbitration in connection with the Tabah incident. Sir Edward Grey replied that Turkey's claims raised an issue going far beyond ji'abah. He added : "We cannot refer the safety of the Suez Canal and Egypt, to arbitration. The best method of. defining the frontier is to appoint a Joint Commission^

Sir Edward Grey's references: to Turkey's claims point to Mukhtar Pasha's demand on behalf of the Sultan that die Sinai Peninsula boundary should run from El Rafah to Suez and from Suez to Akabah. Thie Daily Telegraph's Constantinople eorr&spoiicl&ni reports that it is not believed the British will, force the Dardanelles, though -it is -expected they will seize Turkish territory. The Porbe's indifference is assumed in order to impress the public that the subject is one of little importance, even if concession is absolutely necessary. Sir N. R. O'Conor, the British Minister, sternly rejected the overtures of Tewfik Pasha", Minister of Foreign Affairs, insisting on abcolute compliance with the British demands. May 13. Renter states that the Porte's agreement with Britain's demand has been handed to the British Embassy at Constantinople. Turkey evacuates Tabah and the rest of the Egyptian territory. The Foreign Office does not deny the statement, but merely admits that there are signs of a nioi-e conciliatory attitude on the part of Turkey Turkey apparently yielded unconditionally on Saturday afternoon, otherwise Lemnos and Mitylene would have been seized. Izzet Bey, a Pan-Islamite and author of the Mecca railway, was the instigator of the Tabah policy. May 14. Advic&s from Constantinople express undisguised satisfaction that a rupture has been averted. This proves that the Tabah policy had ''few supporters. The Tdbah garrison has been withdrawn by order of the Sultan. The Times assumes that the Porte will hasten to recall Mukhtar Pasha, and says that the incident should convince the Sultan of Britain's determination to preserve the safety of the Suez Canal. The paper states that Egypt is immutable, and the incident is useful to Britain as revealing the true objects of the railway policy instigated by German military advisers, and prosecuted according to Germon plans, and with German assistance, financial and otherwise. It would have been Britain's fault if she had allowed the execution of strategic designs against her under the cloak of the promotion of Moslem ism. The Sultan, in agreeing to withdraw from Tabah, declared that the status quo ante had been restored, but this was regarded as insufficient, and an explanation followed, which, according to the Morning Post, is satisfactory. The Daily Mail states that the Sultan tried to secure the demarcation by Turks of the Egyptian frontier. The Daily Telegra.ph's Constantinople correspondent states that the Sultan was practically alone in resisting the delimitation of the frontier by an Anglo-Turkish commission. The Sultan considers that Egypt is a vassal State, and that there can he no frontier. He also argued that he originally confided thu Sinai Peninsula to the Khedive's personal administration. The Mail says that Britain intends to shell the forts at the entrance to the Dardanelles. Information from other sources makes it still uncertain whether the Porte's submission is unequivocal. The Athens correspondent of The Times says that at the best the Sultan's dilatory tactics have been renewed. The fleet remains under steam at Phalerum, ready for immediate action if necessaryCAIRO, "May 9. When the cruiser Minerva landed Colonel Mantell the Turkish commander ab El Rafah protested against his presence, declaring that as Egypt was the Sultan's vassal, Britain's intervention was not admissible. May 10. A strong patrol of the Egyptian coastguard service and five guns have proceeded to the western sid© of the Suez Canal. May 11. Fifteen British warships are at Port Said, in readiness to patrol the canal when the ultimatum expires. CONSTANTINOPLE, May 9. Muktar Pasha is encouraging the Sultan to strengthen his position by striking a i blow at British influence in Egypt. He ! is also frying to arouse a hostile Egyptian agitation by bribing native journalists and the mollahs (priests) to inflame the populace. May 12. The Grand Vizier submitted slightly 1 modified proposals, but Sir N. R- O'Cnnor

(the British Minister) replied that British demands represented the absolute minimum.

The ultimatum expires at midnight on Sunday.

Quite a number of Turkish ladies of position, have escaped from their harems, and have fled to Paris.