EGYPTIAN RIOTS

Taranaki Daily News, 26 November 1935, Page 6

EGYPTIAN RIOTS

OUTBREAK OF 1919 RECALLED. STRATFORD MAN’S EXPERIENCE. The present riots in Egypt have recalled to a Stratford resident his experiences during similar riots there in 1919. He was then an officer attached to Head Quarters, N.Z.E.F., Cairo, and he related his recollections at Stratford on Saturday. “I was going to the office of the N.Z.E.F. off Kasr-El-Nil Street on the morning of March 10,” he said, “when I was surprised to see a surging mass of Egyptians coming down the street howling and making a terrible noise. They were preceded by a number of young girls and boys armed with sticks and stones and as they went down the street towards the city they ran from side to side of the road breaking shop windows. This was the start of the Egyptian riots and risings which continued for several weeks. The mob continued its mad career right through the city. The native police were powerless. The students from the university were taking a leading part in the procession. “On the following day the unrest continued and although the natives were prohibited from holding gatherings and processions they continued to outwit the police by holding funreals and carrying a dummy coffin. During one afternoon a party of officers had assembled on the Balcony of the Continental Hotel in the Opera Square when the natives began firing from a mosque near Abdin Square towards the Opera Square and killed an English officer. The military was ordered out and took up a position near the Esbekiva Gardens with machine guns trained on the angry mob, which had increased to many thousands. A few shots were fired and several Egyptians were killed and wounded. The Egyptians dragged their wounded and killed on to the balcony of the Continental Hotel. This stirred the mob and a very awkward position was averted by reinforcements of mounted men. WARNING TO TROOPS. “Orders were issued that the troops must not go out singly but always in pairs, and all officers had to carry revolvers. Most of the shops were barricaded and shutters placed in front of the windows. The ghairy drivers went on strike, as did all the men who looked after the sanitation of the city. After several days the place became unbearable and the authorities resorted to making the civilian Egyptian prisoners do the cleaning up under a guard of Tommies. “It was not an uncommon sight to see a Tommy soldier perched on top of an Egyptian water cart with his rifle, while a native did the driving. Armoured cars A'ere also sent out to patrol the city. All trains had a military guard. Disorder increased with the avowed intentions of turning out the British from Egypt. The natives murdered British officers and people and disconnected and destroyed railways and telegraph lines.

“In consequence the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade, which had handed in all equipment in readiness to proceed to -New Zealand, was again equipped and went areas in the Nile delta. A squadron of the Wellington Mounted Rifles under Major W. R. Foley (now Colonel Foley, M.C., Stratford) I entrained for Cairo. This squadron did very good work among the rioters. Major Foley was afterwards thanked by the officer commanding the forces at Cairo for the excellent work his squadron did. This squadron was after formed into a composite regiment consisting of Australian Light Horse and Artillery Mounted Men, but it still remained under Major Foley as Officer Commanding. “To make the situation worse native officials raced round tire streets of Cairo in motor-cars inciting the rioters, who took charge of trains, broke windows and generally destroyed property. As the riots increased it was necessary to withdraw the small mounted patrols which were constantly on the move in the city streets and concentrate them so that they might be able to proceed to any part of the city at a moment’s notice. One day the natives looted an Armenian shop on the suburb of Bulac and when the Mouhted Rifles arrived they found that the rioters had erected barricades of carts and furniture and evidently considered themselves safe. The W.M.R., however, jumped the obstacles and the troopers belaboured the natives with batons.

PATROL MEETS RESISTANCE.

“No sooner had they dispersed these natives than they received orders to proceed at once to Bab-El-Luk station, as they natives were again looting Armenians. The patrol met with a shower of stones and bottles and several revolver shots. On arrival they found piles of clothing and furniture were being burned and many men, women and children beaten to death. After a hard struggle the mob was beaten off and retired to Abdin Square, near the Sultan’s palace, which was a kind of sanctuary, for the New Zealand troops had been ordered not to enter it.

“In the meantime other troops of the N.Z.M.R. Brigade were despatched over the Nile delta. The Canterbury Mounted Rifles, under Colonel J. Findlay, were stationed at Benna and Tanta, A small column, was afterwards formed with four armoured cars and a small armoured train which went through the delta districts. Kafr-El-Sheikh was a very badly disaffected area. An amusing story was told of an Omda, or head man of the village, who tried to escape in a motor-car, but afterwards became a great help to the regiment in helping to round up the rioters. He told the following story: ‘I was much fear of the men with the Rig Hats (N.Z. Hats) and when a man came up to me after my arrest and told me to put my hands to my side and stand up, at the same time putting his hand to his belt, I thought my last days had come and began trembling and saying my prayers and consigned myself to God when he pulled out a camera and took my photo. I could have kissed him.’ “All rioters arrested were tried immediately by a court set up by Colonel Findlay, and if found guilty, they were sentenced to fines, imprisonment and the lash. After a few weeks under this rule the districts became quiet. Small outbreaks still continued at Cairo and the large towns but eventually the city of Cairo regained its quietness and the gay life went on as before.”