mmending, itself to the Egyptian people, but is,
on the contrary, an object of suspicion, an occasion of enmity." The
article expresses grave doubt whether Lord Kitchener's repressive
measures have done more than drive discontent underground, and shows
"how strong is the Nationalist feeling in Egypt to-day in spite of the
determined attempts to stamp out all freedom of political opinion. As
might be expected, this wholesale muzzling of the press has not only
reduced the Mohammedan majority to a condition of internal ferment, but
has seriously alienated the hitherto loyal Copts. It may be that the
Government can discover no better means of recommending itself to the
confidence and good-will of the Egyptian people; it may be that only by
the instant repression of every outward sign of discontent can it feel
secure in its occupation; but if such be the case, it is an admission of
extreme weakness, or recognized insecurity of tenure." The article
concludes with the following warning as to the problem's wider
implications: "Egypt, though a subject of profound indifference to the
English voter, is being feverishly watched by the Indian Mohammedans,
and by the whole of our West and Central African subjects--themselves
strongly Moslem in sympathy, and at the present time jealously
suspicious of the political activities of Christian Imperialism."

Such being the state of Egyptian feeling in 1914, the outbreak of the
Great War was bound to produce intensified unrest. England's position in
Egypt was, in truth, very difficult. Although in fact England exercised
complete control, in law Egypt was still a dependency of the Ottoman
Empire, Britain merely exercising a temporary occupation. Now it soon
became evident that Turkey was going to join England's enemies, the
Teutonic empires, while it was equally evident that the Egyptians
sympathized with the Turks, even the Khedive Abbas Hilmi making no
secret of his pro-Turkish views. During the first months of the European
War, while Turkey was still nominally neutral, the Egyptian native
press, despite the British censorship, was full of veiled seditious
statements, while the unruly attitude of the Egyptian populace and the
stirrings among the Egyptian native regiments left no doubt as to how
the wind was blowing. England was seriously alarmed. Accordingly, when
Turkey entered the war in November, 1914, England took the decisive
plunge, deposed Abbas Hilmi, nominated his cousin Hussein Ka