The complicated question between the Sultan of Turkey and the
Khedive of Egypt arising out of the Turkish occupation of the post of Tabah, in the Sinai Peninsula, which has always been regarded as being within Egyptian territory, is still far from a settlement. Egypt's case, in which she is strongly supported by Britain, is that the ownership of Tabah was settled by the Agreement of 1892 on the accession of the present Khedive. At the same time, the post has not been occupied for some time, and the frontier has never been strictly delimited, so the question can only be settled on the basis of friendly negotiation. But the action of the Sultan is significant of the new policy which is being vigorously pursued by the Porte. He recognises that his power comes mainly from his position as successor of the Prophet, and be is, therefore, jealously anxious to secure complete control of Arabia and the Holy Places of his religion. He is turning his eyes towards Asia, and has already come into conflict with Persia over a perfectly indefensible seizure of part of Persian Kurdistan. Among the Sheikhs at the head of the Persian Gulf, in the Aden Hinterland, and in Yemen he is endeavouring to consolidate his authority. The Hejaz railway, when completed, will enable him to concentrate troops at strategic positions. He has always been suspicious of Britain as the greatest of Mohammedan Powers, and of Egypt, which is too near Arabia for his comfort. Possibly the views of the German Emperor are not antagonistic to this new activity of his protégé.
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