THE PROJECTED ABERCROMBY MONUMENT AT ALEXANDRIA.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SrE,—Will you allow me to protest against your endorsement, in the Spectator of October 20th, of an act of questionable international courtesy, —the projected monument to Sir Ralph Abercromby at Alexandria ? Egypt is not British territory, and to erect a monument to a British victor on Egyptian soil can hardly fail to be resented by the French as an improper use of our position in Egypt. The inexpediency of this action is heightened by the contrast of the studiously correct attitude of the French colony in Egypt. The centenary of 1801 follows hard on the centenaries of 1798 and 1799. The French, however, during the past two years never proposed to erect statues, or even to hold demonstrations, in honour of Bonaparte, Kleber, and Desaix, of the battle of the Pyramids, of the defeat of the Turks at Aboukir, and all the glorious exploits recorded on the temple walls of Philte. During the twenty years 1892-1912 the French have an opportunity, if they so wish, of celebrating centenary triumphs over all the nations of Europe. Most of these can, if they wish, retaliate by celebrating anti- '.r triumphs of their own. That this has not been done testifies to a general feeling that this is hardly a dignified occupation for great nations. If we hold an Alexandria celebration next year, we invite Buenos Ayres and Walcheren celebrations for the corning years, to say nothing of Bergen and Bois-le-Due triumphs, the centenaries of which have already gone by. By all means let us erect a monument to our great countryman; but let it be a pacific memorial at home, to mark the centenary of his death; not a bellicose trophy on the scene of his victory, recalling, to sensibilities still smarting under a fresh humilia- tion, the death-blow dealt to Franco-Egyptian dreams, and all
the bitter disillusionments which separate the epoch of the Pyramids from the epoch of Fashoda.—I am, Sir, &c.,
[We print our co rrespondent's letter, but it is in our opinion absurd to manufacture a slight to France out of the very natural desire to do honour to the memory of a brave man at the place where he met his death. The French are, we believe, the last nation in the world to object to com- memorating fitly the death of a great soldier in action.—ED. Spectator.]
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