FRENCH COLONIES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 32, 2 November 1920, Page 7

FRENCH COLONIES

WEALTH BANKS NEXT TO BRITISH

POSSESSIONS

GREAT POST-WAR PROGRESS

Unusual progress in the development of commerce and natural resources in tho Frenoh colonial possessions and dependencies has brought them wealth ranking next to that of the BritSsh colonial empire, according to a survey mado publio by the French Commission, says the Now York "Evening Post." Tho French colonies, with an estimated population of 50,500,000, havo an area of 4,000,000 6quare mi'es.

Total exports from live colonies in 1917,' with the exception of Algeria and Tunis, were valued at. approximately 1,108,000,000. francs. Sinco 1911 exports in the various possession increased from 25 to 100 per cent. Tho increases are attributed to lllie. thrift of natives following the war's ending Total Algerian exports in 1919 were more than 1.334,000,000 francs, an increase of about 553,000,000 over 191 S. Tho port of Algiers alone handled exports approximailing 475,158,000 francs, an increase' of 200,8*22,000 franos, according to estimates. Chief imports were cotton, clothing, and' linen, skins, coal, sugar, and coffee. Chief, exports were wines, fruit, tobacco, wheat, .oats, barley, and wool. Amounts of im-; ports and exports were greater in the order mentioned. • National roads in Algeria have a length of 3310 miles, while 2203 railway • were open for traffic in January, 1019. ' Tunis, essentially an agricultural coun-, try, had'biimpor grain crops in 1919, as, follows.—Wheat, 6,500,553 bushels; barley,, 5.428,223 bushels; oats, 3,444,722' bushels.. Tho cork industry is important, corktrees covering more ilhan 600,000 acres.' The annual mineral production averages in value more than 30,000,000 francs. The spring estimate of 1920 harvest on tho Frenoh zone of Morocco valued the crops at 1,000,000,000 francs, and' it, was ' expected there would be n, largo surplus for export, the survey states. ' Exports to France in 1918 were valued at 82.052,880 francs; the imports at 155,224,925 francs. . . _ ~ The French possessions in India consist of five separate colonics, with an aggregate area of 1960 square miles. Rice, sugar, cotton, cocoa, coffee, and ground nuts are grown. Tho principal export from' Pondiclierry, tho chief possession. is oil seeds. Frenoh Indo-China has a population of about 17.000,000. The territory tributary to Saigon is almost entirely agricultural, being one of the great rice regions of tho world. Tho minerals are coal, lignite, wolfram, tin, and zino. In -the other "possessions, including Madagascar, French Equatorial Afrioa, French Somaliland, and French West Africa, which is the largest in the colonies. commerce has almost doubled since 1914. tho survey says. French West Africa, comprised of Senegal, HaviUSene-gal-Niger, French Guinea, the Ivory OoastC Dahomey, tho military territory of tho Niger and Mauretania, covcrs approximately 1,840,000 square miles. The general budget amounts to about 25,000,000,000 friincs annually. The ngri'cultural resources are most _ important. The. production of cotton is growing, while jute, agavn, and sisal are cultivated extensively. Rubber is tho most important product in tho forest resources. Cattle-raising has increased. The mineral wealth is great. _ The commerce of this possession has increased 500 per. cent., since tho French administration was created in 1895. ...

The French .colonics in America, con-' pistiiiir of Guinna, Martinique, Guade-, loupe, and St. Pierre and Miquelon are' principally noted for their lumber Products, sugar. ruin, cocoa, and oodfish. Agriculture takes an important role in the smaller provinces, especially in ftovr Caledonia, said to be one of tho richest countries in the world. >