TROPIC RULE.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 May 1922, Page 4

TROPIC RULE.

I NEGRO AND WHITE) IN AFRICA. '

TANKS, FOR THE JUNG Lb

LONDON, March 7.,

In bis work “The Duel Mandate in British Tropical Africa” (published today), Sir F. D. Lugard deals with all the great issues of African administration, bringing to bear on them a rich store of wisdom and experience.

He has spent forty years in the tropics, and “over thirty in responsible positions in Africa,” so that what he has to Say carries great weight.

It is (lie says) of great moment that the British democracy, faced with problems which portend great changes ill our social organisation, should under* stand the relation which our overseas dependencies bear to the economic wellbeing of this country—how vital to our industrial life are the products of the

tropics, and its markets for our manufactures.

On the question of self-determination for our tropical dependencies he writes:

Recently the decision has been taken to grant to India progressive self-gov-ernment on Western models. It is a new departure in the world’s history—for Japan lies outside the tropics—and only the event can show how lar alien, democratic systems are adapted to the government of tropical races. , The British Empire in tropical Africa now covers an area of 2.1,24),009 sq. miles witli a population ot .47.900,000.

Its population, though small for so vast nil area, is double the density ot French tropical Africa, if we exclude the Sahara. Its trade, which is rapidly expanding, is more than double that ol India per head of population, and in equal per head to that ol Japan. UPLANDS FOR THE “WHITES.” Sir Frederick Lugard is not altogether enthusiastic as to the prospects of white settlements on the tropical tablelands.

The altitude creates a sub-tropical nr even a temperate climate, uppareutly tvell suited to the white races. It has not yet, however, been conclusively established that Etnopean children can grow to maturity in such conditions, and many consider that the altitude which creates, the climate . induces a tendency to nervous excitement and tension. . . . 'The presence of all indigenous native population, which is available for the unskilled and menial work, militates against true Colonial development. . . . White and coloured labour have not yet learned to work side by side on equal terms in our dependencies, and the attempt has hitherto resulted in the demoralisation ol both. t>! the Negro races he gives a most sympathetic account: The typical African <of the Bantu race) is a happy, thriftless, excitable person, lacking in self-control, discipline. and |o re sight, naturally courageous and naturally courteous and polite, full of personal vanity, with little sense of veracity, fond of music,

and “loving weapons as an Oriental loves jewellery, lie suffers little irom npp;cbension for the future or grief for tl.e past.” 'The virtues and defects of this race-type are those of attractive children. “Valiant, clever, lovable, they bear no malice and nurse no grievani c.” They are not by any means a decaying people like the Austialian aborigines. On • of tin* many interesting suggestions which Sir F. Lugard makes is that a wide use should he made of mechanical transport. To avoid the heavy cos! of metalling and maintaining roads, “rol!er-tra<*k M vehicles, which, being without wheels, i rente instead i.T destroying the roadway, olfer attract ions. The system has l.ieu made familiar by pictures of “tanks” during the war. it is claimed that tractors of IOG-borse power, drawing trailers with a load of 20 tons, can he worked (cry economically. This is an ciiiirely new application of the “tank” system in a country and climate where metalled roads are enormously costly and luimetalled roads are speedily “churned into deep dust or sand.”