GERMAN SOUTH AFRICA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 80, 25 August 1914, Page 6

GERMAN SOUTH AFRICA.

' AN IMPORTANT COLON i. German SouUi-wcbit Africa was an early fruit of tho programme of toiuuiul expansion mid uowu by Jfrwee Bismarck. Jf British siatesinicn iiau not 'been gamy o-i pioei.i.sL.na. ,no [(I , f:)U .• the C.ermau colony could not, have been founded tit ail. Vviion hit Bureiu hr-ere was Governor of Cape Colony, UIS rejiea/tedly urged upon die iiome Uo-vcrn-litont tile necessi i,y oi esiaiMsiimg ,;i British protectorate over 1 lie area now included in German South-West Africa, but the only concession. made. co his 'insistence was the uuiauog o( the British /lag Hay in 1878. A small 'part of 'tile adjacent land was aiso dedared to be British territory. As Uer-mi.-n houith-VVftst Africa is l now constituted, Wallish Bay lie® about the centre Io i its const-line. In the '.seventies the English Government apparently did not believe that Pnneo Bismarck would fi'ive his sanction to the creation of a. empire, and procrastinating replies were made to German inquiries 'is to whether Britain claimed any Tights over the .South-West African territory. The belief proved ill-fouuded. Ju lss:l the agent of a German subject named Luderitz landed oil the coast of Argra Pequena, a.nd l>y negotiation with the native chiefs, obtained possession of p. territory of 21a equine miles. 11l August, 1884, it was iiltimated to the British Government that llw German Emperor had, by proclamation, taken over the •territory belonging to Mr Luderitz. This was tlu: beginning of a colonv and protectorate which has. grown to an area of ;i22,4,>0 square miles. It has a native population of 200,00,» belonging to tine [lotteniot, Bushiiuiii|, Bantu, and Oaniarsi races. The colony lieis hrltween Portuguese West Africa- a.nd Cape Colony, and extends eastward to tho British sphere. The European .puliation in 1!)I;{ was 14,816 (12,21*} German); the military force (inclusive of police.) is 2!)U2 men. SVlliools arc provided for about 4000 pupils. The seat of administration ii a,t Windhoek, some of the other stations being Gobabis, {-iwakopiirund, Keetanmshcop, »od Gibeon. The. natural harbors are Sandwich Harbor, which feeing gradually sanded up, and Argra Pequena-, or Luderitz Bay (mentioned in t'lio cablegrams as Liulembbac'ht). A new harbor Juis been constructed at £tfakoprmntd. This latter place is a site, of a wireless station, which has lately been reported as ' queering" British othergrsnu. 'Ph.; Cape and Mossa.medes cable touches at Swakopmnnd. Several million acres of clown and native lands in the colon- have been disposed of, but there in little ngrirul(lire, tin ugh market gardening is common. The.chief industry is pastoral; m HU2 the live stock include:! 171.784 cattle and 480,074 sheep. Amongst niin eral exports diamonds to tile value of '£i»6B,(Wo were produced in 1!)12. The revenue and expendiiui'" for ]!>l4 woi<« ,put at approximately £27O,(XX), of winch about £240,000 was Imperial contribution. There were 1304 miles < f open iwlwav in the colony in BUS, !/)!W.4:!0 miles of .telegraph line, and 41 j miles of telephone line. The Governor is Dr. Seitz, ami: the British Consul Mr K Jf. W. Midler.