Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-05
TITO scramhIc for tie World.


What n scramble il i. and how hot il il
getting! England aud Russia began the
game. France struck in. and now Germany
/, IN full cry. The contagion Of annexation
j. >urcading cNerywhcIe. Europe Is par
titiomne the world Every Power Is grasp
ing with both hands after fresh territory.
The area unapproprated is diminishing
daily. and ii the lace i not slackoned there
will soon not be a single black or brown
man I'm the whole wide world who VIII not
Le the subject Of one or other Of the Eu-
TO, can Powers. All cOlorcd men seem to
he regarded Is far game. The
white man Is dividing up the plan
Il. II i a strange and startling pro.
cess. but it has become so H.
milar ~ To cease 10 attract notice. All
round the continents OF the dark skin,
Europeans are hosting hlgs and proclaim
ing anneXatiouS with the ieverish haste OF
gold-miners who have suddenly struck u
vein of the precious metal, aud who cst1b-
lsh claims" by the simple process OF
sticking in posts bearing their names. u
l. wholesale scQuestraion Of the world,
based upon the principe that no one has
right 10 anv rule or sovereignty IN either
hemisphere bu; men Of European birth Or
oriain. The Chosen People did not APP
mopriale the Promised Land with more
rcrlcct assurance OF right 10 dispos'ess
The Canaanltcs than that shown by the
white men in the plundcr rad round tn
world.
Attention j. chiefly directed just now TO
the action OF Germany. But that acton
has Mon much less systematic than ml%h-
have been expected from so scientific pro-
pie. Instead Of dispatchinS Or. Nachii2al
10 pick up few Scaports here ana tneIe
along the African cOost, our German kli>-
folk should have set TO work In more de,iD-
crate and comprehensive fashion. But
pcrbaps the trip OF the MOewe l. but an
cXpcrimCntal cruise, preparing the way Tor
the real enterprise. II 20, We may expect
tnat before long gunboat will leave Ham
burg, followed by Il nOtilla OF steamers
laden with cargOes OF na@-poles ana
bunting. The commander, advised by
couple OF learned professors. Will take win
| him chart OF the world, drawn up by the
| Intelligence Department at Berlin, snow
| ing with the utmost eXacttudc the llnllt'
| OF the rs yet unapproprlatcd territories ol
| the world. lie will then proceed to plant
| a German flagstaff aud hoist the German ilag
| at intervals Of. say, two miles all r0unu th'
! Dark Continent, wherever land l. TO be fount
not yet annexed 10y any European Power
| When that gunboat returns TO HiinDur2
| there will be no more unappropriated lanC
| TO Quarrel about; it will all have been an
| nexed. Nowhere along the African lit
toral will the eye OF adventurous DE
Brazza or filibusterng Italian find nook
or corner not Oyershadowed by the Ger
nan flag. Their Hamburg poles will cir
| die the continent as Engand's drumbea
is said to encirce the world. Nothing
short Of such busineSs-like programme
would be worthy Of the systematic and sci
entilic spirit OF the German people, and II
would, il intelligently directed, avoid tn
| blunders that baye recently been made OF
the coast Of Africa. where, both near Quit
tab and near Angra Pequena, the German'
have annexed by proclamation territory
that was already under the British flag
They will probably not hoist the German
standard over Cape Town; but short o
that these too jealous captains hardly seen
likely TO stop.
The action Of the German gunboats IL
however, forcing 10 the front the question
as 10 what constitutes a valid act OF an
neXation. international law refuses 10 re
cognize paper blockade. What has 1t 4
say about paper annexstiony II the land
of the dark races are to be publicly scram
bled fol, what are to be the laws OF th
gamer Is the first man who erects flag
staff and hoists his flag to acquire undispu
ted right OF sovereignty over all the terri
tory within sight OF his bunting. Or Is th
hosting OF flag, unaccompanied by In
exercise OF the rights or the discharg'
OF any OF the duties OF sovereignty. TO b
regarded az meaningless formalityi
the former Is .he true doctrine, then tn
Germans have made mistake at Bageid
and south OF Angra Pequena. II the latter
then are they not wasting their time b
proceedings which are lntrinsically lud
crouss The question Is one OF keen inter
est to us. not only on account OF recer
events on the west coast OF Africa, but OF on
rosition In Polynesia. We have Just san(
iioned paper annexation OF New Guinea b
our colonists. what's 1t worths Nay, al
there not great stretches Of Australia
coast ON which no Englishman has ever 81