Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-08
The Future OF Central Africa.

There are reasons for thinking that the
English Will NOT withdraw from tine Sou
dan even il they should succeed in CON
quering the Mahdi and forcing the no.
tile tribes TO submit 10 their dictat on.
To with raw may have been the purpose
OF the English Government AZ one time,
and If it is yet It Is pretty safe 20 assume
that it Will be changed before peace is
declared.
There are forces at work which, if not
thwarted, will eventually result In BRING
ing under the influence Of civilization The
greater portion OF Central Africa. For
ages the impression was that the whole OF
middle Africa was almost unfit for Occu-
patton by civilized people, and that It's in
haoitants were savages whose condition
could not possibly be improved. The eX-
plOrations Of Livingston and Stanley and
the discoveries that have been made since
the English became interested in Egypt
have changed this impression.
1t is now known that the soil in ma. y
parts Of the region known as Central
Africa is exceedingly productive, and
that the inhabitants are susceptible TO
civilizing Influences. Those who have
mad an opportunity to study this vast
region say that 1t has all the requisites
Tor sustaining a great population, and
predict that in the course of time 1t will
be divided into wealthy and powerful
States.
The conference at Berlin which ad-
jOurned a few days ago was significant as
for Central Africa. IL that conference
the nations most deeply interested were
England, France, Germany and Italy.
The purpose was to prepare the way for
establishing State in the VALLEY OF the
Congo. Colonies are TO be planted there,
and it is expected that in a very few years
there will be thriving towns and itch
plantations along that great river.
The SOudan possesses as many advan-
tsges as the Congo country does. There
are portions OF it that are extremely pro-
ductiye, and the climate is by no means
as bad as it has been represented TO be. a
few days ago our dispatches stated that
the railway from Suakin TO Berber, which
the English have undertaken to build,
would be completed within a year, II
was also stated that it would be usea for
commercial purposes as well as Tor the
movement OF troops. Who can say that
when the war against the Mahdi IS over
that this railway Will nOi be extended to
kbartoum, and even beyond into the
provinces that are said to be the richest
portions of tee Soudan2
Along the line OF this railway immigrs-
ton would llow. Under the protection
Of England, and perhaps OF Italy, the
fertile lands, under intelligent cultivation,
may be made so productive as 20 sustain
not only great population, tut also TO
furnish the basis of an immense trade
with European countries. With such
possibility staring them in the face it is
hardly to be expected that the English
Will withdraw from the S0udan when
they shall have become masters OF it.
The reason why European nations are
so eager to open no Central Africa to civ
IlIzati0n is twO-fOid. They want new
markets for Their manufactured products
and they want an outlet tor their surplus
populations. They do not like che idea of
contributing 10 the growth Of this cOuu-
try; they would rather send their surplus
population to colonies OF their own whose
commerce they could control. They are
bound to get rid OF 2 portion of their pep
uiation in order to keep down the discou-
tent that comes from the hard competition
for the means OF existence. Coloniz alton,
therefore, is the policy of the European
nations that are 0veTcrOwd, d, and in car
rying out this policy it would not be at ali
surprising if Central Africa should be-
come the seat Of European colonies, AMI
eventually OF powerful States.