The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-06-28
DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA.
How England II Forcing . Large Trade
The Slave Trnfic.


American schemes for the extension
Of trade with Africa have not met with
that degree Of success which the most
sanguine had hoped for. Not many
years ago prominent New York mer-
chant became quite enthusiastic re-
speeding the prospects of Liberia.
sending out sugar mills. encouraging
coffee culture, and aiding in the depOr-
| tation of American negroes. but the
so-called republic; now exists scarce
ly in name. In like manner a steam
ship project which for time engaged
the fostering interest Of several New
York gentlemen philanthropically in
clined never took tangible form and
passed out of mind. But a line of
sailing vessels from New York to Lii
IBERIA has been maintained. and Ameri
can exports of manufactured cotton to
Africa through various channels form
a considerable item. Meanwhile En-
gland is building up a fourishing
trade on both sides of the continent.
on the west coast and at Zanzibar.
Trade with the colony of Lagos for The
year 1887 amounted to s.. 800. 900. and
it is calculated that the entire trade OF
| great Britain with the west coast last
year amounted TO the approximate
value of S25, 100000 of imports and
tl3. 900, 900 of exports. comparing we'll
with some portions of India. At Fan
zibar, up to the recent breaking out of
hOstilities, the whole coast was a con-
tinuous line of British Indian trading
stations. and trading increased rapidly
TO $40. 0Q0, 900, the greater part of this
being iHthe hands of British subjects.
| Unfortunately" as we are tod by
Archbishop Farrar, this property at
.racted the greed of certain German
adventures, VINO made bogus
treaties" claimed vast tracts of cOun-
try. and proceeded to take possession.
despite the circumstances Of the Sui
tan. Furthermore, according to the
authority just quoted, 1.-The whole
trade Of the coast is in the hands OF
some 10000 British subjects from In
dia. including the ivory trade. cOpra.
gum opal, india rubber. hide and grain
trades. These British Indians have
lent large sums of money to the Arab
ivory caravans. They have also in
invested their profits in mortgages on
the houses and plantations of the
Arabs, feeling quite secure under the
shadow of English justice. The Brit
ish Indians have f5OO.O0O Of floating
capital employed ut this time in the
ivory trade in the far interior. and
unless some decisive measures are I'M
der;aken by the English Government
this large sum must inevitably be
!ost." England appears to have be-
come inextricably involved by joining
in an agreement with Germany to
maintain blockade Ito put down the
slave trade" feat somewhat difficult
Of accomplishment where every Afri-
can and Arab trader is STAKEHOLDER
either in will or deed. Clearly enough.
it would now appear the development
of Africa" whatever this may mean.
mas received a check from which there
will be tardy recovery. II is surmised.
however. that traders in Zanzibar.
while postponing indefinitely the real
lzatiOn of hopes for the commercial
.ubiugatiOn Of the interior lake re-
gions accessible from this point may
give a new impetus to the Congo Free
State and to efforts to penetrate trop-
ical Africa through the Soudan. The
marvellous achievements of Living
,, stones successor, Henry NJ. Stanley,
of whom full advices have just come
to hand, invest the subject with a new
, interest. Iron Age.