, 1893-07-15
UGANDA.

satisfactory news transmitted from Uganda
by our Special Correspondent have been al
ready dealt with at length in The Times.
There are one or two special matters that may
be briefly referred to here. 1t is evident, not
only from tire telegram itself, but from the
answers given on behalf Of the Government
to questions in Parliament, that events are
working towards the retention of Uganda as q
British ProtectoTate, under the directeadmi-
nistration Of the Government. Uganda pro
peris country of comparatively small extent,
and has come to be a convenient designation
for the whole of what is included under Bril-
fish East Africa, just as England is sometimes
synonymous with the British Empire, 1t may,
therefore, he assumed that the declaration Of q
protectorate over Uganda will mean that the
whole region from the coast to the Western
lakes and the Upper, Nile, and from the
Anglo-GeIman boundary to the Jub river, Is
to be as much a part Of the Empire as the re-
gion north of the Zambesi known as British
Central Africa. The withdrawal of the fOlces
from the tHo western forts established 10y
Captain Lugard does not imply the abandon
ment of that section. These forts have serv-
ed their purpose in teaching the ''Arab"
slave raiders that they cannot exercise their
craft on British territory with IMMUNITY. The
other forts in that western section, which is
quite beyond the limits Of Uganda. will be
maintained and no doubt reinforced. Captain
Macdonald, who has been appointed by Sir
Gerald Portal Administrator of Uganda, is a
capable Engineer officer, who with his col
league, Captain Plingle, did excellent work
in the railway survey from the coast to Lake
Victoria. We presume that he viii be re-
sponsible for Uganda proper, with Usogo on
the east and the region extending westwards
to Lakes Albert and Albert Edward on the
west. In establishing a colony of Soudanese
slaves at Lake Victoria, Sir Gerald Portal is
carrying ont a scheme laid down hy Captain
Lugard. OF course an administratIve srga-
n~ization devised by Sir Gerald Portal can
only be regarded ns provisional. When his
report is received, and when the Government
come to consider the whole question of Cur
future relations with British East Africa,
and the position to be occupied by the Char
tered Company, % comprehensive scheme Of
administration will have to be devised.
Though comprehensive it need be neither
elaborate nor costly. Would it be wise to
attach the extensive mainland region to the
island protectorate of Zanzibar Those most
familiar with the conditions think this would
be a mistake. and that, ON the other hand,
it would be inadvisable 10 establish the CEN
trail administration in Uganda proper. 1t Is
taken Tor granted GnUC tn6Te VIII DC u CohlIdI
administration, with subordinate centres. Not
Uganda proper, but the magnificent Mau
plateau to the east of the lake, seems to be
indicated by nature as the headquarters of
any British administration over this interest.
ing section of tropical Africa. Here we have
heights Of from 6,O00ft. to 9,00Oft, admirably
adapted, we are assured by those most COM
peteHt TO Judge, not only for European resi-
dence. but for cattle ranching and planting
on a large scale. Here would be a favoura-
BILE spot for experiments in European coloni.
zation if that is not possible here, it is not
possible in any part Of tropical Africa. 1t is,
moreover, much more i'll the centre of the
British sphere than Uganda itself. On the
east there mis- LIT be an administrator of what
we might call the coast province, aud on the
west another. administrator Of the Uganda,
or western province, with a central admins
traitor having his headquarters oil the Mau
plateau. interfering only in extreme cases
with the work, Of his subordinates. These
are the main liues,..t to be filled up in detail
vbsn asff4 the data aAtasfto hand. It would be
premature to enter into details as to the
persons best adapted to fill these posts. Cap
tain LuRard's forthcoming work will proba-,
bly be Of great iseryice in enabling the Go
ve,nmeendt to deal With the problems before it
with intelligence and knowledge.-Tbid.