The record-union., 1897-05-27
THE ENGLISH AND DELAGOA BAY.

Delagoa Bay, on the south coast of
Africa, is owned by the Portuguese, if
in fact ownership can at all be justified
under the manner in which possessions in
South Africa have been secured. From
this bay railroad runs inland to Pre-
toria, in the Transvaal, and over it the
Boer Government enjoys certain privil-
eyes. 1t is only by this route that the
Beers can reach tide water.
England has always been jealous of
the advantage the Portuguese have in
the ownership of this splendid port, one
of the best of any on the African coasts.
She has had some sort of treaty inter
ests in the bay, not clearly understood
by outsiders. Germany has made some
claims upon the bay also, and has as
serted the right to have equal use of the
railroad running from it into the Trans
vaaI. Even our own country has nego-
tiated concerning rights in those
waters, and over that road, though we
have asserted nothing and have only
DdISdlneQ 1OI CtIldlu pllNllSSSo tileat
American investment in South Africa
might have facilities for business and
protection.
The anxiety of all the great nations
about Delagoa Bay and the preserva-
tion of its waters in neutrality under all
circumstances, arises out Of the fact
that it is the door to a larger portion Of
the most productive and desirable re-
gions of all South Africa To dominate
in the waters of that bay and over the
line running from it, means to prac-
tically control all the commerce that
passes into and out of it's port. In the
case of the Transvaal, to be shut off
from Delagoa Bay would mean the de-
struction of more than half of her com
merce, and would cripple all production
of the State.
England has proposed to buy Delagoa
Bay outright several times, and Portu-
gal has not been indisposed to sell.
Transvaal people wish to own the rail-
road and port rights also, and very nat
urally since they are of far greater i'm
portance to the Beers than to any other
people. To buy out or secure perma-
nent interests in the Portuguese terri
tory and port is the only hope the South
African Republic has of becoming a sea
coast state. But if England secures semi
control of the bay. the Beers will be
cl hn will a in in
terror State and be crippled, as all in
terror independencies are, between
which and the sea lay States with the in
terests of which they are not in har-
mony.
1t is probable that because OF this
strong desire TO dominate at the bay.
is to be attributed the friendliness of
the Beers toward Germany, which they
hope to secure as an ally in the effort
to gain footing at the port. Germany
has all along been entirely willing to
enter into the compact, and to take the
Transvaal as security, but between the
English and the Portuguese, she has
failed to effect her purpose.
Thus matters stood when recently
there came the story that England had
succeeded in getting control of Della
goa This was given support by the re-
cital Of activities in England for dis
patch of troops and munitions of war
to South Africa, and now the wires
give us the story of the fitting out of
transports for South Africa These
ships are said to be laden with supplies
and goods and defensive material the
character of which indicates that they
are not intended for present English
colonies in South Africa
1t is quite reasonable TO suppose that
England has secured the prize, has
closed negotiations with Portugal of an
entirely satisfactory character, because
no other nation has such extent of do
main in South Africa, her territory
being three times greater than the lands
of all other nations aggregated. She has
infinitely the larger commerce with
South Africa, vastly the greater capital