The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-09-30
GOVERNMENT OF
THEIR COLONIES.
Some Experiences of Germany With
Its African territory.
ARE PLANTATION C0L0NlES2
Relations With Natives on the Whole
Have Been Good-Statistics
Showing the Tradc-Treat~
les Concluded.
ARE PLANTATION COLONIES 2

WASHINGTON. September 29.-Special.
So much interest is felt in tho colonial
experiences OF other countries, and es-
pecialiy when they relate to experiments
I'm tropical regions. that the following re-
port ON the German colonies In Africa by
the secretaries of the British Embassy
at Berlin. which has just been received
by the Treasury Bureau OF Statistics, is
especially timely. The German colonies
I'm Africa are located from three 70 twelve
degrees north and south from the equator.
the climatic conditions and products thus
being sufficiently similar to those Of Puerto
Rico. Cuba. Hawaii and the Philippines
10 lend especial interest to experiments
now in progress under the direction OF
the German government as detained III
the report. as follows:
EUROPEAN RESIDENTS.
"The number of resident Europeans In
German Africa i'm January, 1897, was
1913. Of whom 2,ls2 were Germans. Inc
military force consisted of 962 German
officers and men. and about 2@0 colored
soldiers. besides the police force.
"The area of the German possessions IN
Africa are given as S-0GiS square miles.
"Tho expenses TO the home government
was estimated for 1sgs-g9 at $1,000 pounds
sterling. and 1909 pounds sterling deficit
carried over from ls95-9S. This IS an
increase of 5000 pounds sterling over the
state subsidy granted last year East
Africa receives l6C pounds sterling less,
and Southwest Africa $1,000 pounds starl-
Ing more than In the last colonial bud
get. mainly owing 90 the grants for the
Swakop Railway the improvement of
swak0p harb0r and the increased expense
of the armed force.
"It will bc seen from a comparison of
the area and the European population
that az yet the colonies are like those of
an other nations I'm the same attitudes,
plantation and not settlement colonies.
IN this respect the year 1897 Us OF good
augury for the future OF the colonies.
From every quarter comes evidence of the
remarkable progress of tho plantations IN
TOgOlaud the CamarOOns and East
Africa. In East Africa there are at pres
emf % plantations with "a capital of loo.-
30 pounds sterling. ina the Camaroons
there are 10 and the TOgoland. six planta-
tons The success ~ these undertakings
which judging by the frequent tounda-
ton Of new companies appears 20 be as
sured Us due chiefly 20 the government
experimental gardens which are conduct
cd by trained officials under instructions
from the central botanical station In Ber-
lin From these stations seedlings are
supplied % European planters and to- MAJ
tive chiefs. There is every reason TO sup
pose that the products Of the colonies.
eshocially coffee cOaconuts and cacaO and
also possibly india rubber Will rapidly I'M
crease. Particulars will be in the ap-
pended detailed reports.
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.
CAS- TO another and more important side
90 the colonial question. the possibility
Of establishing settlements of German
farmers. the answer Is not as vet so de-
cisively in the affirmative. 10 appears
proved that IN one district Of East Africa,
West Usambara. some 800 or 400 European
families could support themselves by
farming iu healthy and temperate Gle
mate and under conditions not unlike
those existing in Germany. In addition
90 this district there is "a large territory.
Uhcho in East Africa. northeast of Lake
Nyassa. where. in the opinion of the gov-
ernOr II viii Do possible 20 establish
large agricultural settlements of Euro
pean farmers
"m Southwest Africa the southern dis
trlct is extremely dry. but water storage
has been tried with success and where
facilities exist for constructing dams
there is little doubt that there as iu
Western Canada. lt viii be found prOhtl-
hl.. tO grow wheat or al any rate pas
tura. Iu the central district company
is in formation with the object or estate
fishing considerable colony of German
farmers round an artificial lake. THE
government is paying great attention to
thc land quest i0n and DO is evident that
confidence ls felt that at least some 1gri-
cultural colonies win Doe established Dee
fore long. More than DOB European flrm-
ccs are already settled in the colony The
great want is European women. ass BIS a.-
ways tine case in similar stages OF co.o-
,lal development. The climate cannot Doe
considered as hopeless from The agrIcul-
tIrll point of view-rhe rainfall of Wnl-
hook last year having been over twenty
inches. 10 is however, subject % great
variations.
THE RELATIONS PLEASANT
"The relations of the governments with
tne natives have been ON the who'll g0od
Two difficult campaigns. one Boo the soItl-
west of East Africa. the other boo Che
north Of Southwest Africa. were succoss-
fully concluded The labor question ap.
pears % Doe solved iu East Africa. wher.
,riDrs have been found willing and able
t1 work The same may bc said OF lnr
ClmerO0ns but in T0e0land BE- appears
That the demand is NOT fully met The
government has issued severe restrictions
on the employment of labor with view
to protect the natives from abuses In
fhe Camer0ons it has steadily set us
.ace against forced labor. and it ape
pears with sIccess-as the natives now
seem To- come in for employment of their
cWn accord
The statistics of trade In the African
colonies are as follows. Total imports.
lllLOo pounds sterling, total exports,
34l1le pounds sterling. or this ~ per
cent. is with Germany. Great Britain and
her posse sions nave large share iH The
trade OF the German colonies Almost all
0f the exports of Southwest Africa went
90 Eng and and a quarter of the imports
came from British territory Nearly hall
the goods imported INTO East Africa
came from India. and the greater part of
tine exports went 20 Zanzibar FOR trans
shipment
"lt Will Doe seen by an examination Of
the figures that the German colonies are
san in the condition Of an Investment
which is not yet paying full interest. This
is due 10 the large sums now being eX-
pended on the plantations I'm which the
trees have not yet begun TO bear. 10 will
bee necessary TO wait some years before
final judgment is possible as TO the sue
cess of the experiment
Two treaties have been concluded OF
great Importance 10 the colonial interests
0f Germany; that with France settling
the eastern and northern boundaries OF
TOgOland. and assuring the colony an eX-
ceIent trade route on the eastern side,
and that with China transferring the port
OF Klau Chow 20 Germany.
IMPORTANT FACT.
From the general point OF view. per-
haps the most important fact recorded
in this report is the examination by Or.
Ne.