Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-28
WORTH OF WEST AFRICA.
What Gains England snd France Expect in
It's Possession.

the French in the basin of the Niger, in
West Africa, has become acute again.
and here in London the newspapers,
the stock exchange, merchants trading
in the Gulf of Guinea, and the part of
public opinion that concerns itself with
foreign affairs are taking the situa-
ton very seriously. Across the chan
mel the French are much less stirred.
Even the colonial enthusiasts are too
much absorbed in the ending of the
trial of NJ. lola to pay much heed 20
brief kilograms from West Africa and
sorrowful and angry comment thereoh
in London. Semi official French opin-
ion, for once, is less sensitive and Sus-
picious, more reserved and concillatory.
than is English. 1t is even bit Jaunly,
inaSmuch as, thus far. the French nave
seemingly had the better of the con-
test in the valley of the Niger, While
the recollection of opportunities neg
lccted and of sluggishness for which no
subsequent activity could quite atone
adds irritation to English reproaches.
Irritating occurrences IN that distan;
and savage country are more easily ad-
justed than they could be did they hap
pen nearer home. The basin of the
Niger is not very tangible thing to
either Frenchmen or Englishmen
There is ample room in it for COM
promise Indeed it has been believed
that the pending negotiations in Paris
were gradually advancing toward n
satisfactory settlement of the rival
claims when the present "aggressions'
Cfrom either point of view interrupted
them.
Only when a spark of war seems 10
be lurking in the long struggle of the
two powers in West Africa do Ameri-
cans hear of it, and then in brief and
obscure kilograms. 1t may be worth,
| therefore, word of eXplanation-the
more because the zeal of the French
| there is an admirable example of the
effort of the continental States to eN
tend their trade and to diminish that
of Great Britain, by the planting of
colonies and the establishment of pro-
tectorates in the unoccupied parts Of
Africa and of Asia; and because the
French in the basin of the Niger have
thus far been Unexpectedly successful
in an undertaking for which they as
race are believed to be ill-titted. Any
recent map of West Africa shows a
succession of European stations along
the coast of the Niger basin. beginning
at Cape Nerd. the WeSternmoSt point.
turning eastward with the great bend
of the shore, and following it along the
Gulf of Guinea until it bears south
ward again. First is the comparatively
old French colony of Senegal: then tho
English colony of Gambia along tha
vi of hop < ri,
| of French territory and certain Portu
guese possessions: then another French
sphere of influence: next the British
colony of Sierra Leone and the indie
pendent republic of Liberia Con which
| the French are casting covetous eyes,.
| rounding the turn of the shore: then to
the east the Ivory Coast. dependence
| of France; then the Gold Coast, a de-
pendence of England; the comparative
| ly small German establishment of Togo
| land: Dahomey. tributary to France.
and finally the big expanse of English
| territory. Lagos and the Niger pro-
| tectorates at the delta of the Niger
| itself I
The chief value Of these coastwse pos
| sessions. which along the shore are lit
| tie better than fever swamps, is the
cess they give to the territories behind
| them-the so-called hnterlands--in the
basin of the Niger. There lie the oppor-
| tunties for the development of a profit
able and increasing trade finding its out
| let in the coastwise stations. Rubber is
abundantly exported. Palm oil, timber
| and ivory come thence. With the most
| primitive methods of extraction. a prom
| Using quantity of gold has been steadily
drawn from the gold coast and the lands
| behind: and there is reason TO believe
| that mining with modern machinery
| could be successfully conducted there.
| The tribes of the interior run the gamut
of savagery and semi savagerN The GUS
| tom OF human sacrifices and of Cannihai-
| ism distinguishes some of them. Perma
| ncnt habitations in communities that may
| properly be called towns. and unexpected
skill in the weaving of cotton and the
| working of leather and of metals dis
great bend of the Niger, on the edge of
| the Sahara is the ancient and f1ouriShing
! Arab city of Timbuctoo. Among many of
| the tribes the trading instinct is strong.
and they supply Il lucrative and widening
| market fer the cheap goods of French
| merchants and manufacturers and for
their English rivals, whose wares.
shipped from Liverpool, come mainly
| from the Manchester district. There is
promise of steadily increasing trade. as
| the means Of transportation grow less
meaSre and barbarous. The large rivers
the Senegal, the Gambia, the Volta and
| the NlSef-tne natural highways Oh tfatt
all, except the first, enter the sea through
| English territory. Unless goods are float
| ed up and down them. porters must carry
| them on their heads or roll them in casks
| along primitive roads. Approaching the
| Importance of better means of communi-
| cation, the English government is al
| ready building railways into Lagos and
backward from the gold coast.
| So much for the nature and value of
| the territories more or less in question
| Early in the present century English
| explorers traced the course of the Niger
and discovered its mouth: while the col
onieS of Gambia and Sierra Leone and the
| stations. like Cape Coast Castle. on the
| gold coast. afforded bases for the extern
sion of dominion and trade into the Niger
| basin. The venture, however. was be-
| lieved to be not worth the undertaking
the home government paid little heed to
the West African colonies: and after the
left to languish. Practically no attempt
was made to develop them until 1880 and
the subsequent decade. when the CONT
mental states began to seek African pos
sessions. Meantime the French in Sene-
gal had been more foreSeeing and active
Thence they had steadily pushed east
| ward into the basin of the Upper Niger
until they were in possession of the river
along all its northeasterly course from
its sources to Timbuctoo. When the Eng
lish government and English merchants
We're ready to develop the hnterlands of
| Gambia and of Sierra Leone. they found
| these colonies practically enclosed BY