The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-02-10

| great whole, as an organism more or less
| Homogeneous, which must have room for
development and expansion, is barely more
! than eight years old.
Those words were written less than
Is years ago. Since that time what has
England done with and for her col
onies in Africa?
The construction of railroads in Cape
Colony, which began at Cape Town in
1859 when the railway from Cape Town
| to Wellington was undertaken has
been pushed forward almost continu-
ously since that date. This first of the
southern African roads was finished in
November of 1868, and the event marked
@ new epoch in the history of the col
ony. In late years Cecil Rhodes has
pushed the construction of new lines
with unceasing energy until now one
can travel northward as far as Bulu-
| Nayo, while other lines run from Dur
! ban in Natal, and from Deloga bay.
| In connection with the line from
Deloga bay there is a bit of history in
which Americans are interested, for the
| South African colonists owe that inn
| provement in their territory TO an
| American citizen, and out of its con-
struction there has grown an iEterna-
tional dispute. Deloga bay and ada
cent territory is recognized by America
as Portuguese territory, although Eng
land has virtually purchased it and the
actual transfer has not taken place only
because of protest from the United
States government.
| In 1881 Edward McMurdo, an Ameri
can citizen, obtained a concession for
building a railroad from the bay to the
frontier. He completed the work on
contract time; but in 1889 Portugal can
celled the concession, and seized the
railroad property. AS McMurdo had
worked with English capital, Great
Britain joined the United States in
protest. The dispute was referred to
| Swiss arbitra ton, and last year the
| tribunal decided in favor of the McMur-
DO claim for e2,ooo,ooo. Portugal has
rot yet settled. hence the present Amer
/ lean protest.
England's greatest part in the con-
slruction of these roads was the guar
anteeing of interest on the investment
by the government to the men whose
money built them. This was the great
assistance needed and was virtually as
much for the government to do as the
Fart taken by our government in the
building of the great Pacific coast lines
in this country, which were made posi-
BILE by government assistance. The
home government is now to be asked TO
guarantee the interest on a new sec
ticn of the road which will carry it much
farther northward, and no one expects
the government to refuse.
But the development of southern At
RIGA has not consisted in the building
OF railroads alone. Harbors have been
constructed in Cape Colony and in
Natal, highways have been built, agri-
culture and immigration encouraged,
and in every way possible the develop
ment of the colony aided. The natural
resources of the territory have done
much, the enterprising people have
done much, and both have been assisted
by the aid and encouragement of the
home government. and colonial rev.
enues are not being diverted to the cof-
fers of the mother country.
In Egypt England has rescued the
local government from practical bank
ruptcy. To accomplish this she has
given the intelligent work of some of
her best financiers. After being de-
serted by France in a work which the
two governments had undertaken to-
gether, she has SO handled Egyptian rev.
enues that the enormous indebtedness
has practically disappeared, she has re-
leved the Egyptian people of crushing
burden of taxation, she has so wisely