Arizona republican., 1899-12-14
GREAT EMPIRES IN AFRICA
Possessions of Britain, France, Ger
many and Others.

The present day and generation is
witnessing the most colossal process of
empire building the world has ever
seen. In America the process is SO new
and strange that new terms and issues
are ted-''Imperialism' and lex
pansion, terms which many seem to
a glance at events now transpiring in
other parts of the world shows that
American expansion is only an incident
in the world movement of empire build
ing.
AS if by coincidence, recent events in
different parts of the world have con-
tributed simultaneously to this empire
movement. These are:
/. The South African war and its eff
feet on the three great empires of At
rica-French. British and German.
3 The breakup of China and the
mapping of spheres for new empire.
3. The Philippine war and it's effect
on the American possessions in the Pa
cific.
4. The British-Venezdela award, ex-
tending the British empire in South
America.
5. American authority in Cuba,
Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the proposed
partition of Samoa
Roughly estimated, the British en-
pire in Africa embraces 1900, 900 square
miles, a region equal in extent to all
that portion of the United States east
of the Rockies. This includes the white
mans country of South Africa, with i s
Ill - A.
British Central Africa. or Rhodesit y:
British East Africa, stretching from the
Indian ocean to Lake Victoria, and
now fast developing into a prosperous
and modern community, with merchant
and warships aiding it's commerce on
the lake and railroads connecting it
with the ocean and the interior.
On the west coast is the Niger terri
tory, holding the mouth of the great
waterway of Western Africa, under the
control of the British Royal Niger COM
pany, having such absolute sway that
it makes war and peace, concludes
treaties with the natives and exercises
all the attributes of sovereignty under
the protecting care of Great Britain.
Then there are the minor colonies, the
Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, scarcely
past greatness during the slave trade
days.
1t is in East Africa, however. from
the Cape up to the Mediterranean, that
one sees the present imperial sway of
the Briton, as well as the potential i'm
portance of this new empire. 1t extends
practically in an unbroken sweep from
the northernmost to the southernmost
points of the continent. Egypt con-
tinues to be nominally independent, al
though under the protection of the
British officials directing Egyptian fl
nances and British officers leading
Egyptian armies. Essentially, there
fore, Egypt is to be regarded as Brit
ish sphere of influence, and with Kitch-
ener at Khartoum it will be only a
short time before Egypt's lost colonies
in the Soudan will be brought back to
her and to the British sphere of inf1u-
ence. The area of Egypt and the Sou
dan was not included in the $780, 900
square miles given as the British en-
pire in Africa, and if these dependen-
cies are added, the total is brought up
to almost 100000 square miles, equal
to the area of the United States, not
including Alaska.
Africa shows how strong the impulse
of British statesmen has been to knit
together this African empire into one
homogeneous whole, instead of detach-
ed parts. Each part is reaching out to
its neighbors. This has been going on
until the chance of a Cairo to the
Cape" route, entirely under British
control, is no longer a dream. Already
the railroad is up to Buluwayo, / 200
miles from the Cape, while from the
north Kitchener has pushed the rail-
road even farther. The Nile and the
lakes give added means of transporta-
ton. At present there is a gap of less
than 300 miles in the connection of
British Central Africa and British East
AfTta, and with this gap filled the rule
of the British empire will, in fact,
reach from Cairo to the Cape. 1t will
be from Germany or from the Congo
Free State that this gap will be filed
up, either by cession or lease.
Considering the steady development
of this new empire in Africa and the
manifold benefits springing from it, it
would seem to be a part of this general
plan that the Transvaal and the Orange
Free State should be absorbed by the
larger power. But it may be that
these small communities will show Il
Spartan fortitude and courage which
will resist this hitherto irresistible tide
of empire.
The French explorers and statesmen
seem to have chosen Western Africa as
their field of influence, as Britain has
chosen Eastern Africa. The total
French possessions, free from contro-
versy and dispute with other powers,
now reach the enormous area of 3,000,-
900 square miles. This includes the
flourishing colony of Algeria, on the
north, which, like Cape Colony at the
other extremity of the continent. is nat
urally adapted as a home for the white
man. South of this is that vast sweep
of country once known as the Desert
of Sahara, and still referred to with
derision by Lord Salisbury as very
light SOIL
But France has found unknown
wealth in these sands. Already a rail-