Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-11-16

Fellows Hall, at the corner of Third
and King streets, the dedication OF
which took place on the 2Sth OF May,
lS49, and which has been the head
quarters of the Grand Lodge and most |
OF the city lodges ever since that time.
--a---
GREAT EMPIRES IN AFRICA |
The present day and generation, says
tho New York Herald is witnessing the
most colossal process of empire build
ing the world has ever seen. In America
the process is so new and strange that
new terms and issues are created - Im-
perialism" and .expansion'-
which many seem to think are exclusive
to this country. But glance at events
now transpiriag in other parts of the
world shows that American expansion
is only an incident in the world move
ment Of empire building.
As il by coincidence, recent events in
different parts Of tho world have con-
tiibuted simultaneously to this empire
movement. These are:
/. The South African Wal and its
effect on tho three great empires of
Africa French, British and German.
2. The breakup Of China and the map
Eing of spheres" for now empire
3. The Philippine War and its effect
on the American possessions in the
Pacific.
4. The British Venezuela award. ex-
tanding 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 $500, 900 square
) miles, d region equal In extent to all
i that portion of the United States east
Of lie Rockies This includes the white
manis country OF South Africa, with
| its high table lands. its diamonds and
its gold; British Central Africa, or
Rhodesia British East Africa, stretch
| ing from the Indian Ocean to Lake Vic
toria. and having within its borders
/ Uganda, 1.-THE Learl of Africa,' dis
covered by Henry M. Stanley, ard now
fast developing into prosperous and
modern community, with merchant and
warships aiding its commerce on the
lake ard railroads connecting 1T with
the ocean in 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 Co.
having such absolute sway that il
makes war and reace, concludes treaties
with the natives and exei cises all the
attributes of sovereignty under the pro
tecting care OF Great Britain. Their
there are the minor colonies, the Golo
Coast, Sierra Leone, scarcely wcrtf
speaking of. as they are relies of PAS
greatness during the slave trade days.
1t is in East Africa, however. from
the CAPE up to the Mediterranean, tina
one sees the present imperial sway o
the Briton, as well as the potential i'm
portance of this new empire. 1t extend
, practically in an unbroken sweep, fron
| the rorthernmost TO the southernmos
POINTS Of the continent. Egypt con
[ tinues to be nominally independent
British flag, with British officials direct
J ing Egyptian finances and British Off
GERS leading Egyptian armies. Essen
: italy, thei efoie, Egypt is to be regarde,
! as d British sphere Of influence. an
/ with Kitchener at khartoum it will b
: only d short time before Eeyrt's los
co.onies in the goudan will be hrough
back TO her aud to the British sphere c
{ influence. The area OF Egypt and th
O Scudan was not included in the 2, 300,
q 0U0 square miles given as the Britis
/, Empire in Africa, and if these depend
d encies are added the total is brough
n up to almost 100000 square miles
!, equal tc the area of the United State.
s not including Alaska.
A glance at tho British possessions
n Africa shows how strong the impuls
4 OF British statesmen has been TO kn
n together this African Empire into or
it homogeneous whole Instead of detache
rarts. Each part is reaching out to j
a neighbors. This has been going {
% until tine chance OF ..Cairo to Il
J. Cape route, entirely under Brltis
If control, is no longer dream. Alreac
d tho railroad is up to Buluwayo, 1,2O
t. miles from the Cape, while from Il
4 north Kitchener has pushed the lai
!, road even farther. The Nile and I'll
IS lakes give added means OF transport
i, tion. At present there is gap Of le
Or than 300 miles in the connection
70 British Central Africa and British Ea
III Africa, and with this gap filled the rtl
ID of tho British Empire will in ia
Ii reach from Cairo to the Cape 1t W
of be from Germany or from the Com
ly Free State that this gap will be ma
up, either by cession or lease.
10 Considering the steady developme
ct of this new empire in Afiica and Il
re manifold benefits springing from it,
u would seem 10 be q part OF this 9enei
e, plan that the Transvaal and the Oran
,s, Free State should be absorbed by t
q larger power. hut 1t may be that the
ii, small communities will show a SIP;
IT, ton fortitude and courage which "
n, resist this hitherto irresistible tide
empire.
CO The French explorers and statesm
re seem to have chosen Western Africa
rd their field Of influence, as Britain |
les chosen Eastern Africa. The to
nd French possessions, free from cont
Dw yersy and dispute with other pows
ed now reach the enormous area of 800
on 600 SQUARE miles. This includes
~ fiourishing colony of Algeria, on
III, north, which, like Cape Colony at
ho other extremity Of the continent.
on naturally adapted as Il home for
ID, whito man. South Of this is that v
tel sweep OF country once known as
tho Desert of Sahara, and still referred
with deiisicu by Lord Salisbury
md ivory light soil''
nj But France has found unlSno
set wealth in these sands. Already RI
ut road has crossed A Algeria and is push
3ut into this former desert for tho purp
The OF oponing up the whole western (
nth tioii and bringing forth its latent riot
ef. South of the desert France controls
ges headwaters of the Niger. with its
led tile valleys. Fai ther south is the Ere
ept Congo, with the Congo Riyer and
red valley along the southern border.
to IL tvus frtitt, thpgn yestnrn IiOsSeSai