The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-10-22


came 10 Paris for the exposition. though
BE woah arrive with the best intentions
o. improyne his intellect. bis first calls
would Doe made in the "houtchi-koutchi
region" ana there be- would stay every
day. For It's thar away a man o.
built. Hinissy."
Mr. Dooley. n he kept to thai pro
eramme would not do very badly after
all For tho picturesque region Of the
Oriental dancers at the Paris Exposition
81 also region o. much eduoative value
II is IN the heart ~ the French Colonial
section that the houtchi-koutchl fols
dance their widest and weifdcst The air
OF that quarters Is filled day and nignt
with the sound OF the strange Oriental
music with which Arabs and Tuuisians
and stnlwart Soudanese blacks call the
passing stranger 10 witness the passionate
contortions OF the clcphantine "RosaN
Queen OF the Deseri-dancers' or the
graceful swirl Of "the moon-cyed Maiden
Of El-Basali" And this French Colonial
Section g. a marvel OF beauty and Of
charm for other and higher reasons
superb reconstruction % a little known
and mos, gorgeous life and revelation OF
a colonial empire possessed by France ~
which the bulk ~ the people have little
or no adequate idea
France "a Great Colonial Power.
Il IS safe 20 say that the average man.
taken uuawares without time 20 ransack
books or maps. would say that France
as a cOlonizing power was quite out 81
the reckoning. We have got so used to
talk French deCadence especially a. con
trasted with Angio-Saxon expansive en-
engy. that IL comes as q surprise 20 be-
reminded that the French colonial en-
pire is the finest IA the world after the
English That is the cold fact. which
statistics will prove TO you II you be ~
that order OF man TO whom statistics
prove disestihle and nourishing And g.
is q fact which takes on a new and living
meaning. and a very picturesque and fas-
chatting aspect when YOU impress u on
your mind not By turning over geog-
rsphies or blue hooks. but by visiting
the French colonial pavillons and there
studying colonial life almost at frst
band. Algicrs French Soudan. senegal
French Congo. French West Coast OF
Africa. the Ivory Coast. Dahomey Tuni-
eie, Madagascar CambodEe lmdo China.
Guinea. French Oceana. Gusdelope Mar
Unique. New Caledonia taking some Of
the names So at random whas wealth
OF romantic association they suggest,
Examined in detail the handsome pavi-
ions. built and arranged each after the
fashion OF the country they represent. tell
story 81 an immense material wealth
also. Il is. Of course. q wealth not yet
fully developed sometimes scarcely as
much as touched yet. but looking round
IN the Trocadero palaces one sees that u
Is a wealth certain. enormous. all but In
exhaustihle. il has sometimes been said
that the French colonies In Africa con-
sist Of aird desert and virgin foress. tho
last utterly unit 20 support a colonizlng
population. Look al the big map that
hangs In the SaudaneEe pavilion and
you are reminded that the arid desert
The Saharah, IS che center OF Northern
Africa. almost the strategic key 60 the
whole continent perpetual barrier 90,
say the English. who would like we'll 10
paint the whole African map red and
who 3 hundred wears hence will certainly
bitterly regret chat this vast territory Is
not under their dominion For che despis-
cd virgin forest. there Is not a single pa
viilon which does not help 20 convince the
visitor that an that timber will one day
prove OF priceless value. In every exhibit.
North Africa. East Africa, West Africa,
one sees superb specimens OF native
woods stout and resisting good for
houses and ships and paving purpcseso
exquisite In grain ard color. lending itself
admirably 20 artistic uses. Some Of the
native wood-carvlng, which Is shown
ahundantly IN every pavilion, Is OF q
forest has created artists among us dark
skinned Inhabitants. che Dahomcse. the
Soudauesc the Congo and Ivory coast
blacks As time goes on and all this ma
tive skill gets 10 work more and moro
regularly and productivity the gain will
be very great. In none OF the pavilions
does one see signs chat the African wood
produce has been used for paper making
but n is certain that before many years
the Increasing demand will force manu-
facfurers 10 begin 20 tap the African for
ests for their raw material
wealth of Products.
And one learns in the course Of an in
ep@ction OF the colonial exhibits that u
& not By any means anly sand and forest
that the French have acquired. Their
possessions yield a thousand products 81
the greatest commercial value. There D.
ivory great tusks Of which arranged in
fantastic patterns CLEAN az the doors Of
all the African sections Deft natives
\ working with primitive tools fash on there,
before your eyes the daintest ivory tri-
fies and monumental cups and bowls. and
vases. which they mount artistically IN
silver and gold. and sell TO you al great
price, u YOU are not proof against their
earnest oloquonce In al the African pa
WILLOWS. too. one sees grains 81 all kinds.
wheat and maize and rice. and countless
strong waters made out OF them. The
savage mind hy the way. despite our
ideas about Its primitive Innocence. seems
10 have needed 10 influences from civiliza-
ton 10 teach IL how 10 get multfnrious-
~ intoxicated In queer bottles. and cases
OF strange fashions there are shown prob
abaly some nfty different kinds OF ncry
iiquor made from the various useful
grains iavishly growing on these rich vir-
ain soils. Scarcely a colony either that
does not show coffee. In the curious Mar
Unique market. for example laughing ne
crosses with yellow turhans, sell you a
stimulating cup Of " for cents. or. with
a dash Of the excellent Martinique rum.
4 cents And so 81 Be- an around. sugar
ard tobacco aud SILK and cotton are shown
everywhere in the Tr0cadero palaces
proofs Of the extraordinary fertility and
potential wealth Of tho New French CO.
lonial empire
All these lands are becoming very
French-within the limits Of a wise and
generous llberality. II Is. somehow. rath'
er pathetic in the Algerian section. for cN'
ample 20 note one sign Of tho Eallcisa'
ton OF the colonies LiVercd an ovei
the tables are spcclmens' of the native
chiidren's studies their crude attempt 40
drawing their history and geography
notes one thinks sadly of ths poor lit,l'
bron1ed Arabs who sat solemn, cross
legged on their mats learning the dates
Of Frerfn history and he cnUfuGntinn OF