Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-07
MOONS PHAsEs:
EAST AFRICAN COMMERCE..
Nowhere Are Germany and England
Contrasting So Bitterly for Trade
supremacy - What America
Holds There
(Allen SANGER In Ainslee'sD


Because they do not hurry in Fan
zibar 1t must not be understood as q
lazy spot. Let no one think that; on
the contrary, 1t has now become the
metropolis of East Africa and rarely a
day passes but the g-bellied tramp
ships from Rangoon. Hamburg, Liver
pool and New York discharge their
cargoes on the shelving beach and fill
up again with rich products of the
island and its mainland nearby. This
much to the poignant envy of En-
peror William, whose own possessions
lie just across the channel, the capital
of which. Oar es Salaam, is making
every effort TO defect thither the trade
from Zanzibar. In no part of the
world are Germany and England con-
testing so bitterly for commercial SUI
premacy as on this African east coast,
and the rivalry has now reached such
point of intensity as to be a cause
OF open rupture any moment. With
the projection of railroads to the in
terror and constant land-grabbing, the
two nations are running neck-and-
neck race. and both, not to be outdone
one by the other, are sowing the earth
with golden coin in the hope that 1t will
be returned tenfold as the land is de-
veloped.
Germany. however, with her East
African Steamship Line that has now
Continent, sailing from Hamburg
weekly, is in the lead commercially and
the English ministers, while wrestling
with the Transvaal problem cannot
afford to lose aught of that one which
confronts them further north. In less
than decade the willy and subtle leu
tons have subsidized this great steam
ship company, now so prosperous that
every year 1t is enabled to build new
vessel out OF the dividends; they have
planted cloves, coffee and tea planta-
tons and made them pay: have ex-
plotted rubber companies, built two
railroads as against Englands one
and have sent out hundreds of colon
lists.
Meanwhile America has not been
idle, having seized two-thirds of the
petroleum trade. nc-half OF the ivory
trade, and doubled her shipments of
cotton cloth. an item that furnishes
one-quarter of all the imports TO Fan
7ihar. Nanfees are landing every
week. prospecting for American firms
ot every description, ana on the coast
one will find plenty of adventurers
While at dinner at the European hotel
in Zanzibar the evening before I left
great, red bearded person with sun
blisterS on his face and hands sat
down opposite and asked me in q sub
terranean whisper If I was not an
American. On replying afirmatively
he said in n burst of confidence: Som
/. er-lunrberman-'n I got
the greatest graft out here you ever
saw. Just landed about $4,000 worth
of lockwood thirty miles below here.
and IL can get 1t away from the hip
potots I'll go back to the States In
style He and his pardner, he ex-
planned. had floated the wood down n
river. and accidentally ran into a hip
popotamus family. whereupon both had
TO swim for their lives. They mad
come up 10 Zanzibar for guns and am
munition to rescue their property
As in other parts OF the world. one
is Inundated to see no vessels carry
ing the American flag. In the last
twelve months, but two Maine sailing
ships, and no American steamers, land
ed at Zanzibar. Fortunately however
this is no criterion OF our commerce.
AT present no country can compete
with us in the so-caled piece goods
trade, though the British consul points
out religiously each month TO the home
office that this is the most profitable
traffic in East Africa. and wants to
know why the Manchester firms do
not get after 1t. America, however
should widen her market in this part
Of the globe with the exporting of
hardware, building material. flour.
provisions and all kinds or cheap cloth
fiheilcihi snoeS, machinery ana nov
elites are as popular on the east coast
as below /ambesi The rubber indus
try. too. only waits TO be developed. the
country being rich in. that product.
Zanzibar is free port for all i'm
ports except liquors. arms, ammuni-
ton, tobacco and rice. AT all coast
ports the uniform duty is five per cent
adj valorcm. Export duties are the
same. and the list includes rubber.
ivory cloves hides pcnpcr cocoar,,t-
tea. coffee and many tropical pro-
ducts. The exports last year from
Zanzibar amounted to 81 5G7 .G35. or
the imports those of America for one
month amounted to more than The
combined shipments OF all Europe"