The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-01-27
nooMING NEE CoLoNIEs.
Efforts OF Germany 10 Make the Most OF
Her Possessions.


Germany was late In entering the scram-
BILE for tropical possessions. There was
accordingly little left for her TO select. II
was Hobson's choice or nothing. She
picked up the tag ends; and while most OF
her new territory Is worth developing, very
little Of II has particularly brilliant pros
poets. Germany is therefore doing all In her
power to make the most OF the material.
II will not be her fault " the colonies are
not turned 10 good account. IL is Interest,"
ing to observe the wise, energetic and FAR
reaching measures she is putting on foot
to equal or surpass, IL she can. other colo
NAL Powers whose new lands are naturally
superior.
No other colonial Power Is doing so much
as Germany to introduce new resources
into the colonies. She Is testing, in all parts
OF her tropical territory, every variety OF
agriculture hat seems 10 have any pros
pect of success. In German New Guinea.
for example. a vessel In September last,
under the direction of DR.. X S~chlechter,
landed a large cargo Of plants. Among
them were hundreds OF young gutta percha
trees. The supply Of gutta percha is Civ
Ing out because the tree must be killed TO
secure the gum and h worlds demand
now far exceeds the supply. Gutta percha
will disappear from the markets unless
more attention Is paid 70 It's cultivation.
The tree thriyes in Borneo and In a number
Of other Malayan islands. The Germans
see no reason why its culture should not be
a success In their part OF New Guinea. AZ
any rate. the experiment Is going TO be
made under the best conditions.
Another large item in the cargo was Ma
N -. 81 -t.aa TI..u N =
Manila hemp, FOR some reason, has never
been a commercial success outside our
favored archipelago. No one knows why
failure has met every effort 10 Introduce
is culture elsewhere. German experts
are inclined to believe there is no good
reason limiting this commodity to the
Philippines. and they will 10 their best TO
add IL to tho agricultural resources Of
German New Guinea.
Then there were some Thousands Of India
rubber plants. many aieties Of which
seem capable of successful tran~splanting
In regions far from their native habitat,
Among the other plants and seeds in the
cargo were nutmegs, citron and lemon
seeds, gaInbir. which is 50 useful in leather
tanning. sage, rotang n many other
tropical plants. The expedition that coll
lected all these plants and seeds was en-
gagged In the work for about a year.
Tho Government Is working in quite a
different way in another colony, Tit
great need OF German Southwest Africa
Is water. The climate is healthful. and
some thousands OF Germans, men. women
and children. are living wherever water
IL available for domestic purposes and
for agriculture and stock raising. A
great deal OF semi-arid country may be
turned to good account II more water ~
attainable. Experts sent out by the Ger
man Government have been investigating
this question and find that while in large
areas the water accessible by boring and
sinking wells is salt, there are other regions
where good water may be obtained at a
depth of about 100 feet.
The Government has, therefore. just de-
spatched a party Of men 10 begin the work
Of tapping the underground water sources
in a portion OF Damaraland. TITS expected
to devote ut least three years TO boring
wells in all localities designated 10y the expert
water seekers. The bore holes are to be
not less than three inches in diameter. and
many will be sunk 10 a depth of at least 100
feet. windmills will be used TO raise the
water.
The report OF the Colonial Economic
Committee OF Berlin for the fiscal year
iaOO-'Oi estimates the population OF all
the German colonies at 1000 600 and the
total area at 2.7O0.1Oo square kilometr res.
The commercial returns. both exports and
imports. amounted 20 81. 900 900 more than
in the preceding year. Thu commerce OF
German East Africa. however. declined on
account Of the drought. which resulted in
crop failure and "A severe famine. The
Increase in the Of the Cameroons
was due 90 the larger returns from the
rubber and cacao industries, a~uRmeniinR
the purchasing power Of the natives, The
in the commerce Of Togo was due
10 the growth of the palm oil exports and
Of German Southwest Africa 20 the moro
exploitation Of the guano de-
posts.