The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-07-07
The New Era in South Africa,
BY JOHN P. FOLEY.

magnificent resources. During the late
struggle, hundreds of millions Of dollars
We're expended in the terrible enterprises
Of war. Thousands OF millions will fol-
low in working out the enterprises OF
peace. OF the habitable globe today
Afiea is the greatest field Of exploitation.
Not yet has It been thoroughly explored
The maps of nearly the greater portion
OF IL are mere guess work. Who mas
climbed its. mountains2 Who has accu-
rately outlined its lakes Who has meas
ured the length of all its rivers and traced
them to their sources? The poles lock-
cd in eternal ice, still hold their secrets,
and nearly midway between them, the
African depths resplendent in sunshine,
clasp unto themselves their mysteries
but these mysteries are at last to be laid
bare. And the titanic work, so to speak,
is to be accomplished not by one race or
people alone, but by the united effort OF
many races and many peoples.
This is the future of Africa And
America is destined to play great part
in 1t. To it have already gone from US
the pioneers of a great army Of indus
try, endowed with supreme technical
knowledge. But they are only The adj
vance guard the mere sHirmishefs OF
civilization. Gold is the magnet, and It's
attractive force Is irresistible. into it.
self it draws all things. the energy snd
fire of youth, the last effort Of expiring
OLD age. Lust of 1t, huud-ods Of years
ago led the best blood Of Spain across
the unknown seas to the South Amerl-
can wilderness, and now 1t is South Afri-
ca where the next battle for 1t is to be
fought it and the frozen Klondike, the
lands of sun and the lands of snow. In
South Africa all the conditions that fav-
or a gigantic development are now at
hand-strong, firm, progressive govern
ment guaranteeing peace and order, ana
in addition, illimitable capital, managed
by the most thoroughly equipped experts
the world has ever known AS their In
struments will be the most perfect APP
pliances of scientific invention which
have bent unto themselves all the pow
ers of nature so far as they are known to
us, mighty forces that were even I'M
heard of even a short generation ago.
Africa comes late into the field hut her
progress is destined to be rapid, for she
comes full armed in every line for the
| contest which is to end, beyond all ques-
ton, in making her one of the great seats
| of population and of empire. In it,
rectly and indirectly, the United States
will play leading part. The expert
knowledge is largely, If not almost who'll
| ly, ours, while in the mechanical en-
ginery by which the structure is to be
reared, we stand unsurpassed AS the
| old world developed the new one, SO now
the new one is to pay back the debt by
putting into the hitherto barren regions
of vast expanse of the eastern hemis-
phere the breath of a new life. 1t is a
pity that SO great a sacrifice In human
life and agony should have to be paid for
1t all, but 1t is only history repeating 1T
self. Ever and always has the sword
| preceded the pillow. We can trace 1t
across the continent In our own day
we see it In Cuba, in the Philippines, in
South Africa. May they be the last of
the tragedies of humanity.