Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-06

which is to be followed by the reopentng
of the greatest" gold-producing mines of the
world, and presumably by a general revival
Of business in, that greatest consuming sec
ton of Africa, lends especial interest to a
monograph entitled Commercial Africa in
1901 just issued by the treasury bureau
Of statistics,
Much Commerce Unrecorded.
The commerce of Africa, according to
this publication of the bureau Of statistics,
amounts to over 500 O00, goo, of which 429
millions represented the value of the i'm
ports. Necessarily in so large an area,
with so many tribes-assa peoples who keep
no records of their transactions, consid-
cradle amount of commerce must pass
without being recorded In any way. The
total imports at the ports where records
are kept amounted in the latest available
year to S429, 461 900, and the exports to
$263, 907 GEO OF the exports, large share,
especially those from the south, Is gold and
diamonds; in the tropical region, ivory,
rubber, palm nuts and gums, and in the
north a fair share of the exports are prod
ucts of agTiculture-cotton, conee, cacao,
spices dates etc. The export figures of
recent years are less than those Of former
years owing to the hostilities in South
Africa, which have both reduced produc-
ton and increased local consumption.
Africa are through the ports Of the ex-
IRENE north and south of the continent,
those at the north being f-r the consump-
ton of the more denseiy populated regions
bordering on the Mediterranean and con-
siderable quantities going to the interior by
caravans-a large part across the Sahara
to the densely populated regions of the
Sudan. At the south large share or the
imports is, under normal conditions. for use
at the gold and diamond mines. which lie
a foU hun miles Cane.
are reached by railway lines from Cape
Colony and Natal at the, south. and from
ports of Portuguese East Africa on the
southeast The class of imports in the
south differs materially from that at the
north, the demand of the mining region
being for machinery, mining tools, dyna-
mite, powder. -four, meats and clothing,
while at the north cotton goods. tobacco,
share of the imports. as is also the case
on the coast of the tropical regions.
Trade With England.
A very large proportioni of the trade of
Africa is with England. There are numer-
Gus reasons for this, the most important,
however, being that her lcolonies-Cape Col
ony and Natal-on the south are the ave-
nues through which pass most Of the goods
for that section, and that a very large
share Of the growing trade fs also carried
by British vessels, while the bulk Of the
mining, as well as the. stock raising and
general development of that section, is In
the hands OF British colenl SITS Or capitalists.
In the north a large share Of the trade of
Egypt is given to Great Britain whose In
fuence in the management of Egyptian az
fairs is well recognized. while in Algeria,
which has large trade, a very large pro-
portion is with France, the governing coun-
try. =
The total recorded imports into Africa, ag-
egating in the latest available year $500
461 900, were distributed as follows: Into
British territory, $151 ,515 go; French terri
tory, 500 ,004 coo; Turkish territory, $77,Ts7,-
COO; Portuguese territory,t $40, 195 600: Ger
man territory, S. 336, 600. and into the Congo
Free State $4,722,O00.
Only 8. Per Cent From United States.
OF this Importation of s429. 461. OcO about 5
,er cent was furnished by the United Sta tes
the total for 1901 being SO, 4261s. Our to-
tai exports to Africa have grown from S.
377 $40 in 1896 to SIS, 594 424 in 1885, and S25,-
b42,61 in 1901. This rapid increase is large
ly due to the fact that orders sent to the
United States for mining machinery and
other supplies so much in demand in South
Africa are promptly filled with goods Of the
latest pattern and most acceptable charac-
ter.
Africa occupies fourth place in the list of
the grand divisions of the world in its con-
Stunning power in relation to international
sions, according to the latest available fig
ures, be.ng as follows: Europe 81, 3O9, CO.,, 600;
North America 1300. 900, 600; Asia, $780,
1000: Africa, s430, 600. coo; South America.
15,OOo,OO0: and Oceanic, 1925, 900, COO. OF
this total OF 81 1896. 10000, the United States
supplies per cent in the case of Africa, 10
per cent Of the imports of South America, 10
per cent Of those of Asia and Oceania, IA
per cent OF the imports of Europe, and 40
per cent of the imports of North America,
exclusive Of the United States.
Railway Development
Railroad development in Africa has been
rapid in the past few years, and seems but
the beginning of great system which
must contribute to the rapid development,
civilization and enlightenment of the dark
continent Already railroads run north
wardly from Cape Colony about 500 miles
and southwardly from Cairo about 1890
miles. thus completing 2,TOO miles of the
proposed Cape to Cairpt' railroad, while
the fnfermeS ate distanfe is about 1900
the Mediterranean coast, especially in the
French territories Of Algeria and in Tunis,
aggregating about $500 miles, while the
Egyptian railroads are. including those un-
der construction. about 1890 miles in
length. Those Of Cape Colony are over
1900 miles in length. and those Of Portu-
guese East Africa and the Transvaal are
another thousand miles in length. Includ-
ing all OF the railroads now constructed or
under actual construction, the total length
OF African railways is nearly Il, 500 miles,
or half the distance around the earth A
large proportion of the railways thus far
constructed are owned by the several colo
MES or states which they traverse about
2 600 miles of the Cape Colony system and
nearly all Of that of EgyKt belonging to the
state.
Gold and Diamond Mines.
That the gold and diamond mines of
South Africa have been and still are Won
derfuIly profitable is beysnd question. The
Kimberley diamond mines, about 600 miles
from Cape Town. now supply 9S per cent
of the diamonds OF cnnmeree, although
their existence was unknown prior to 1867.
and the mines have thus been in operat ton
but about thirty years. II d estimated that
$3.50, 600, 900 worth Of roush diamonds, worth
double that sum after euttiug, have been
produced from the KiMAerley mines since
their opening in 1868, sand this enormous
production would have been. greatly in
creased but for the fact that the owners of
the various mines thare formed an agree
ment to limit the outbut SO AZ not to ma
sumption,
Equally wonderful ana promising are the