The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-11-15

speciai Correspondence OF The Sunday Republic
Paris. Oct. fl have been looking int
The Frenchman's share OF the white man:
burden.
1t attracts but little attention outside hi:
own country. but it is a big load and j
costs him more than seo,ooo.00 n year.
There is a Minister of the Colonies a
Paris who has charge of the expenditures
snd in addition the Province of Algeria
and tina of French India have representa-
lives in the Chamber of Deputies TO pre-
sent the special wants of their countries.
Few people realize the extent of the
French colonial possessions. They are
greater than those of any other nation
excepting Great Britain.
They are twenty tines as large rs
france itself: they cover an area greater
than AL, Europe. and in Africa alone they
are as large as the United States proper.
France has more ground in Asia than In
France. its South American possessions
are as big as the Stale of New York, and
it has also islands I'm the West indies. in
Australasia and the South Seas. Parts
cf its territory are thickly populated.
In all. there are more than $1,000, 900
Inhabitants, of whom the majority are
as barbarous as any people ON the face of
the globe.
Thu best of all the French colonies is
Algeria.
The French like 1t most. and they are
spending the most money on 1t.
They are hui. ding railroads Throughout
the principal parts of IL. and they have
already constructed about 1900 miles Of
wagon roads.
All of the ports are being improved. and
very town of any size has now Its
french quarter.
The country has n good postal service.
and there are more than 500 telegraph
offices. through which 1000 700 messages
are sent every year.
Algeria has already considerable COM
rnerce. its imports and exports approx
mating 800, 00c, 00a n year.
The most of this trade is with France,
and the French look upon the country as
their chief granary and market garden.
II lies Just across the Mediterranean, so
ncar hat fast steamers can reach 1t in
twepty-four hours. and that the @. binary
everyday passage is twenty-seven hours
Winter vegetables and tropical fruits
are now sent by the shipload to Mar
se;I.es. and thence distributed to all the
cities of France, and even to Paris and
London.
The time to Paris is less than forty
hours.
But first let me tell you something about
Algeria.
1t Is one of the best countries in Africa.
watered by the moisture from the Medi-
terranean winds. it has a r.ch soil and
one of the most delightful climates on
the face of the globe.
1t is a land of mountains and valleys.
lacked by the sandy plateaus of the
Desert of Sahara.
Its area is about four times as large
ns that of Pennsylvania. and its popula-
lion comprises about 100000, of whom
20. 900 are French.
wATERED BY, MOISTURE FROM
MEDITERRANEAN WINDS.
The natives are Berbers and Arabs, with
an admixture of Moors, Turks and ne
.roes.
The Berbers belong TO the same race as
cur own. They are farmers n very in
dustrious.
The French use them as laborers. and
With their aid are setting out vineyards.
olive groves and orange orchards.
They also cultivate the soil for them
selves, raising rich crops of wheat and
,ther cereals.
One of the chief exports of Algeria is
figs. of which 27,00l,000 pounds are exported
in a year, and another is dates, which
come from the date palms scattered over
The country. and especially throughout the
-aees of the Sahara
\ Algeria the French have materially
Thav have esta h,isbad nrI,nars schools
ar.r- nert ~ ,ha onpntr, "a aIso
49,. oe stah,n adr,atton an5 .omrrnn,,
,aIfsma.
,rhsra = ,oo mn .,,,do,.s q, ,,o nr,r,,r,
.ehne,s about Smo in The b,sh schools
md . Iaree number in the COLLEGES
Ahopt q Oo is now he,nr %nnpoI,
spent on education
The capital of Algeria IS Africa's French
+, An the CITY of AIpiers containing ahou,
,,oo e neonle. being consiSerablv Smaller
nan TINS. hut far moro Important in
and trade.
THE French have spent millions OF dol
mfs on the harbor and In beautifying the
city.
a long pier has been built so that the