The Washington bee., 1903-02-07
Trouble In AFRICA.
Conquest Of SOm8liland by England
Means Cruel War.
aad HuIIsh who, on October &, De-
f-sled Col. SNhyRe's Troops
with Great Loss to british
BIust BE Conquered.

However regrettable the reverse
suEeIed by Col. Swayne in his opera
mons against the Som2i Mahdists may
Dc. Is viii have served a useful purpose,
.ays the London Graphic, if it directs
public. attention to the Importance of
gu-Hag to account the British posses
asl4 On the Great Eastern Horn of
Africa. OF the existence of these pos
sessions the public knows little; Of
.lelr great strategiCal Importance
49, commercial promise they know
less For this ignorance the present
tsuu-able situation is primarily due,
tgr .g is impossible for the imperial
government TO undertake costly ex-
gett'ua4 or to establish an elaborate
Communicative machinery in countries
4hlga do not interest the taxpayer.
The eoaa, Of SOmahland, with the i'm
gartaul ports OF Zeyla, Bulhar and
Bsrbsra, became British some Is
years ego, as a consequence of the
collapse Of Egyptian dominion in the
soldaH. For some years it was admin
stored as a sub-dependency of Alden,
which. owing to its strategical posi-
zion aa the road to India, has always
been transmarine dependency of the
Indian empire. In 1898, however, it
Has transferred TO the imperial gov
tglueIt, and was taken in charge by
che foreign Office No public explana-
.lols have been given of this transfer,
1uL 60 those who have watched the
Development of the international ri
7alry in the Red sea and the straits
5i Babel Mandeb, the motives by
Rhich the foreign Office was actuated
cannot be very obscure. With the
French established at Jibutil and the
Germans and Russians casting about
t0r cOaLng stations in the same neigh
5orhood, and with the sudden growth
% ,hs military power of Abyssinia in
.hs dominating background. the impe-
ris. government probably thought that
somali.ald, which holds the principal
gate to Ahyssinia, the while it divides
with Alden the command Of the carre-
four Of the Red sea, should not re-
main a subsidiary concern of a colo
aial administration. Unfortunately,
2he preusion of the imperial govern
uent did not go beyond taking the pro-
'ectorste under its immediate wing.
Although an immense region has been
marked of as British, in virtue of
reates with Abyssinia and Italy,
1othiug was done to occupy the cOun-
Try outside the coast towns. The re-
suit was that the Arab sheikS, left to
themselves, were free to plot against
The suZerain, and early in 1899 these
plots came TO q head in the agitation
Il the Mullah Mohammed Abdullah,
Who proclaimed himself mahdi, and
called upon the faithful to rise and
drive the Giaour into the sea. The
iisaffection spread over an immense
area. simultaneously with the move
ment Of the Mullah in the south of the
Somaliland prOtectorate, the sheiks
n the northern provinces of British
East Africa became rebelliOus. Con-
sequently, in 1899 two expeditions had
90 be organized. one against the Oga-
den sheiks and sultans in Jubuland,
and the other against tine Mullah.
The Ogaden was effectually pacified
and the Mullah was several times de-
fested and forced TO take refuge in
ltaEan territory. Thereupon the
British retired once more to the coast,
hoping that the Mullah would profit
BY his lesson. Last January, how
ever, he broke out again. and another
expedition had to be organized. This
is the expedition which came to grief
The other day at Ergo. 1t is very clear
'ro % all this that the policy of shelv-
ing responsibility for the direct adj
ntn.-tration Of the protectorate is a
failure and that henceforth it will be
necessary TO hold the country with a
strong hand. Happily the-enterprise
is one which viii we'll repay its cost.
The markets Of the interior are OF
considerable value, and if once tran
91..tv is assured the trade Of the
ports viii be enormously increased.
Apart from this it is to be remembered
that tile strategical value of the coast
must ae rendered altogether nugatory
so long as the interior is held by
hostile people bent on rendering Eng
a1-A position mtenable. or, at any
.a'e, subject of anxiety.