Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-03-22

In the young but growing colonial
empire o. GERMANY Its million
square miles OF territory and twelve
and half million inhabitants in Afrt
Gu the Pacific and Asia-the south Al.
rican protectorate, situated between
Portuguese west Africa and Cape Col
ony and reaching eastwards TO the
British sphere, does not occupy a yer"
important position In the first territory
acquired oversee by Germany twenty
years ago. toward founding a colon.
ial empire, It's usually tranquil exist
ence aroused little interest until early
in the last year when one Of the native
tribes the Ierreros broke into re
volt, maSsacred the isolated white pop
ulation, and noccssltated the dispatch
OF considerable bodies Of troops from
Germany to carry out military opera
tfons against a few thousand natives
The causes of this formidable rising
and the means taken for its suppress.
sion deserve attention not merely At
the hands of the British In south
Africa, on account Of their neighbor
hood and the proposed trans cont.
mental railway to the gold fields, but
OF all colonial powers which have to
deal with subject races, The chief
obstacle To be overcome was found
not In the people themselves, not IN
any peculiar warlike character such
as the English encountered In the SHr
dan, for Instance, bun In the extreme
difficulties Of operating European
force In such a watcrless and inhospit-
able country as south west Africa, COY.
ering an area as great as Texas ana
Illinois, with a population OF not more
than 100000, with It's belt of sand
dunes and desert, and at distance
oversee Of some $500 miles. The
usual mistake of Understanding the
enemv II was al first intended to deal
with the rising by means OF the local
force of 800mon resulted in reinforce.
ments being dispatched, but only IN
piccemeal, untll eventually no fewer
than eight thousand had been sent out
and sum Of E6.500,000 had been eX.
pended up to Nov. 80 1904. which is
likely to be doubled before the Coun
try is pacihcd The difficulties enCoua
tered In the interior were aggraval Il
by the unfortunate fact that the
whole territory had no harbor, for the
works AT Swakoumund by nature
merely roadstead became useless
owing TO the sitting up of the local
river with the result that on the oCc1,
sion OF my visit there were many yes.
sells at anchor which had been there
some weeks Il nd landing could only
be effected when n favorable oppurtu
nifty occurred Swakopmund Is merely
tho landing place for WlndhoeIi tho
Headquarters some 236 miles inland,
to which place there Is only small
railway and Is a place of no impols
lance, The average trade of the pro
tectomte Is little over $1,000, 900,
the exports Of the country being Coa.
fined chiefly to living animals guano
feathers and other animal products;
nd imports. provisions, ironwarc ana
textiles The state subsidy, aplrt
altogether from the special cNpCndt-
turc on the insurrectlon, Is no less
than 100000 per annum The int
pnrtant copper fields at OtaVi which
are now being worked and are to be
connected with the coast by railway,
moy ultimately retrieve the fortunes
f the country.
The Herreros were eventually joined
by the Hottentots. their old enemies IN
that region, headed by Henrik Withot.
who for over ten years had been the
trusted servant and ally of the German
authorities The other tribes are the
Bancu ncol, the pamaras. and Il
handful Of Bushmcn, the population
being chiefly pastoral especially the
Damaras There has heon a disposi-
ton in Germany to ascribc the origin
of the rising to the misconduct OF the
settlers, especially their Selling cat.
tie to cover dchtsl the influence OF
the local missionaries preach
ing the doctrine or equal rights for al
mon Il dangerous theory in such Il sit
uatlon an to the extreme lenienCy II
the native policy under British rule
especially in Cape COLONY The dan.
ger Of black roNolt" spreading
over the length and breath of south
Africa have been painted in the black
est colurs, but mn extensive study u
the conditions leads one to the convic.
tion that the troubles had nothing 10
do with british rcmiSsnoss OF relig
| ious propaganda, but arose from I'M
acquaintance with local conditions N
! the part of the militaryctvtl adminis
| tration and certain harshness oi
| treatment alternating with ITS of len
/ H.