Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-03-28
GERMANY
AFRICAN WAR
STUBBORN HEROES IN STATE OF
lNsURREcTioN.
IN REBELLIAN OVER A YEAR
Character Of Country the Chief OBJ
stacie to Its suppression-The De-
plorabie Absence of a Harbor-
The Rlsins's Main Cause is the
facilitating Policy of the Germans.

In the young but growing colonial
empire OF Germany-with its million
square miles of territory ana twelve
and a half million inhabitants, in Afri-
ca, the Pacific and Asia-the south AT
rican protectora:e, situated between
Portuguese west Africa and Cape Col
ony and reaching eastwards to the
British sphere, does not occupy a very
important position in the first territory
acquired oversee by Germany twenty
years ago. toward founding a colon
ial empire, its usually tranquil exist
ence aroused little interest until early
IN the lastye = when one OF the native
tribes-the herreros-broke into re-
volt, mastered the isolated white pop.
ulation, and necessitated the dispatch
OF considerable bodies of troops from
Germany to carry out military opera.
tons against few thousand natives
The causes of this formidable rising
and the means taken for it's 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-conti-
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 SUI
dan, for instance, but in the extreme
dlfficuties of operating a European
force in such a waterless and inhospit-
able country as south west Africa, COW
ering an area as great as Texas and
Illinois, with population of not more
than 100000, with its belt of sand
dunes and desert, and at distance
oversee of some $500 miles. The
usual mistake of Understanding the
enemv-it was at first intended to deal
with the rising by means OF the local
force of S00men-resulted in reinforce
ments being dispatched, but only in
piecemeal, until eventually no fewer
than eight thousand had been sent out
and sum of G6,500,000 had been ex-
peAded up to Nov. so, 1904. which is
likely to be doubled before the coun.
Try is pacifed. The difficulties encoun-
tered in the interior were aggravated
by the unfortunate fact that the
whole territory had no harbor for the
works at SwakOumund--by nature
merely a oadstead-became useless
owing to the sitting up of the local
river, with the result that on the occa-
sion Of my visit there were many YES
sells at anchor which had been there
some weeks nd landing could only
be effected when a favorable opportu
nifty occurred. Swakopmund is merely
the landing place for Windhoek-the
headquarters some 23G miles inland,
to which place there is only small
railway-and is a place of no impor-
lance. The average trade of the pro-
tectorate is a little over $1,000. 900,
the exports Of the country being con
fined chiefly to living animals, guano,
feathers and other animal products:
ad imports: provisions, ironware and
textiles. The state subsidy, apart
altogether from the special expendi-
ture on the instruction, is no less
than 100000 per annum. The I'M
portant cOpperfields at Otavi, which
are now being worked and are to be
connected will. the coast by railway,
moy ultimately retrieve the fortunes
Of the country
The Herreros were eventually joined
by the Hottentots. their old enemies in
that region, headed by Henrik Witboi,
who for over ten years had been the
trusted servant and ally of the German
authorities. The other tribes are the
Ovambos Qike the Herreros of the
Baneu race), the Damaras, and a
handful Of Bushmen. the population
being chiefly pastoral especially the
Damaras. There has been a DISPOSE
ton in Germany to ascribe the origin
OF the rising to the misc nduct of the
settlers, especially their Selling cat
tie TO cover debts), the influence OF
the local missionaries preach
ing the doctrine of equal rights for all
men-a dangerous theory in such sit
uation-an to the extreme leniency IF
the native policy under British rule
especially in Cape colony. The dan
ger of a black revolt spreading
over the length and breath of south
Africa have been painted in the black
est cOlors, but an extensive study II
the conditions leads one to the convic-
ton that the troubles had nothing TO
do with British remissness or a relig'
tous propaganda, but arose from un-
acquaintance with local conditions NJ
the part of the military-civil admins
tration and a certain harshness OF
treatment alternating with fits OF len
ionce-"the sjambolA one day and
soothing syrup the next as German
called it. Witboi justified his action
by what he termed the gross breach
Of faith on the part of the local author
tiles. Under the existing treaty on
agreement the native tribes were 10
retain possession of their ancestral!
lands Tin restricted areas which they
could not leavel under the rule OF
their own chiefs. but had to obey GER
tain regulations for which the chiefs
were TO be responsible. The tribes
We're to be protected in case of inter-
tribal hostilities. The chief causes of
the rising appear to have been the