The sun., 1909-01-10

National Liberals and Radicals. could
the project be carried through.
| Herr Bernhard Dernburg. formerly
general manager Of the Dresden Bank.
| who had already been chosen to follow
Prince Won Hohenlohe az Colonial Direc-
tor. became the First Secretary Of State
for the Colonies. Herr Dernburg is q
man Of business pure and simple. In whose
Jewish veins runs the spirit rather OF
finance than Of political affairs. He
processes no qualifications for diplomacy
and has no intention Of letting his prao-
tical objects be complicated with politi-
cal issues. He rests his case for more
determined development Of the colonies
upon two appeals-the appeal to national
pride and the appeal to national interest.
In the first place. he contends that Ger
many cannot with honor withdraw from
the undertakings to which It has COM
mitted itself, II is for Germany. he
says. to answer the question: will
II in regard to its colonial possessions
abdicate the position which IL has won
In stern, strenuous and noble contest
Of primacy In the mental sciences and
in applied technics? That is the great
question Of the hour. and l am certain
that when it is clearly understood the
nation will answer with an energetic
mo- The appeal to the commercial
Glasses is pitched In a lower key; here
the colonies are represented as essen
tial to Germany's industrial indepen-
denoe and its prosperity an a producing
country. German colonial policy" said
Herr Dernburg in january. 1907, sig
nifes nothing more or less than 3 ques-
tion OF the future of national labor. a
question OF bread for many millions
Of industrial workers and a question
Of the employment OF domestic capital
in trade, industry and navigation" After
directing attention to the growth Of
protective legislation abroad, the effect
Of which had been to shut out German
goods by insurmountable barriers. he
insisted that Germany needs not only
wider markets but new and surer sources
OF raw material. which sources are TO be
found in colonies His ultimate ideal is
a self contained empire.
Mr.. Dawson recognizes that the poten-
tial wealth OF the German colonies never
impressed the German nation as it has
impressed the new Colonial Secretary,
who would appear to anticipate the time
when Germany will obtain the bulk OF
the raw material required by it's indus
tries as we'll as it's tropical foodstuffs
from its own colonies-a piece Of good
fortune which as our author reminds
US has not yet fallen even to Great Brit
ain, in spite OF its vast colonial empire
and its much smaller home population.
Among the commodities now almost
entirely imported from other countries
which Germany according to Herr Dern-
burg "can produce in it's colonies are
cotton, wool, copper rubber, petroleum,
coffee. rice. oil. hemp and fruits, OF all
OF which quantity valued at $3.50 900 900
had to he imported in 1905. OF these
products cotton Is at present the most
important. Herr Dernburg is convinced
that given the introduction of plough cul-
ture the German colonies are capable Of
2. 900, 900 bales year. an amount
larger than Germany now consumes. Even
under existing conditions Of cultivation
he puts the present possible production at
10o. 900 bales. For the supply OF WOOL
sheep wool and mohair-the Colonial
relies upon Southwest Africa.
Hemp is grown in the region just named.
also in Togo, CAMERON and still more eK-
In Fast Africa. Cocoa is grown
in CAMERON, Samoa and other German
and coffee in East Africa.
As to palm oil. copra and earth nuts.
Herr Dernburg has mo doubt that the
greater part Of our requirements can be
obtained from our own colonies without
much dificulty.- These products are
alre.ty forthcoming from CAMERON and
In hryer quantity from East Africa,
where $50, 600 acres Of land are said TO
be suited to the cocoa palm. and IL planted
10 be capable Of yielding 700. 900 tons Of
copra at one ton heotsre ca, acres),
With a net return Of $50 so hectare. |
Rubber is already exported from the
1erman colonie, to the value OF 81. 500. 600. |
more than a third coming from East
Africa alone, while $25. 900 900 is said to
DO invested in German rubber goods fac |
torie,. which employ $4,000 workpeople.
Not only East Africa where nearly two
million trees have been planted. but Togo.
New Guinea and Samoa all
produce rubber. AS yet however, the
rubber exports from the colonies form |
put a fraction OF the country's normal |
In 1905 Germany bought
~ 600 tons Of rubber Of which only 800
.ons came from tho colonies. Mr.. Daw-
,on goes on to show that timber is largely |
exported from the hinterland Of Togo. |
rom CAMERON and from German East |
Africa. In the last named district alone
hara ara 40, n00 ac,.s of forasts-cafar
6c.-near the coast. and one
ierman merchant has 900 men engaged
n the timber trade there. 1t is also es-
.imated that in East Africa and CAMERON
ogether there are 800, 900 acres Of man
grove with a. value Of over 5000 o0O, 900.
Petroleum is found in CAMERON. while
Is TO minerals, copper is obtainable in
Africa in the Otavi mines
Ind elsewhere. end there are German
,yndicates prospecting and mining in
several other districts. In 1905. how
,ver, none Of Germany's imports OF cop
Der came from the colonies.
The author Of this book does not share
Herr Derrburg's optimistic conviction.
Is regards the future productivity Of the
1ermsn colonies in general, he believes
hat the ardent advocates OF an empire
over the sea are indulging expectations
or which on the whole there would ap-
bear to be no justification either in fact
,r probability. They write and speak.
'or example, as though at some near
late the colonies would supply raw
material to the mother country at 90 low
, price that trade rivalry with other