El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-08-18

would be far on the way toward Delng
an English and French continent
France at present holds more A1ri-
can territory than any otner naIons
aggreratfne- more than four million
sSI7srs miles. or a greater area than
mar Of the United States, with Alaska
and the American insular possessions
Included This French territory taxes
in most Of the Sahara desert, Algeria
in fha north and a vast fertile area IN
the valleys OF the Nile and the Niger.
possessions Of the British
Frvnt is still nominally dependency
of the Turkish empire, but 19r an prdc-
teal purposes both upper EsypI ana
Lower F,gvpt are British possessions.
TSte sudan provinces Of England now
foin the British territories IN East AZ
Tica which includes a frontage OF
about four hundred miles on me tnuldn
ocean. Thus the route IS nearly an
in british territory for the cape 70
In the verv heart Of tropical Africa
lies the Congo Free state, with nearly
a million square miles, noml naIiy a ser t5ei-
gian dependency IL touCLg 7s. = 'i-tlsn
South Africa and also ~ ne % iSlSH ~
dan holdings. It requires no ooIu
stretch Of the Imagination 70 conceive
that the present great war may cnange
the map Of Africa to considerable
extent When the Great F9Wers slt
down around the council table at the
END OF the conflict England, IN return
for her support Of Belgium against the
Germans. might easily ask tnaI the
sovereignty Of the Congo Free State
be entrusted to her
Frances Colonies
France might we'll be expected to
assent 70 tbis. because her African
holdings would likely be consolidated
and consfderabIv extended as the result
Of her participation in the war ilA
the Congo Free State IN her possession
strip OF Africa running almost due
north and south from the Medlterran-
can 10 the Cane She would control
the interior lake region OF the Darh
Continent, whose vast bodies OF naVl-
gable fresh water are fairly COMPARE
HE 70 the Great Lakes Of the United
States: the Congo valley the gold ana
diamond reefs OF South AFRICA ana
practically every mile OF the immense
and rich valley OF the Nile
The consolidated British empire IN
Africa. thus brought into being would
exceed the British holdings in any
other continent not excepting AUS
tralia and the Dominion OF Canada
II Germany Should Win.
On the other hali. should Germany
be the dictator in the peace terms at
the end Of the great struggle she would
undoubtedly exact a large part OF the
French possessions in Africa Besides
the holdings in the sahara. the Congo
and the Niger valley. France owns the
great island OF Madagascar. 1t is not
improbable that il Germany again. as
in 1871, were in a position to force
terms on France she would exact her
pound Of flesh in choice bits OF
French colonial possessions, rather
than in casn-
Hollands Big Colonies
one Of the greatest coIouizing powers
OF the world is Holland. whose empire
in the east once included much Of what
is now British India Holland still
owns Borneo. which is nearly as large
in area as the German empire the Ce-
lebes Islands, one-third as large as
BorneO. which is nearly as large in
area as France: Java, which though
only about as large as Iowa, is one
Of the most densely populated regions
in the world, numbering something
like 10000. 600 Inhabitants; Dutch Gut
ana, on the north coast OF South Amer