The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-04
III


history OF the German colonial policy
and the economic problems which under
lie It we may approach with better com
prehension the colonies of the German
Empire - ably recorded in these i'm
pressive volumes
We may sense a division Of the coll
onies into the two classes of strategic
and sustentation colonies The division
is nowhere sharply drawn. We. 1t does
exist. In the case of kiao-chow we
have a German settlement whose value
il almost wholly strategic and very
scantily mercantile; in Samoa we have
n plantation colony where the military
strategy is at minimum: yet Kao-
chow does considerable business and
pays its way, Samoa Is a factor in the
control of the trade routes OF the Pacific
and the Panama Canal.
or the colonies where the strategic
element somewhat considerably prepon-
derates we list Togo ana German Fast
Africa, German New Guinea G<aiser
Wilhelmsland) and Kiao- chow.
Togoland. absurdly small in COMPARE
son with the great holdings OF the other
European nations into which II is inter
jected az a silver IN the skin. gives
Germany seat AT the council board In
the consideration OF the affairs Of tho
Congo when France and Belgium de-
bate their interests and frame their
agreements of development. on the
other hand It gives Germany n voice in
British dealings with the basin Of the
Niger. and in French dealings with It's
great desert empire which II controls
from the Mediterranean down TO the
CnpuO State along rhn uaGtar-,, ma hoo
Of the Egyptian and therefore Brit
ish Sudan, The situation has been
shrewdy devised; 1t is similar to that
held by the possessor OF small block
OF stock in a corporation where the ma
jorlty holdings are divided evenly he
tween great interests which cannot con
troll without the ability to vote this
compact but minute holding. Togo has
been little developed, it has not been
necessary as yet to consider Il as pro-
ductlve soil yet 1t ls quite clear that I,
might be made economically of impor-
lance In the exploitation Of its natural
wealth.
German East Africa has always been
more distinct challenge. 1t is a thrust
athwart the Cape to Cairo aspiration OF
Cecil Rhodes, II blocks the "all red
route which was intended to open Africa
to the world, 1t is not improbable that
this line OF rail will In time he pushed
| through; much of 1t Is already com
pleted at the south and at the north
| But Germany has put herself into po-
! sition where she may demand traffic
arrangements and may insist upon a
share of the profits, based not so much
on her investments in the German link
as on her opportunity to levy toll on the
through traffic. one and n half times
the area of the German States in Eu-
rope, this Is considerably the largest OF
| the German possessions oversee. Away
| from the immediate llttoral altitude cor
reefs the inconvenience of its latitude
and much of the inland Is at least sub
tropical and in many places even tenn
perate and abundantly wholesome fol-
Europeans. In time 10 Is TO be expected
that the economic value of this great
slice OF the best of Africa will gather
moment sufficient to outweigh its pres
ent advantage of position in the adjust.
ment OF the greater world highways or
that continent
In a loose connection OF propinquity
In part, In other part OF the convenient
grouping of trifes individually nnlm
portant, with Kaiser Wllhelmsland or
the mainland of New Guinea are asso,
ciated the adjacent Bismarck Archipel,
ago and Solomon Islands possession. tn,