The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-09-05
EUROPEAN WAR TO
ALTER WORLD MAP
Interesting Facts Concerning Hold
lngs of Nations in Battle Told by
National Geographical Society.
FRANCE BIG AFRICAN HOLDER
Strange Contrasts Found in Belgian
Congo Where Agriculture and
Cannibals Only Few Miles Apart
BY Congressman G.. H. Tavenner

BY Congressman G. H. Tavenner.
Washington, Sept 5.-The Ma
tional Geographic Society since tho
beginning of the war in Europe ha:
been putting out a series of highly
interesting statements throwing
geographical sidelights on the ma
tions now in war. Nowadays it is
common thing to hear people say
that the war makes them realize
they have forgotten most of the
geography they learned in school.
The statements of the Society not
only bring this geographical in
formation upto date, but they add
many interesting facts that are not
in the Biographies.
For instance, how many Ameri-
cans know that the African pos
sessions Of the nations at war are in
area more than three times as large
as the United States, and three times
as large as the European territory
Of the belligerent countries. Of
Africa's 11,513,00O square miles,
9,667,531 are owned by European
nations.
France Largest Holder.
France is the largest holder, pos
nccir
Little Belgium holds the Belgium
Congo, area, 100000 square miles
England controls 3,61S,245 square
miles, and Germany 1,O35,0S6
square miles. Nearly fifty million
Africans are British subjects: forty
million are French subjects; fifteen
million who owe fealty to Belgium !;
and twelve million to Germany.
Will Change Map.
The present war is likely TO
change the map Of Africa even more
drastically than it changes that of
Europe. It is almost certain that
from the conquered the richest OF
the African possessions.
The Belgium Congo is one of the
strangest Of lands. It's bloody but
romantic history of ivory is fairly
we'll known throughout the earth.
Little, however, is known about the
teeming Congo population.
The Geographic Society says
that strange contrasts are to be
found in Belgium Congo. Here
there will be endless fields of millet
and other grains raised by the in
dustrious native population which
has been civilized. A few miles
away from this scene of peace the
country will be bowling wilderness
inhabited by savage cannibals and
man-eating beasts.
Fiercest of Tribes.
The fercest Of the wild tribes is
the Bankatus, incOrrigible cannibals.
Their victims are always their
slaves. Slaves are never allowed to
die naturally, but are always killed
and eaten, since the native super
stitution holds that if a slave were
buried it's ghost would kill the liv-
ing master.
The Bankatus are the only tribe
which has successfully resisted the
woodsmen, defending their villages
by poisoned spikes hidden by leaves
and vanishing into the jungle if pur-
sued A favorite ambush for the
white man is poisoned bow-and-
arrow trap set with live baby as
bait. The white man is depended
upon to pick up the baby found
abandoned in the jungle, but this
act of kindness is his death, for ar
arrow, tipped with absolutely deadly
poison, penetrates his skin as he lifts
the baby.
Army of 100000.
The society comments admiringlJ
on the military prowess of Servia
"If the United States were to cal
to the colors as many men in pro
portion to the population as Servis
has," reads a bulletin, "it would
mean an army Of upwards Of eigh
million men; in proportion to adul
male population it would mean al
army Of twelve million. The Serv
ian army is a fighting force that i!
conceded to have every quality O.
strength that military machine
may possess"
Returns From Western Trip.
J. K. Given, of the Given Hard
ware company, returned from a three
weeks trip throughout the Cana