The Washington times., 1914-08-09

South Africa. and practically every
mile Of the immense and rich valley
of the Nile. The consolidated Brit
ish empire in Africa, thus brought
into being. would exceed the British
holdings in any other continent, not
excepting Canada or Australia.
Should Germany be the dictator of
peace terms, she would undoubtedly
exact large part of Frances pos
sessions in Africa. Besides its hold
ings IN the Sahara, the Congo and
Niger valleys, France owns the great
Island of Madagascar. 1t is not i'm
probable that if Germany were again
in n position as she was in 1871, to
force her own peace terms against
France, she would take her payment
in choice bits of the French colonial
possessions rather than in cash. In
that event Germany might well-nigh
replace France as leading colonial
power in Africa. 1t is hardly neces-
ssry to discuss the fate of British
colonial possessions, in Africa or
anywhere else, in the event of the
British empires defeat in this war.
British sea power is so overwhelm-
ing as almost to preclude disaster
that would cost the empire any of its
great colonial possessions. Japan,
as Britain's ally, would protect In
dis and Australasia. The Monroe
doctrine would insure against Can
ada ever being transferred from the
British to any other European flag.
the great quasi-independ-
cnt states of the Rritish colonial suite
are all so powerful, so loyal, and so
far distant from the European base
that they would be able to give an
account of themselves sin
France has extended holdings in
the southeast of Asia, which Ger
many would particularly covet in
ease she were making peace terms.
On the other hand, Germany lays
claim to a base and a considerable,
rather indefinite, sphere Of influence
in China, its seaport being Kiao-
,hau Bay. In view of the insistence
and aggressiveness Of German de-
ign in China in recent years, it is
to presume that this foot
hold would be wrasted by the vic
orious entente from a PROSTATE and
Exhausted Germany.
One of the greatest colonizing |
powers in the world is Holland,
whose empire in the East once in
.luded much of what is now British |
india. Holland still owns Borneo.
which is nearly as large in area as
he German Empire; the Celebes ISL
!nds, one-third as large as Borneo;
Sumatra, which is nearly as large as |
france; Java, which. although only |
bout the size of the State of Iowa,
S one of the most dersely populated
egions in the world, numbering
omething like 0,0GO, 900 of inhabit-
nts: Surinam, or Dutch Guiana, on
he north coast of South America,
Which has about the same area as
ava, but a much smaller popula-
ion; Dutch Borneo, which includes
most of the area of the Island Of
3orneo and gives Holland another
possession almost as large as Ger
many, and various islands or groups
f islands in the South Seas. Hol-
and, Germany, and Great Britain
re about equal partners in the own
rsnip of New Guinea, the second
argest island in the world, lying i'm
1ediately north of Australia. From
he eastern to the western point of
his island it is as long as a line
rom New York to Omaha, while in
rea it is about half as extensive as
he entire United States east of the
River. a German de-
eat would pretty certainly be fol-
owed by British aggression against
,erman control of any part of this
possession.
Enumeration of the far-fung CO.
,nial holdings of Holland is justified,
espite the fact that Holland is not
t present a party to the European
onfict. Besides its vast colonies
nd commerce, Holland owns the
over reaches of the Rhine, and Ger
many has no higher single ambition
han to dominate this great German
liver to it's mouth. Therefore, a VIC
orious and dominating Germany
would not irpossibly extinguish
butch sovereignty and attempt to
axe over the Dutch colonies.
Here again, however, stalks the
ision of Japanese power in the ORR
mt. AS the ally OF Great Britain,
apan would doubtless protest