The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-04-06
BELGIAN |: ! |: [. / CONGO [: !
ON=FOUR'1H AS
BIG As EUROPE.
While Belgian Has only 800
Square Miles Left at Home
1t Has Millions Away.

WASHINGTON. D. O.. April 6
Describing the Belgian Congo. the.
National Geographic Society, in q
Statement issued today, says:
Although Belgium now controls
less than 800 square miles OF its ter
ritory at home, it Is still possessed OF
a colony one-fourth as large as all
Europe together. It is larger than
the combined area Nlall the countries
now at war, outside OF Russia The
colony is the Belgian Congo. with
Nearly a million square miles OF ter
ritory. -
This empire is carved out Of tho
heart Of equatorial Africa, and ln~
}cluaes within its confines one of the
worlds greatest rivers. the Congo,
from which the colony takes its
name. The river has course or
about 5000 miles, and. with Its trib-
lutaries, offers a wonderful system Of
communication for opening up the
rich hinterland Tt is estimated
that there are 5000 miles of naviga-
BILE waters in the colony, while the
Congo river is navigable for ocean
steamers for 10 miles upstream.
Here follows a section OF 900 miles
OF rapids. above which the river is
naFigable for 1900 miles.
t9The work Of exploiting the heart
Lof Africa has just begun. There has
been cnnsid erable difficulty in Undue
ing European co1onists to .emigrate to
these regions and begin new homes.
First, the Congo has the evil reputa-
|tion Of being no 1T country for the
white man. and, secondly, a feeling
has existed that a permanent home
There meant permanent burial with
7,
tore. the promoters OF the Congo
have had to overcome a great unwfll-
ineness among their people to ex-
change the. comforts and certaintles
OF the 1notherland for the question
able advantages OF pioneering IN the
wild. dark country which has sue
Icessfully defed all progress for ten
thousand years.
Some advance. however, has been
i1nade. and the future Of the colony.
seems to be one of promise. Although
the climate is generally hot, and
moist. it is supporta bic by the white
man. The climate Of the coast land
lis least endurab1e for the European
lOversa great part Of this 5terrtt DRY.
normal temperatures range between
where abundant. The extreme heat
IL
sharp evening chill
THE white populate on OF this land
remains still negligible. The total
population has been estimated az
l5 % 90 900. in which are counted q
mere 5000 whites. The native pop
llu1atipn. while overwhelmingly SUI
tperior in numbers, has been aWed by
1.-THE white mans machine guns, rail-
ways, steamboat and telegraph and
form doci1e working body for tho
limnrovemento Of the land. More than
i i 500 miles Of rai1WaySare in opera
Itton and in course OF construction.
\ Further Eli As miles OF Telegraph
have been establish
led. Ave wireless stations. and some
fifty post Offices Before the war,
there was regular communication
with Antwerp. Ia steamer from that
4 port calling every fortnight I:
The agricultural possibilities Of
1.-the Congo are great, il modern meth
lIods Of sanitation finally open it up
Ito the white man. It's fora is very
|rich and varied. Among the products
NOW scult ivated IN its fields are coffee,
cotton, vans. papaWs. pineapples,
lcassaya. corn. rice. peanuts, beans,
corn. Its forests abound in rubber
wines, and the natives are employed
for gathering the rubber, which
forlns the chief article OF the col
.Eonyss export. Rich cab inet woods are
iplentiful. and many import gums
land resins are collected. All or the
domestic animals thrive in this AT
Arican country. The list OF native an
FINALS includes the elephant. hi ppo-
fpotamus, buffalo. antelope chtmpan-
lee. rhinoceros and crocodile.
isIauEhter OF elephants for the ivory
4 has been prohi bited, though the ivory
laYports. are still heavy. coming chief
ly from native accumulations. or
1.-THE minerals. large deposits Of iron.
lin and coal occur. and some rich de-
Iposits of copper and gold are found
in the southeast.
Palm kernel OIL. white copal ca
Gao. coffee, corn. lola nuts. gold,
Ivory, copper and raw hides are the
PARTICLES of export. The total trade
LOT the Congo is about SIS, 900 90.
LIT is about evenly divided into ex-
ports and imports.
Fur MANY years. this territory, ns
the Congo Free State first recoE-
mixed fby the Emitted States Ia lss 81,
lInRintainadsa quasi Ind dependencies I'm.
der the rule or Leppnld or Bel fuM.
] was forms ly nile5ed M RelEtunl
AEsHg