Evening star., 1915-12-12

| in the sun now she will inevitably re-
sumo the struggle hereafter, if the war
| ends unfavorably or falls short of her
| hopes. Would it not be wiser for Eu-
| rope to recognize the fact now. con-
! cede to her place in the sun" com
| menSurate with her own vision, and
| thus remove a peril otherwise bound to
| grow?
| The Statistics Of a Dream
Accepting now the frontiers for Ger
| many's Central African colony of the
! future as outlined above, what would
it mean? How would it compare with
| other world empires?
| The area of German East Africa is
| $4,000 square miles, the population
| 100000. The kamerun has an area of
| 100000 square miles, one-third com
| prising the cessions of France in the
| Morocco time. and a population of
| 100000. Belgian Kongo has area
| population of 15.5Oo.00O. French konSo
| has an area of $4,000 square miles
and population of 100000.
Roughly spea king-and exact statis-
tics are still lacking for these regions
-Germany's new colony, thus cOnsti-
tuted. would have an area of 100000
square miles and population of 30
100000. This is ten times the size of
the German empire. two-thirds the area
of the United States without Alaska
India.
Even this huge colony might lie in
creased by further agreements between
Great Britain and Germany which
would divide the Portuguese colonies
of Mozambique and Angola. which ad-
join British and German territories or
prospective territories. Thus there
might be assured to Germany the en-
tire watershed of the hongo. the lakes
at the head of the Nile systs m and
frontage on the Sahara at it's narrow
est point, which might open the way
to a transsaaaran railway from the
Ita liam colony of Tripoli.
Here would be an adequate netd Tor
German colonial activity and German
commercial development In all re-
spects save one II would satisfy even
German appetite, but this is serious
Limitation. All this region is tropical
and utterly unsuited for European colo
nization, save only certain portions of
the uplands of German East Africa.
Necessarily Germany would be COM
PEELED to make this Central African
empire one of exploitation, not of colo
MIA tion, but until Britain is conquered
or American opposition to annexation
of South American territory is elimi-
mated, it is the best Germany can do.
Remote Possibility Still.
At the present moment German de-
mands stand small chance of carrying
l. MS que TO tne TACT tndt across tneiT
pathway lies the one nation which has
suffered little so far in the war For
Great Britain q German empire in Cen
trail Africa would be a menace, bound
to grow with the years and certain to
lead to other disputes and probably
| to other wars. 1t is completely within
British power, so long she retains
control of the sea, to destroy these
hopes, whatever the course of the war
in Europe.
And. faithful to her tradition, Great
Britain is steadily destroying the bases
of German colonial ambition South
west Africa has been completely con-
quered Togoland was snapped up by
Anglo-E'rench forces in the first days
of the war, all but small central dis
trict of the Kamerun has been occupied
by French, Belgian and British expe-
ditions. and France has already re-
deemed the Moroccan "compensations"
and broken the German tentacIes
stretched out to the Ubanghi and the
kongo.
! Only German East Africa remains
| practically intact, but even here the
seacoast has been occupied and Ger
expedition is said to be forming in
| South Africa under the leadership of
| Botha to repeat in a new field the
success Of Southwest Africa and trans
| cent dream Of Cape-to-Cairo "all-
| red" map. Against such an expedition
German resistance must crumble, since
| the garrison is small and its resources
! as a result of year and four months
/ OF blockade, greatly reduced.
! Even should France and Belgium CON
sent to make the sacrifices demanded
/ british opposition could nullify the
lieve that France or even. Belgium will
! now make the sacrifices. As for
! Great Britain, she is today doing what
i she did in the wars of the eighteenth
century and the Napoleonic era. While
the conflict in Europe proceeds un-
/ favorably to her own allies she is
! sweeping off the map the colors of
| her great rival in Africa and in Eu-
rope and in the Pacific. So far there
I is reason why she should consent
to any sacrifice to Germany.
What Germany Expects.
! Yet in estimating the present situ-
alton il Is necessary to take into ac-
count German expectations and pur-
! poses The German dream of a Cen
| trail African empire has been clearly
disclosed and German purpose 10 make
peace terms the basis for a realization
! of ante -bellum aspirations in Africa,
If not in Europe. must be recognized.
/ Six months hence, when all belliger-
4 ents are nearer the point OF exhaustion,
| if none is yet conquered, the African
| bargain may have attractions for the
| French and Belgians which will prove
! compelling and British consent may
then be had.
! The importance of the African possi-
| bilities now lies in the fact that even
| in Germany it is realized that the
| evacuation of France and Belgium will
| have to come and that the possibility
| of an indemnity from France is re-
| mote There is left the African col
oniaI conversations. They have al
! ready begun to crop up in German dis
cussious; they will be the main topic
of peace conversations a few months
| hence, possibly a few weeks hence, if
! there is any discussion of peace at all
before the time for spring campaign
| in the west.