Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-29
ALLIES AFRICAN FORCES
ARE WIDELY SEPARATED
Scenes OF Fighting for German Pos-
sessions Described in Geo.
graphic Bulletin,

WASHINGTON, July 2s.-"when
dispatches from the East African bat
tie front recently announced the sue
/ cessful operation of British forces
under General SHUTS between Tanga
and korogwe, and OF IA force under
Brigadier-General Sir {. Crewe Mt Mu-
ANA. few readers realized that the dis
hostility in German East Africa is as
great as the airline distance from Lon
don to Frankfort. Germany" according
to to-day's war geography bulletin of
the National Geographic Society
From Tanga to the southern shores
OF Lake kiwu. where the Belgians
from the Kongo made their first de-
scent upon the Teutonic cnemy's Afri-
can possessions, 1t Is nearly twice as
far as from Brussels to Berlin.
The scene OF General Smuts's sue
cess was along the Usambara Railway.
which, at the outbreak Of the war.
Germany was constructing from the
seaport OF Tanga to Lake Victoria Ny
ANA. When completed it will prove
An outlet for one of the richest Sec
lions OF the Dark Continent That
part OF the road already in operation
taps the rich agricultural region OF
tsambara. the first district OF German
East Africa to come under the juris-
diction of the Kaiser 1t was just
thirty-two years ago that three young
Germans. Karl Peters. Count Pfeil and
Or. Juhlke, made their way inland from
the coast and won the friendship OF
chieftain of Usambara. With him
they negotiated treaty. which was
followed by others. insuring protec-
ton for colonization society chartered
by the German government For Ave
or six years the Sultan Of Zanzibar
disputed the right OF the Germans to
make treaties with tribes supposed 10
be subject to him. but quarter OF
century ago he surrendered his claim
10 the mainland territory for $1,000. 900.
'Tanga, whose name means the sail,
is a town of 5000 inhabitants, only
about 100 Of whom are Europeans
About thirty miles to the east is the
fertile Island of Pemba, with an area
about equal to that OF Cape Cod 1t
is famous for its cloves. exporting
annually about 100000 pounds OF this
spice. The popularity OF Glove nlanta-
tons with Pemba planters dates back
about forty-hve years when cyclone
devastated the neighhorinE Island OF
Zanzibar. and temporarily created a
shortage in the spice market.
"TanEa is about thirty miles south OF
the boundary line between British and
German East Africa, and about seventy
miles southwest of Mombasa. the chief
seaport OF the British East African
colony. II is thirty miles north OF the
port of PanEani. situated at the mouth
which the Germans reported to
have retreated before the troops under
General SHUTS.
"Muanza. the scene OF General Sir c.
Crewc's success, is l25 miles southwest
of the British German frontier, on the
southern shore of Lake Victoria Ny
ANA. The tiny gulf on which the sta
ton is situated is called Spoke. in
honor Of the great English explorer
John Hanning Spoke, who discovered
the lake in 1888 and recognized il as
81 problem which had puzzled Seog-
ia. ncrs for 1000 years This young
Englishman. to whose memory gram
tie obelisk now stands in kensineton
Gardens, London, accidentally killed
himself while out hunting the after
noon before he was 10 meet his former
associate. Sir Richard Burton. in public
debate on the question OF whether
Victoria Nyanza, or Lake Tanganyika,
was the true source OF the great life
siver OF Egypt"