Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-03-02
DETER III.
THE TOGOLAND CAMPAIGN.
BY w. T.. Hutchinson.

ny w. II. HUTCHINSON.
Copyright by J. Il. Bruce.)
Special to Richmond Planet.
or all the British possessions. the
Gold Coast Colony was the first to
take an active part in tho war. With
in a month from tho start of hostil-
tiles 1t had carried through cam
paign which compelled the surrender
of $4,000 square miles of territory
under the German Ihag.
Togoland IS a wedge Of territory
On the Gmlf Of Guinea, sandwiched
between the British Gold Coast Col
ony OH the West and French Dohoney
on the East With only thirty miles
Of seaboard, it widens at short dis
lance from the sea and extends in
land about three hundred and fifty
miles, possessing a total area OF a
little less than thirty-four thousand
square miles, slightly larger than
Ireland. ODeleted.)
On the North it is enclosed by the
French territory The chief port,
Tome, is only few miles from the
British port OF Kitta and about one
hundred and ten miles from Accra.
the seat Of tho Gold Coast Govern
ment. Large sums had been eXpend
cd by the Germans in developing the
Colony in making the port OF rome
into depot for trade and laying
down a railway Of about one hundred
miles to the town Of Kamina, almost
due North OF Tome.
They had acted with their usual
cruelty towards the natives Of the
country, whose rights were totally
disregarded, the country being treat
ed as an appanage of the German
Empire, whose resource, both COM
mercinl and human, were to be en-
ployed solely for the advantage and
profit of Germany and the Germans
Many complaints Of brutal disre-
gard Of human life and human rights
and CT scandalous outrages OF decency
by Germans, officials and others, had
issued from the people, but these had
been unheard In Europe until Ger
man arrogance threatened Europe
itself, when it was decided that Ger
many must be turned out Of Africa
SECRET WIRELESS STATION.
There Was a special reason for
turning them out Of Togoland. At
Kamina tney had erected one Of the
most powerful wireless installations
in the world with such secrecy that
the French authorities in Dahomey
were not aware Of it's existence. It
communicated direct with Nauen,
near Berlin and with the German
Colonies Of CAMERON and Southwest
Africa, and was no doubt intended to
maintain communication between
Berlin and German warships and
commerce-raiders operating in tho
tn. 70 LOT. I>n
completed just before the outbreak
Of the war and the designer, Baron
Codclli, was still in the Colony and
was taken prisoner by the British
forces.
On the declaration Of war with
France, Major Won Doring, Acting
Governor and Commander-in-C Chief in
Togoland, assuming that Great Bri-
tain would remain neutral, made
preparations to seize the French pos
session Of DahOmey, but had not com
mitted any hostile act when Great
Britain entered into the war on the
fourth Of August.
The German Governor by instruc-
ton from Berlin then cabled to the
Acting Governor of the Gold Coast
and the Governor General of French
West Africa, proposing that neutral
ity should be observed between the
European Colonies Of the Gold Coast,
Togoland and Dahomey, on grounds
Of humanity and the desirability of
maintaining the prestige Of tho white
races in presence of the black races,
who might learn dangerous lessons,
if allowed to take part in q compaign
in which white men were opposed to
each other. the bulk Of the troops
engaged being Of necessity natives.
The proposition was not even an