Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-04-20
THE CAMEROONS CAMPAIGN.

Immediately to the South OF the
British Protectoratc Of Nigeria lies
the great German Colony Of Gamer
oons CKamcrun) the largest OF all
Gcrmany's overseas possessions. It's
area OF about 100000 square miles
equals that Of the German Empire
and Great Britain combined. It's
coast line, which runs almost due
North and South, has several good
harbours, the best being Duala on
the Bay of Cameroons, opposite the
island of Fernando Pc.
In the immediate ncighbourhood
rises the Cameroons Mountain, 49,
700 feet high, which forms magni-
ticent and unique landmark on the
sMest Coast, with smoke and vapour
constantly belching fromSts, summit.
The northern extremity Of tho Col
ony is Il tongue Of land touching the
southern shore of Lake Chad, the
meeting point Of the territories Of
Britain, Franco and Germany. Thence
the boundary runs first South ana
then Southwest, marching with Nj
gcria till it reaches the sea at the
Cross lRivcr.
The Eastern boundary runs in n
generally Southern direction with
TIcllCn AlllIil SiS llS l,tSt-
ern neighbour. On the South it is
\ bounded by the French Colony OF
GaDoon (Gabun) along an almost
straight westerly line which reaches
the sea a few miles North of Libre-
Vile. At the Southeastern end are
two long antennae or fingers, Of
territory which intrude into Gaboon,
the Western touching the river Congo
at Bonga, and the other the river
Ubangi Can important affluent of the
Congo) at Zinga.
These two strips Of territory, to-
gethor with an extension of the
90 Eastern boundary Of CameroSns, had
been extorted from France In 1911,
at the time of the political incident
known as the Agidir crisis, In return
for Germany's recognition Of the
French Protectorate in Morocco. The
territory coded was only a small por-
ton of Germany's original demands
but its cess On was an humiliation
to France, as well as an impediment
to the development of French Congo,
by cutting the communication be-
tween the different parts OF French
Equatorial Africa except by river.
TO Germany their only value was
to bring her into touch with the
Congo, and to serve as a starting
point for further extension of her
territory across Central Africa to-
wards German East Africa, for the
formation Of great Central African
Empire touching the Atlantic Ocean
on the West, and the Indian Ocean
on the East.
Placed thus astride Africa she
would have dominated the Continent,
cutting off South Africa, and threat
ening the rear OF the French and
British possessions in West and
North West Africa, as we'll as Egypt,
while from the ports On the seaboard
she would have been able to cut the
sea-routes between Europe and South
America, the Cape and India.
On the Camcroons Mountain the
Germans had established hill
station, named Buca, on q healthy
site of remarkable beauty, which was
the administrative capital of the
Colony. From Duala a railway ran
Eastward to Edea, distance of
about 100 miles. with several large
bridges. From Bonabcri, on the
Northern shore Of Cameroons Bay,
another railway ran Northward about
rs miles to Nkongsamba.
AT various places in the interior,
notably Yaundc about 30 miles
Northeast Of Fade, at Agaunderc at
the Northern edge Of the Central
Plateau; at Garua, near the Nigerian
frontier, and at Mora, near Lake
Chad, the Germans had made thirty
strong fortified positions, we'll placed
and garrisoned. They had also wire
less stations with which they were
able to maintain communication with
the outer world after they had been
driven from the coast.
One Of the greatest obstacles the
Allies had to face was the nature of
the country in which they had to
operate. The British commander,
General Dobell, thus describes it: