The Cordova daily times. [volume] (Cordova, Alaska) 1914-1947, 1919-01-30
THE GERMAN TERROR IN AFRICA

The lehman ehHOH IN AT NINA
one OF the things which Germany
fears most is the loss of her African
colonies They are the most tangible
realization of her desire for "a place
in the sun" We know from the Lich-
nowsky memorandum that before tn"
war she was negotiating with Great
Britain for an eConomiG-politlCal
sphere of interest in Portuguese East
Africa and that 4 member of the Brit
ish cabinet said to Prince Lichnow-
sky, We don't want to grudge Ger
many her colonial development
A condition of the impudent peac"
offer to Belgium was that the Belgian
government should urge the retention
OF her African colonies by Germany
after tn" war. The plea has been
favorably regarded by the paCitist Gle
ment in tn" allied countries. ever
eager to save Germany punishment
for her crimes. 1t is worth while"
therefore, to emphasize the reasons
why Germany should lose for all time
the fOothuld she has gained in Africa.
They are set forth clearly and con
cusiyeiy in a report which has been
issued as parliamentary blue book -
a report which is the more impressive
because il is not an argument but
plain statement of facts.
fDn l. in
disputable The evidence is drawn
from German judicial and admins |
trati,. practice set forth i'll German /
official documents. from writings by
recognized German authorities and .
from sworn statements. both by Euro .
peans familiar with the country and .
by native chiefs.
That German colonial rule has been .
characterized by the cruel eXplOita. /
ton OF the natives is, indeed. we'll
known The notorious DR.. Peters was
a fragrant example OF German meth
DDS. But it is worth while at this
moment that the memory of the civ
ilized world should be refreshed on
this point. Germany has shown the
eleven hOof in Africa, as in every
other spot which her kultur has con,
taIainat"G. She has made an un-
broken record of official bad faith and
aggression. of private oppression and
cruelty This document shows clearly
that Germany never can be trusted
TO deal justly or humanely with in
ferior peoples. Other nations. 1t is
true, have sins to answer for in this
alone has there been deliberate and
systematic disregard of even the com
moneSt human rights
The customary proceeding when
Germany wished to extend her inhu
.rncc over native tribes or peoples,
was first to enter into agreements
with the chiefs. But these agreements
were kept only until Germany was
strongly enough established to repu
diate them. They We're, in the words
of a German colonial governor. dealt
with uniformly without regard to their
stipulated details" Thus the tribes
were all. whether this was arranged
for in the agreements or not. made
subject TO German laws and German
jurisdiction. and received German gar
risons"
1t might be argued that this decep-
ton was intended for their good
that German laws and German garri
sons promoted their welfare and de-
veIopcd their resources. Unfortu' |
nately for this theory, the records |
show that German rule was brutal |
and tyrannous; that natives could not !
get justice in German courts; that
native offenses We're punished by fog |
gings, by executions, carried out in
n manner which would have been con
sidered as brutal two hundred years
ago" Some of the stories told In the
report would be well nigh incredible
were 1t not for what has taken place
in Belgium and Northern France un-
der our own eyes. And IL tribe,
like the Hereros, was goaded into re-
bellion, orders were given to extermi-