Hermanner Volksblatt. [volume] (Hermann, Mo.) 1875-1928, 1921-02-25

~ ONSIDERING the fact thai
Rhodesia is merely a baby
among the nations-it has
only just passed the thirtietl
anniversary of its charter-it can Ger.
tainly be described as q remarkably
healthy infant, and the curious anoma.
ly of rule by a chartered company
seems to have justified itself as fully
In this case as in the historic instance
of the East India company. 1t is, in.
deed. a remarkable feat to have taken
a vast tract Of country-larger than
France, Germany, Belgium and Hol-
land together-the home of continual
warfare between savage tribes, and
In less than thirty years to have intro
duced there law, order and security for
natives and settlers, and many Of the
refnements Of a high civilization, says
the Sketch of London.
Till the pioneer column entered the
country in 1880, to take over the con-
cessions which had been granted to
the chartered company, there was not
so much as a practicable road into the
interior. Today there are 1000
miles Of good roads, while the railway
stretches north and south and east,
connecting Rhodesia with the outer
world through both Capetown and the
portuguese port Of Beira. From Bula-
wayo 1t runs northwards-a link in the
great Cape to Cairo railway, which
Rhodes visualized-till 1t reaches Bel
gian territory, taking the Zambesi in
its stride, and crossing it by a bridge
which is one of the engineering Won
ders of the world. A network of tele-
graph and telephone wires links up the
scattered communities and brings them
into touch with the rest of the British
empire.
Communications were rightly seen
by Rhodes and his associates to be the
key to the development of the country,
and millions of pounds have been
spent by the British South Africa COM
pany during these 30 years in improv-
ing them. in order to render accessible
to British settlers the natural wealth
and the wonderful climate Of this IA
vored colony. The climate is such as
to make il particularly suitable for
European habitation, the fact that the
country is within the tropics being
cou]nteracted by the height above sea-
level, the plateau which constitutes the
bulk of southern Rhodesia being at an
average altitude of 1000 feet. The
winter mOnths--June to August-are
dry, most of the rain falling between
January and March. Even in the hot
season the nights are cool. The tenn
perature in the shade rarely reaches
100 degrees and in winter there is lust
sufficient frost to be of service to the
farmers.
Fine Country to Live In.
The proof of the pudding is In the
e~ating-the low death rate and the
sturdiness, not merely of the settlers,
but of their Rho6esian-born and bred
children. There is no need to send the
latter home-the separation which
makes India, for example, so painful a
place for parents-either for health or
for education. There are between
thirty and forty good schools in Rho
desia, wholly or partly maintained by
the government, and several OF these
educate their pupils up to the standard
of entrance to the University Of Cape
town, while three carry on education
to the Oxford and Cambridge matricu-
latl0n examinations.
There are plenty of opportunities for
sport in Rhodesia, there being some
twenty-five varieties Of antelope alone.
Large game, in the shape of lions, ele-
phants, ~rhinoceros, etc, is also plenti-
full. Sport of other kinds is catered
to BY the provision of clubs for polo,
golf, cricket and other games.
In addition to mining-for gold, coal,
chrome iron and other ores--the chief
industries of Rhodesia are agriculture
in Its various forms and ca%ttle-raising.
There are huge areas Of country emf
nently suited for grazing, and many of
the leading authorities are of the opin-
ion that Rhodesia will In the near flu
ture be one of the greatest meat-pro-
ducing countries of the empire and the
world. The native cattle are small,
but hardy and fleshy, and a satisfac-
tory breed is now being graded up
which preserves the good qualities Of
the native stock, while adding the
greater size of the imported bulls.
Great efforts are being made by the
British South Africa company to de-
selop the industry. and extensive ar