Evening star., 1921-05-08
GERMAN
AREA DESOLATE
Southwest African Territory,
Now Under Mandate, Too
Dry for Cultivation.

The former German Southwest
| Africa. details OF whose government
under mandate to the Union of
South Africa have just been formu-
| subject of the following bulletin is
| sued from the Washington head
| quarters Of the National Geographic
Society:
AT its worst. the territory which
was German Southwest Africa before
venture into the colonial field might
be described as a country too dry
for agriculture, lying between a
desert and the sea, with one of the
in the world. The entire coast. for
a distance of ten to fifteen miles in
land. consists of sand dunes on which
grows only the sparsest of desert
vegetation.
mo perennial rivers flow into the
sea across this dreary waste through
out the nearly 1000 miles of its eX-
tent. Except for brief periods, after
heavy rains in the interior. all the
,, seaward drainage Of the country
Similarly. much of the drainage to
the east and south sinks int" the
desert that separates German South
west Africa from the British terri
tories lying to the west of the Trans
vaal.
only One PORT, Inat bfNiSn.
"Only one reasonably good port ex-
and south limits of the territory. And
! this-Walf1sh Bay-with small area
around it. was in the hands of Great
Britain before the Germans estab-
lished their colony in 1884. The exist
ence of this tiny island of British
and above all the fact that it COM
prised the one port sorely needed by
the colony. was sharp thorn in the
sides of the Germans. The artificial
at Swakopmund. just north of Wal
fish Bay, and at Luderitzbucht (Angra
Pequena). 200 miles to the south. were
only makeshifts.
But there is a somewhat brighter
side to the old German Southwest Af-
rica than that seen when one sails
along it's forbidding coast. Back of
the strip of sand is an upland coun-
try which. though it will not support
agriculture. is we'll suited to stock
cattle, sheep and goats are raised
there. Ranches are of tremendous
size. like those in the old west of the
United States. averaging about $4,000
acres. CamelS were imported by the
Germans for use in the drier portions
of the country, and are doing well.
I'm the northeastern corner of the
territory. which is in the tropics, the
conduct of agriculture is possible.
Cotton, tobacco and cereals may be
grown.
Even the strip of sand along the
coast has proved in one place to be
spectacularly valuable. Diamonds
| were discovered in the sand by rail-
road workmen in 1908. and the coun-
try now produces approximately one
| monds. In 1914 the value of the
diamonds from this field reached s45.-
100000. 1t is believed that the gems
have. been washed up from the sea.
and what is perhaps the only sea
going diamond mining company in
existence has been formed to dredge
for the precious stones off the shore.
Copper is mined in several places
and forms one of the principal ex-
ports. Railroads connect the mines
number of other sections of the
country. The Germans built well
Their mining plants and railroad
Hystems in Southwest Africa, as well
have been said to be the best on the
continent. In some of the copper
mining regions Of Southwest Africa
smelling was done by electricity.
Ares Of $4,000 Square Miles.
"German Southwest Africa had an
area of $4,000 square mle-about
the size of Texas, Arkansas and Con-
necticut combined. 1t was one and
half times the size Of pre-war Ger
many. In this vast area there was
never a large population. After a.
number of years Of war with natives
there were. Immediately preceding
the world war. something less than
100000 natives and about $1,000 Euro
peans. About 10000 of the latter
were Germans. many Of them soldiers.
'"rhe country was occupied by the
forces of the Union of South Africa
in July. 1915. and has been admin
istered since as protectorate Of
that government. Approximately 5000
Germans left the country after the
| armistice. Several thousand British
! subjects. including a number Of
| Beers. have moved in