The Washington times., 1921-12-11

India. Indo- China ana China. which
10 the problem Of q politically power
less but essentially civilized popula-
ton which can be trusted to modern
lie itself and come into line with the
existing efficient powers, II only It
Ia protected from oppressive and
disintergrating forces while 1t
adjusts itself. Africa Is quite In
capable of anything of the sort.
Negro Africa IL mainly still In
a condition Of deepening disorder
and misery due to the spread of
European diseases and to the raiding
of the Arab and native adventures
who had obtained possession Of
modern firearms. The small village
communities Of tropical Africa were
quite unable to stand up against tho
brgand enterprises Of mere bands
Of ruffians armed with rifles. The
scramble for Africa on the part of
the European great powers toward
the close Of the nineteenth century,
q scramble largely dictated by
economic appetites. did . little to
mitigate tho miseries and destruo-
tons in progress BY establishing q
sort Of order through large areas of
Africa, a sort of order that in como
regions was scarcely less cruel than
the disorders It replaced. But II
continuing access to tho resources of
Africa Is to be maintained and II q
return to the Arab raider and
general chaos ana massacre Ia to be
avoided, It is clear that In some form
the control Of tho central parts of
Africa by the modern civilized
world must continue.
Danger Of War Over Africa.
But We must be clear upon one
point. II that control 10 to b
maintained a. at present It Ii main
tanned. by various European powers
acting Independently of one another
and competing against one another,
In the not very remote future cen
trail Africa 10 bound to become .
cause Of war. Central Africa was
one Of tho great prizes before the
German imagination in 1914 and IL
is now held in . state of unstable
equilibrium by the chief European
vtctors in the great war. AZ they
recuperate, the African danger win
increase. Africa, next after Eastern
Europe and tho Near East. 10 likely
to become in the course Of . dozen
years or 20 the chief danger region
Of the world.
1t behooves all those who are
dreaming Of an organized world
peace through an association Of ma
tons to keep this African rock ahead
in mind and to think out tho DOS
sible method Of linking this great
region with the rest Of the world in
q universal peace scheme.
submit 1t In not premature for
those who are unconcerned with the
future Of our race to consider the
necessity Of three chief things:
~ The complete abandonment and
prohibition now Of the enlistment
and military use of the African ma
tive population.
t2) The application Of tho prin-
ciple Of the "open door" and equal
trading opportunities for all corners
in tho regions between the Sahara
and the Zambesi.
t0 A more organized care Of tho
native African population by a
lightning up Of the existing restric-
tons upon the arms and drink
trades and the development of some
sort Of elementary education
throughout Africa that will Give
these very various and largely still
untried peoples a chance Of showing
what latent abilities they have for
self-government and participation in
the general human common veal.
For my own part, II seems to me
that any real League Of Nations"
any effective Association of Ma
tons" must necessarily supersede
tho existing empires" and imperial
systems and take over their allen
possessions" and that one commits
sion. embodying the collective will
Of all the efficient civilized nations
Of the world, is tho only practicable
form Of security for all those parts
Of Africa incapable or not yet ca,
pable Of self-government