The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1922-09-23
(By chas. W. Ablngton)

10y NudS. w.
In our last article we noted some
thing of the growth of French in
fluence in the parts of Africa named
above-it was most interesting to
not from a meager half-hearted be-
ginning at territorial occupation,
which marked the advent of French
traders and explorers-the govern
ment of the French nation has been
extended over more than 100000
square miles of West, North and
North-Centra1 Africa. alone Since
we are in quest of definite informa-
ton regarding the presence and con-
duct of the European in Africa, be-
fore dismission the French from our
attention we follow the line of their
progress bit further in these parts
invading armies of that nation, of
ficered by Frenchmen hut composed of
black troops had brought the savage
tribes, petty kings and hostile chiefs
under the control of the French
Government in the North and West
the French became interested in a
plan to extend the scope of their
power across the Sahara Sudan to
Abyssinia and, thus to the Red Sea-
As early as the 18th century Lewis
the XIV, had become keenly Interested
in Abyssinia-this concern was given
renewed impetus about the middle of
the 10th century by the wonderful
explorations of two brothers-Antoine
and Arnaud d'Abbadie, who were
French subjects, but were of Irish
extraction. The elder brother be-
came famous as the explorer of Bra
zil, the younger had both attracted
by the little known civilization of
the historic Ethiopia and started out
teen years of exploration and re-
search carried ghem as far as Mas
ava in the northern confines of the
more isolated reaches of Kaffa in the
extreme south. Though 1t was 1890
before the full results of these travels
were published. when the trip had
been commenced in 1860 they seem to
offer some justification for the pri-
GRITTY claim of the French in Abys-
sina.. The British and the French
territorial holdings. In 1857 grow
ing jealous Of the extension of Brit
ish authority at Alden, France con-
ceived well laid plan to seize the
island oe Perrin at the mouth of the
Red Sea, but this plan was foiled by
not to be daun ted by that failure of
its objective and with increased de-
termination directed its energies to-
ward the coast opposite Alden and by
. happy turn in fortune succeeded
in securing from native chief the
Bay of ObolS. which was fully occupied
by them in 1883. 1t then became a
scramble between France and ENGLAND
to come in possession of the cont ol OF
during which time France
came in possession of the important
bay of Tagurra, their possessions now
extended the island to the vicinity of
Harrar. to reduce their holdings in his
section in metes and bounds on the
north it is bounded by the Italitian
Colony of Eritrea; in the interia by
Abyssina and what is now called Bril-
fish Somaliland. French Somaliland
has an area OF about $3.50 square
miles and has in its confines the inn
portant and excellent harbor of Ji-
butt, which fact gives the French the
control Of the easiest access to Abyss
sina. 1t will be remembered that the
only railroad penetrating this ancient
empire connecting the country with
the coast starts from Jibuti and ex-
tends to the capitol. a distance of
e75 miles into the heart of Abysisi ia. |
We are told that Ads Ababa, for
that Is the name of the capitol, is
we'll defended. The French program
'or the last decade OF the 18th CEN
Jury was the extension OF their Az |
lean Empire across the broadcast part
Of the continent from Senegal to
Abyssinia and from the Red Sea to