Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-09-25
Geographic News
Bulletins by the
National Geographic Society


IItTdHCt Oh oOuliicIh AehOuSSN
into the Union of South Africa will
supply still another parallel be
tween the United States of America
and Africa's United States" say:
a bulletin from the Washington, ID
c., headquarters of the National Ge-
ographic Society. in regard to the
region. made famous by Ceci
Rhodes, which has practically com
pleted arrangement for casting its
lot with the older provinces of the
Union.
Just as the United States, a gen.
/ Grafton or so ago, reached out to the
west and made its territories, one
after another, into states" contin-
ues the bulletin, so the Union OF
South Africa is reaching northward
it is in that direction that the
course Of African empire takes its
way-and Is Incorporating the from
tier regions. Technically, the I'm
ion has had no definite claim on
the British colonies, protectorates
and regions more Or less under
British control that lie to the north;
but it has boosted that it is heir
to all South Africa and in adding
Southern Ehodesia 1t seems to be
collecting the first installment of
it's patrimony.
Like Our Prairie States
Rhodesia is in many ways in a
condition of development compare
ble>to that of some of the western
prairie states when they entered our
Union. Only trunk line railroads
have been constructed for the most
part; the close network of the well
developed country is yet to some.
Highways, too, are still few and
poor. Both production and markets
are largely undeveloped, and the
farmers and ranchmen necessarily
live the somewhat hard and primi-
tive lives of the frontier. In recent
years, however, Victoria Capital of
Southern Rhodesia), Bulawayo, Sal
isbury and other towns have devel-
oped into modern municipalities
with all conveniences of Western
World.
Still other similarities between
Southern Rhodesia and some por-
tons of the United States lie in ply
steal conditions and climate. The
country is a plateau region, dry
and hot during southern summer
but with a reasonable rainfull u.s.
ually, during other portions of the
year. But at times it has it's severe
droughts which parch crops and
decimate herds.
An Empire Owned by a Company
"In one way Southern Rhodesia
is without parallel in the United
States, for nothing approaching
ownership of an empire by a COM
mercial corporation has ever come
up in our history. In fact. in the
extent to which such control has
gone, Southern Rhodesia. together
with Northern Rhodesia and ada
cent territories, stands alone even
in British experience which con-
tains the stirring history of the East
India Company's exploits in India.
THE region, nearly half a million
square miles in extent, became,
through concessions from a native
chief, a royal charter from the
British crown, and conquest, virtu-
ally the private property OF the
British South Africa Company, of
which Cecil Rhodes was the NOV
ing spirit. The company as might
be expected of any developmental
enterprise sold land, leased min
eral rights, and built railroads and
i OllSI SHSllCCilh6 WI Ms oul oO-
| side all this it actually governed the
country, though in late years the
imperial government has assumed
some measure of control over the
company's governmental activities.
Source of Ophir's Gold
The known presence of gold in
considerable quantities drew the at
tention of Rhodes and his associ-
ates to Southern Rhodesia. The
precious metal is scattered all over
the country, though only in a linn
tied number of places has it's devel-
opment proved profitable. Some
students assert that this is the lost
source of gold in the days of Solo
mon-gold which was brought
through the Arabian port of Ophil
and so came to be called gold of
Ophir." Very extensive ruins of
! great buildings solidly constructed
of carefully hewn granite blocks X
list lear Victoria and are said to be
the forts and temples and work.
shops of alien (perhaps Phoeni-
cian) gold seekers of the remote
past, The ruins extend to a port
on the Indian ocean in what is now
Portuguese East Africa, from which
hC SOlu al u opdDly Slllpptu.
Now a mining, ranching and ag-
ricultural country, Southern Rho
desia may also have a future as a
manufacturing region. On it's
northern border flows the Zambesi
river with it's Victoria Falls of great
volume, more than twice the height
of Niagara. promising abundant
| power. Not far from the falls are
extensive coal fields.
Natives National Topsy
The natives of Southern Rhode
STA. numbering some 100000, are in
the anomalous position of having no
OF cial political status. They have
drifted OIL like Topsy, have Just
growed,' into their present condi-
| ton. They have never been for
| nially made British subjects though
British control has been extended
over the country. They might al
most be considered subjects of the
British South Africa Company. The
company has all along laid claim to
ownership of the lands on which
the natives live except areas re-
Gently set apart as reservations. The
white population OF the country
numbers about $4,000.
Southern Rhodesia is roughly
circular, with a diameter of about
$50 miles. Its entrance VIII add to
the Union an area approximately
equal to that of California second
largest state in the United States.
The center of Southern Rhodesia is
ahcut the same d'siar &c south of
the Equator as the City of Mexico
is north of that line"