The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-04-19
DISPOSITION
OF GERMAN
COLONIES
Made That Afri-
can Colonies be Turned
Over to United States

Berlin. April 1G (By the Asso-
ciatcd Press Could the United
States dispose of her surplus col
ored population by distributing it
among the former German colonies
in Africa under some agreement
with the present European man
datorics?''
This question arose TO-DAY in the
course of u conversation with DIR.
Heinrich Schnee. former governor
of German East Africa. in c)nncc-
ton with . special diSpatcl frori
Washington published in Berlin
attributed to United States senator
Franco. a suggestion that the allied
debts to the United States could be
redeemed by the transfer Of the
+, former German colonies in Africa
/ now controlled by Great EritIin.
France and Belgium, to the United
/ States.
Senator France is reported to
have declared that such transfer
would need as complement a
joint international psan Coz re-
! constructive development.
assuming that the senator
means the transfer of the man
datory powers and not annexation,
the scheme would seem both feas-
ible and desirable provided United
! States control would mean con-
tinuation Of her open door pol
icy, admitting the cooperation Of
all nations said Or. Schnee.
This he added. would be ex-
! actly opposite TO the present re-
gime, which excludes all but the
nationals of the occupying pow
CTS" We still hope that our col
onics, now held in trust by the en-.
tente powers, some time Will be re-
stored to us.
'Doub, less the German-African
colonies would be able to support
thrice the present native popuia"
ton. Indeed there is room there
for $4,000, 900 colored people now
and there will be more room as
development progresses. German
East Africa, southwest Africa. To-
goland and the CameroonS agSre-
gate an area of more than mil
lion square miles, rich in natural
wealth and abounding in the raw
materials the world sorely needs.
Moreover most of them have
zones suitable for white settlers:
but their tropical coast line re-
gions arc entirely suitable for col
onization by millions of colored
people.
The largest zone, East Africa,
consists of $4,000 square miles.
about the size of Alabama. Geor-
gia, the two Carolinas. Florida.
Virginia. Mississippi and Louisiana
combined and has a population Of
less than S.0O0.000. Next is South
Africa. with $4,000 square miles
and about 10000 population while
the Cameroons has 100000 square
miles and a population of 2.500. 900.
"As a colonizing power, l have
the greatest regard for the United
States. [ was able to observe
American methods while governor
Of Samoa Their sanitary achieve
ments III Panama deserve the high
est praise.
'.As regards the attempt to COL
onizc Africa with the surplus;
American colored population. this
in long way would settle the veX-
cd problem and under a plan such
as Senator France has outlined
might enable France and Great
Britain to discharge their debts to
the United States and Simultaneous
ly case the burden of German
reparations which is paralyzlng
economic life.
But this subject, however inter-
esting in the perspective it appears
presents enormous difficulties. Re-
member the failure in colonizins
Liberia
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