The New York herald., 1922-03-12
Frances Empire in Central Africa
General Aubier Describes the Wealth of Resources
Awaiting Railroad Across the Sahara.
Genera. A4os.y IN the Rsvus dss Dsur Mondss

/ Ing regions OF our central Africa to
avoid the economic disaster which would
inevitably follow the closing OF most Of
our cotton mills--a disaster which might
have far reaching social effects through
throwing thousands OF families out Of
work. rs u.
The same reasoning applies to wool,
leather, refrigerated meats. all products
for which we depend on foreign sources
in excessive measure. We import 10000
tens OF wool, costing more than billion
francs. $4,000 tons Of hides and leather
and $4,000 tons OF refrigerated meats.
costing nearly 900. 100000 francs. and in
addition oils, rubber and coffee, although
OF the Niger and the Chad region.
| The exploitation OF our central Africa
might have saved US before the war six
billions a year spent for imports to-
day we would save from ten to twelve
billions, OF which one-lfaif would help
to develop the prosperity and the riches
OF this Incompatible region, while the
remainder would be an absolute saving.
But these results cannot be realized
until the transsaharan railroad is built
The railroad would bring Lake Chad,
for instance. within three or four days
OF Algiers. within five or six Of Paris.
instead OF two or three months, as at
present. 1t would open central Africa
ITO settlement and provide means OF
| transporting its products. The settlers
are ready. They would be the French
men who now emigrate to the United
States, the Argentine, Brazil, Mexico,
Chile and elsewhere. and Of whom the
greater part are eventually lost TO
| France. There are also the present set
tiers of Algeria and Tunis. While in
| France the birth rate remains station
ary, in Algeria, thanks to the incessant
influx OF Spaniards, Italians. Sicilians
Maltese, whose sons become naturalized
Frenchmen, there is being founded new
race, Ffanco-Algerian or Franco-Latin
which is young, vigorous enterprising and
which doubles in twenty years. 1t is these
men who will colonize central Africa.
! The construction of a railroad across
the Sahara offers no special. difficulties
The estimates of its cost sange from
500. 100000 francs to three times as
much according to the route selected
and the gauge of the road. 1t is be-
lieved that the receipts would pay the
cost of operation after the second year
would be amortized. @
The hour has come to understand that
1 our northern Africa and our central
/ Africa should form an African empire
The transsaharan railroad is work
of national Importance. Our colonial
history is doubly written, in history and
on the map. Twice our power of ex-
pansion has given US vast but distant
colonial empires, and twice we have lost
them. Look at the map and see that
France rests on Africa like a head upon
a vast body. France cannot ignore heI
African destiny, and if she would real.
| ize It she must construct an imperial
highway which, crossing unified Africa
i viii carry her borders. her influence and
her prestige to the Congo.
The question OF the transsaharar
railroad presents itself to-day under 9
new aspect. The war has demonstrated
the necessity of utilizing quickly al
parts of our African domain, and or
the other hand the reduction of oul
fleet, not permitting us in case of war
| to count on the freedom OF the seas
imposes the duty of insuring in the
Mediterranean our communications with
all Of French Africa.
One may say that the construction oi
the transsaharan railroad is a direct
and imperative consequence OF the
washington Conference. =.