Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1922-10-20

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety. Washington. d. CO.
Entrance of southern Rhodesia into
the Union of South Africa, now prac-
tically arranged, will supply still an
other parallel between the United
States Of America and Africa's UNITED
| States"
Just as the United States, gener-
| alton or so ago, reached out to the
vest and made It's territories, one
after another, into states, so the Union
of South Africa is reaching north
course Of African empire takes its
way-and is Incorporating the from
tier regions. Technically, the Union
has had no definite claim on the Brit
ish colonies, protectorates and regions
more or less under British control that
lie in the north but it has boosted
that 1t Is "heir to all South Africa"
and In adding southern Rhodesia 1t
seems to be collecting the first In
stallment Of its patrimony.
|
dition Of development comparable 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 come. Highways,
too, are still few and poor. Both pro-
duction and markets are largely un-
developed, and the farmers and ranch
men necessarily live the somewhat
hard and primitive lives of the from
tier. In recent years, however, Vic
toria Capital of southern Rhodesia),
Bulawayo, Salisbury and other towns,
have developed into modern munich
palities with all the conveniences Of
the western world.
Still other similarities between
southern Rhodesia and some portions
of the United States lie in physical
conditions and climate. The country
Is a plateau region, dry and hot dur
ing the southern summer. but with a
reasonable rainfall usually during 9TH
er portions of the year
An Empire owned by Company.
In one way southern Rhodesia is
without parallel in the United States,
for nothing approaching ownership of
al empire by a commercial corpOr-
alton 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
adjacent territories, stands alone even
In British experience which contains
the stirring history of the East India
company's exploits In India.
The region, nearly half million
square miles in extent, became
through concessions from native
chief, royal charter from the Brit
ish crown, and by conquest virtually
the private property Of the British
South Africa company, Of which Cecil
Rhodes was the moving spirit The
. company, as might be expected OF any
developmental enterprise, sold land
leased mineral rights and built rail
roads and other engineering works
But besides all this it actually governed
the country, though in late years tht
imperial government has assumed
some measure of control over the com
pany's governmental activities.
The known presence of gold in coD
siderable quantities drew the atten
. ton Of Rhodes and his associates t.
southern Rhodesia. The precious meta
is scattered all over the country
though only in limited number o
places has its development prove'
profitable Some students assert tina
this Is the lost source Of gold in tn
, days of Solomon-gold which wa
brought through the Arabian port o
Ophir and SO came to be called "gol
Of Ophir." Very extensive ruins 0
great buildings solidly constructed Q
carefully hewn granite blocks exIs
near Victoria and are said to be tn
forts and temples and workshops q
alien (perhsDs Phoepician) gold seei
ers OF the rc1sote past The ruins e,
: tend to port on the Indian ocean,
what = now Portuguese East .Afric'