New Britain herald., 1930-07-21
FLYSWATTER LED
 ID NATIONS FALL
Insult to Frenchman Brought
 About Conquest Of Algeria

geria. North African extension of France, whose hundred years under French influence are being celebrat- ed by a series of eXposltions and fairs. is a mountain-rimmed area between the waters Of the Medltar. rarean and the sands of the Sahara" says the bulletin from the Washing ton, D (. headquarters Of the Na- t.onal Geogra phlc Society. Into this land France has poured affection and hopes and money in grelt streams. and speaks of fl proudly as the masterpiece Of Trench colonizI- rlon
 \ Quarter the Area Of |. S.
 Algeria proper IS q relatively NATION rac-auEla. extending for 5-5 miles along the Mediterranean Sea and inland for a depth varying from 150 to 900 miles 10 the sahara Atlas Mountains. This main portion 0. Algeria has an area of nearly 225 900 square miles and ls thus orlv slightly smaller than TeXas But there is 8 much greater Algeria extending southward into the Great Desert. These are the so-called southern Territories that raise the total area Of Algeria 10 more than d quarter that of the Tinted Stat2s or Australia
 Nature made Algeria inaccessible from the north. The coast has hard lv any natural lnlets. Hills Tim .ne shore. Behind them arr narrow roll ing plains, and then rhe heights Of the Tell Atlas Mountains bar the way to the interiors. Beyond them dvcary. son,i-arid s-onpes s'ret-n soutnward 10 -ha second line of mountains. Sou'hward ot thcse heights lies the High Plateau which dips gradually mo the sandy an1 rocky wastes ot the great sahara.
 The narrow northern strip Of AL gcrla rom the first Atlas range 10 the coast-looseIy called the Tell is the coun-ry's best foo, thrust fo"- ward 10 meet the visitor There 1s reasonable amount Of rainfall w. tel from the mountains IS available and has been utilized for irrlgatloH' and The countryside smiles with az r,cultural prosperity Here are 2r- anse groves. palm trees. great fleIIs Of vegetables that supply many Of
 Europe's early markets. and huge vineyards that rival hose of souta- arn France. Westward where the Tell is wider are cotton fields; aoI both westward and eastward Of the vlneyards and truck farms are gram fields. By means Of dry farming considerable quantities Of grain are grown also on parts Of the semi-a"'1 plains south of the Tell
 Ely .swatter" Led tO Conquest
 For the most narr, however the dry plans region between the ma n ngcunta!q chains Is sparselE settled and IS given over 10 sheep and gO1t grazing and I 0 the collection Of al "a grass for shipment for paper-ma i- ing. The best grazing lands of lae colony are south of the Saharan Al las Mountains on The High Plateau, and north Of the desert
 Although Napoleon I dreamed O. conquering Algeria, stronghold of 'he Barbary Pirates, in 1898 he chose Egypt instead for hls African adVeA- ture. The actual move by France against the country occurred because ol q political accident. T. may tru-" be sad that the Der of Algeria I5st his throne because O. the stroke Of a 'fly-swatrer' When French COL sul in the City Of AlzIe-s protested to the Dey n -5-7 because Of the treatment otrwo Of his countryman. the Dey publicly jnsuited the French official by striking him with 2 fly whisk which he held in lis hand. The Dcy refused to maNe apology or 10 pay an indemnity, and the French fleet blockaded his port. The blockade continued three years without result whereupon the French landed an army and on July 1880. captured Algiers, The con- quest thus begun vas not completed for Algeria proper until 17 years later, while Southern Algeria was not wholly penetrated and brought under civil control until -a11.
 France was not the first nation to bring European civilization 10 AL geria. That step was taken just 1A76 years ago when Rome annexed NI- india Che ancient name Ot AL geria). The parallels of the Roman and French connuosts and cI.1l penetrarions are close. Both took their armies in from the north and fought theIr way through the noun tains to the upland plains, Both huilt highways bridges, forts, irrjga- tIon systems, and cities and set ID q Latin peace in place Of 2 native tur- bulerce France Of course. has had new engineering device. the raI-