The Coolidge examiner., 1931-07-10

prepared by the National Geographic
Society. Washington. D. c.
TRANCE has just opened great
exposition in Paris to show the
magnitude and Importance of
its vast colonial empire. Outstand-
ing among the exhibits are those of
Algeria, which is in reality North
African extension of France. Just
two years ago France celebrated in
Algeria the completion of the first
hundred years of French influence
in the colony.
Algeria is mountain-rimmed
area between the waters of the
Mediterranean and the sands of the
Sahara. Into it France has poured
affection and hopes and money in
great streams, and speaks of it
proudly as "the masterpiece of
French colonization"
Algeria proper is a relatively mar
row rectangle, extending for about
675 miles along the Mediterranean
sea and inland for a depth varying
from 150 to 200 miles, to the Sa-
haran Atlas mountains. This main
portion of Algeria has an area of
nearly 225,0OO square miles and is
thus only slightly smaller than
Texas. But there is a much greater
Algeria extending southwark into
the Great Desert. These are the
so-called southern territories that
raise the total area of Algeria to
more than a quarter that Of the
United States or Australia.
Nature made Algeria inaccessible
from the north. The coast has
hardly any natural inlets. Hills rim
the shore. Behind them are mar.
row rolling plains; and then the
heights of the Tell Atlas mountains
bar the way to the interior. Be
yond them dreary, semi-arid steppes
stretch southwark to the second
line of mountains. Southward
of these heights lies the high
plateau which dips gradually into
the sandy and rocky wastes of the
great Sahara.
Development of Algiers.
Algiers is the gateway port that
France has developed for Algeria.
When French troops captured the
place a little more than a century
ago it was an obscure walled town,
clinging to the steep Mediterranean
bank opposite Barcelona, Spain
where raucous coffee-house orches-
tras and wild tales of adventurous
pirates who operated out of this
ment. Today it ranks with the bust
est ports of the Mediterranean
Terrace above terrace. the dazzling
white city rises from the waters
edge to the walled citadel that
dominates Algiers. its harbor. and
the land and sea for many miles
beyond. Each row of houses on
streets paralleling the shoreline
thrust at least one story above the
roofs of the row in front. as if
straining for an unhampered view
of the harbor.
Cargo and passenger boats fly an
international medley of flags. There
are huge transatlantic boats des-
tined for Genoa or Naples: British
boats from a half dozen colonies
that dot the world; japanese and
Chinese boats dominating many
craft from the East. The French
dag is everywhere in Algiers and
there are so many French ships in
the harbor that natives take theil
arrival as a matter of daily routine
Among the French steamers are
the mail boats which make the 800
mile run from Marseilles in less
than "A hours. In year nearly
5000 ocean greyhOunds and more
than 10000 Mediterranean coasters
stir the blue waters of Algiers' har
Dor, not to mention the many hun
dreds of smaller local craft that dot
the anchorage.
The Busy Water Front.
Out in the harbOr are boat loads
of coal, and hillocks of coal cover
large wharves; for Algiers is an i'm.
pOrtant coaling station. Coal is
lust one of the reasons for a har-
Dor full of boats. Large barrels OF
Algerian vine are piled high. Near
by are piles of smaller barrels. huge
monnds of grain-filled sacks, heaps
o. boxes packed with luscious
dates, and piles of cork bark, the
chief export of Algiers. stacked like
cord wood.
Engines shunt cars from one
wharf to another for loading and
unloading by half-naked dark
tanned natives; huge wagons, some
drawn by six horses and driven by
harefooted, beturbaned men in
sheetlike gowns, come and go 10 an
endless procession; and now and
then a fve-ton auto truck driven by
an impatient chauffeur attempts to