The Coolidge examiner., 1933-01-06


NLIPPERTON ROCK, which
was recently awarded to
France by the king of Italy,
Is a desolate spot of land go miles
from the Mexican coast and is
Frances first possession off the Pa
cific coast of North America. King
Victor Emanuel was the arbiter to
whom France and Mexico had sub
mitted their claims of ownership.
Clipperton Rock Is one of the lone
liest and least visited islands on the
globe. 1t is about the same dis
tanee from the nearest Mexican
port of Acapulco as the Bermuda is
lands are from New York. Like
the Bermudas this lonely island
rises sheer from the bed of the
ocean. 1t is surrounded by danger
Gus coral reefs.
Mariners who have sailed near
Clipperton Rock say that the island,
which is about two miles in diane
ter and reaches height of go feet,
looks like a sail at distance. Upon
closer approach 1t presents the ap-
pearance of castle rising from the
waves.
Most ship captains give Clipper
ton Rock a wide berth. In fair
weather it is easy to steer clear of
Its encircling reefs. but in times of
fog a ship could be wrecked before
the sounding lead could give any
warning of land. Soundings less
than a mile off shore give no bottom
at $50 fathoms 1900 feet).
The island, destitute of vegeta-
tion, has been inhabited only by a
small Mexican garrison. 1t was an
nexed by France in 1857. A party
of Americans next claimed it and
attempted settlement. When
France protested to this country in
1897 the United States recognized
French sovereignty. But the same
year President Porfirio Diaz of
Mexico claimed and seized the is
land. Later Diaz agreed to submit
the matter to arbitration of the king
of Italy and abide by his decision.
French colonies lie In every in
hablted continent except the North
American mainland and Australia;
and French owned islands, like Clip
perton Rock, are but short sail
from these. A recent census show
that the French flag flies over some
1OO.0O0.000 people, about 23,0O0.0O0
less than the population of the
United States, although France Is
the third largest national landhold-
er In the world with aggregate hold
ings nearly double the area of this
country.
Big African Colony.
The largest slice of the republics
domain covers almost half the area
of Africa, including nearly the
whole western shoulder from italian
Libya and the Anglo-Egyptian Su-
dan to the Atlantic and from the
Mediterranean to the Belgian Con-
go. This area consists of the fer
tile agricultural lands and noun
tains of the north; the sandy,
sparsely settled wastes of the Sa-
hara: the French Sudan and Chad
with their fertile plains. thick for
ests and swamps; and the jungle
land of French equatorial Africa.
The 36,0OO,000 inhabitants of these
regions run the gamut Of human
color from the white Berbers to the
blackest Senegal and Congo ne
groes.
French Somaliland on Africa's
opposite shoulders is about as large
as Connecticut. Until recent years
it was hot desert country. but ir-
rigatiOn has made it habitable for
more than 100000 Arabs, Abyssinians
and Frenchmen who maintain good
trade and handle much of Abys-
sinia's commerce through it's port,
Jibuti. The Comoro islands, NADIA
gascar and Reunion off the east
coast of Africa are also included in
the French group of possessions.
Their subtropical to tropical eli
mate, fertile valleys and thickly
wooded hills, make them island gar
den spots where 100000 people
live under the tricolor. Counted
among the Reunion inhabitants is L,
the famous Abd-el-Krim, the 'Riffian
thorn In Europe's side," who is
spending an enforced lifelong wa
cation" there.