The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-01-20

gola and Mozambique in Africa are next 1T. line as empire holders. DUTCH SPEND
 FOR DEFENSE
 Developments in the Japanese war also have alarmed the Dutch with respect to their island pos sessions, and the next budget car- ries ali increase of $l6,000, 900 for defense purposes. Most of this will be spent in the Indies, which the Dutch think the Japs covet.
 But the more immediate danger lies with the Belgian and Portu- guese possessions in Africa.
 Germany is demanding back her former colonies. Togoland and the Cameroons in equatorial Africa were divided between France and England.
 The vast territory of German Southwest Africa was mandated to the dominion of South Africa.
 The equally big German East Africa was inandated to England and renamed Tanganyika. Portu- gal got no German territory. Bel gium got only small piece which was added to the Belgian Congo.
 While the Nazi maintain a fierce campaign for their lost African colonies, statesmen and publicists In Britain declare against their return.
 Down in Tanganyika a kinsman of one of the British royal fam fly has said that anybody dream ing of returning the territory to Germany would be traitor to the empire.
 He scathingly said Germany had shown herself persecutor of minorities in her own country.
 This would not encourage giv- ing her African territory in which there were natives and h. dians to be submitted to her ten der mercies.
 The leading statesmen of South Africa have declared they will not give up their mandate of German Southwest Africa.
 South Africa conquered 1t from the Germans and South Africa is determined to hold 1t.
 The dominion does not intend to have hundreds of miles of frontier with a German colony.
 Confronted by these declara- tions, some circles in Britain have been looking around for a way to compensate" Germany.
 Just as these people were will- ing to have Czechoslovakia dis membered to buy off peace for themselves, they now are willing to chuck to the Nazi tiger pieces of other peoples territory.
 The Daily Express of London uttered the raw truth of what is in their minds. It said:
 '"The division in Africa is un- tenable. It does not correspond to the realities of the modern world. Great tracts of Africa are owned by small European coun- tries such as Portugal and Belgi- um, which do not possess the re- sources sufficient to guarantee the security or the development of their properties. There must be redistribution in Africa"
 Alarmed Belgian statesmen have declared Belgium would not yield an inch of her Congo territory.
 Premier Dictator Salazer of Por- tugal said:
 we will not admit discussion of our sovereignty over territory in Africa either at Geneva or at Paris, London, Rome, or Berlin.
 "Our possessions were not taken from any other nation. We dis covered them centuries ago. We have held them ever since."
 Belgium and Portugal have been only partly relieved by q semi official declaration from German sources that the Reich is not to be fobbed off by promises of Bel gian or Portuguese territory, that Germany does not expect the small countries to make sacrifices to spare Great Britain, that Ger many wants her own back.
 This sounds good, but the rec- ord Is such that Portual espe- cially has cause to worry.
 Back in 1898 Germany proposed to England that they share Por- tugal's African possessions. A plan was actually drawn up, but fell through.
 Once more in 19l2-l3 similar plan was discussed. Once more 1t fell through.
 But the fact remains that Brit ain was discussing division of the territory of her most ancient ally, whose territories she was engaged to, defend.