Evening star., 1942-12-06
Frances Achievement
In Algeria
BIZ Frederic J. Haskin.


be is unknown, but what is known is the
commendable record the French have
made at colonization and Development
of that portion of North Africa IN
little more than 100 years. 1t Is an
achievement that will live in the annals
of the world.
Algeria is the name given by tho
French prior to 1880 to the then Nj
| defined North African countries, only
one sixth of which had submitted to
| the Turkish rule of the Algiers regency.
| The latter's existence depended upon
piracy of the Barbary corsairs and on
| the extortion of taxes from the tribes
of the interior Weakness OF the gov
ernment allowed independent groups OF
| the Berber and Arab populations TO
| wage constant war against each other
and often to rebel against the authority
| of the Beys or rulers of Algiers. Any
| conception of national sentiment was to-
| tally unknown in these lands subjugated
from time immemorial by foreign or To-
! cal powers which had never succeeded
in welding the heterogeneous tribes into
a conscious unity. Obviously there was
no semblance of citizenship among these
peoples.
| The consequences were disastrous.
! Prevailing insecurity made approach by
land or sea extremely dangerous. and
| foreign relations could be maintained
only at the price of onerous and hunlil-
iating oncessions-veritable tributes
paid by the powers to brigandage and
slavery European inhabitants who had
built up large foreign trade and who
had established relations with trader>
elsewhere had practically abandoned
| their activities because Of the insecurity
| of their lives and wares. Imports and
exports had almost ceased, and poverty
was evident everywhere.
| This condition of internal affairs
reached a point where communities
fearful of their future inclosed them
selves within walls. Traffic became con-
fined to the vicinity of local markets,
and then the peasant farmer was not
always sure that his load of foodstuffs
on the way to market would not be
stolen from him. Fertile plains were
deserted by the inhabitants, who took
refuge in villages possessing natural de-
fenses thus leaving vast uninhabited
stretches of land to be invaded by bush.
wild olive and dwarf palms, or left to
erode.
Wars. small production Of food abb
sence of all economic control and the
negligence of. the regency government
were responsible for the calamities that
almost decimated the population For
instance, during 1877 third Of the pop
ulation OF the city of Algiers died from
famine and diseases due 10 general ig-
norance and disregard Of methods ci
simple hygiene. The population OF all
Algeria numbered only 100000 in $780,
Back of this state of affairs lay the
conquests of the Carthaginians Romans,
Vandals, Arabs, Moors and Turks. Since
these conquests were made for wealth
and not to develop people all had
failed as far as Algeria was concerned.
France. it should be remembered, did
not enter the scene altogether as mis-
sionary, but it had a constructive pro-
gram and a farsighted policy proved
worthwhile by time.
The struggle of France to gain
possession of Algeria began with the
capture of Algiers in 1880. That was
followed by the penetration of the
Sahalan regions and the building up
of reciprocal friendship between con-
uuerors and conquered Finally came
peace and security among the nomsds
as we'll as the settled tribes. and the
mountainous regions were opened to
traffic. The penetration of stimulating
and civilized influences from the out
side world through general evolution
brought this French possession to It's
present status.
Owing to its situation in a warm
temperate zone, its Mediterranean CHI
mate. its vast areas of cultivable land
and Its unexpected resources, Northern
Algeria became a suitable area for
colonization by Europeans. This north
ern division is the most fertile, and
consequently, contains the major por-
tion of the population, the total Of
which is approximately 7,24O000. The
southern section of the country stretches
to the demarcation line Of French West
Africa and slopes down into the vast
expanse of the Sahara. The total area
is s47,87O square miles, or equal to
10 American States.
Within the past century the French
have succeeded in creating or enlarging
about 1000 villages, in making more
than $4,000 grants of land. representing
10 per cent of the total European prop
erty. and in settling about 100000
people. Colonization completed the
work of the first French settlers. and
then settlers arrived from the countries
of the Western Mediterranean, prin-
cipally from Spain Urban COLOMBIA
ton, progressing simultaneously, in
creased the population of towns to
unprecedented figures. In all there
are about s5oooo Europeans in Algeria,
immigrants or descendants of imn1i-
grants.
Opened freely to immigration, Colo
nists came to Algeria in large numbers.
Marriages between the French and the
Latin immigrants soon effected the
mixture Of these elements already re.
lated by race. Thus European neo-
French and Algerian population came
into being, grew and formed an original
synthesis, the equal of which has never
been known. either for its homogeneity
or for the rapidity of it's assimilation.
The native population has also greatly
increased.
| Algerias principal wealth is aorjcuI