THE ADVANCE ON GERMAN EAST AFRICA.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 50, 27 February 1915, Page 5

THE ADVANCE ON GERMAN EAST AFRICA.

BOTHA LEADING HIS FORCE NORTHWARD, TWO TOWNS AND MUNITIONS CAPTURED. (Received O.'iO a.m.) LONDON. February 26. G'euernl Hotbu. commanding the northern force, lias quitted Swakopmuncf, German South-west Africa, and has captured the villages of Goanikontes an , ! Gonidas, whence the enemy fled, leaving miicii war material. Unconfirmed reports state that Colonel Maritz, who played traitnr to both sides, is now imprisoned at Windhoek. One of tlic first results of Prince Bismarck's policy of oversea expansion was the acquisition of German South-west Africa. l f British statesmen had not been guilty of procrastination probably the German colony would not have been founded at nil. When Sir IJartle Krerc was Governor of Cape Colony, he repeatedly urged upon the Home Government the necessity of establishing a British protectorate over the area now included in German South-west Africa, but the only concession made to his insistence was the hoisting of the British tlag at Walfiseh Hay in 1878. A small part of the adjacent land was also declared to be British territory. As German South-west Africa land was constituted. Wallisch Bay lies about the centre of its coast-line. In tho seventies the British Government apparently did not believe that Prince Bismarck would give his sanction to the creation of a colonial empire, and procrastinating replies were made to German inquiries as to wliether Britain claimed any rights over South-west African territory. The belief proved illfounded, j'n 18S:J the agent of n German subject named Luderitz landed on the coast of Argra Pcquena. ;ind by negotiations with the native chiefs obtained possession of a territory of 215 square miles. In August, 1884, the ' Rritieh Government was informed that the German Emperor had, by proclama--1 tion. taken over the territory belonging to Mr. Luderitz. This was the beguiling of a colony and protectorate which has grown to an area of 322,450 square miles. It has a native population of 200,000 belongrne to the Hottentot. Bushman, Bantu and Daman races. The colony lies ' between Portuguese West Africa and Cape Colony, and extends eastward to the British sphere. The scat of administration is at Windhoek some of the other stations being Gobabis. Swakopmund. Ncetmunshoop and O.bcon Tho natural harbour, are Sandwich Harbour, which is ad « a »y "?; and Argra Pequena. or Luderitz Bay. A new harbour has been constructed at SWa Kral ld mUlion acres of Crown and native lands in the colony have been several mi agriculture, though market gardening is common, disposed of **«>«?, pas toral Mn 1012 the live stock included 171,784 cattle Id' 48607"h£ C2£t mineral exports diamonds to the vaJuo of were sent away inlol2. The revenue and expenditure for 1914 wer* £068,000 were sent away vn £240,000 was Imperial conffbutn e PP^ a wLT3ri O eI:?open railway in the co.ony 1599436 miles of telegraph line, and 415 miles of telephone hne.