CROSS v. CRESCENT.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14161, 29 September 1911, Page 7

CROSS v. CRESCENT.

AN EXPERT'S ALARMING VIEWS. In view of the opinions expressed by the correspondent of "The Times," and reported in the above cable, a lecture delivered last week in Melbourne, is of considerable interest. The lecturer was Dr. Carl K-unim, Ph.JJ., * .ii.G.fcx, managing director of the Sudaneso Mission, and he discussed the political an 4 religious state of Africa, and suggested dangers of some magnitude that threatened those ix>rtions of the British Empire situated in the dark continent.

"Australia," said the lecturer, "is the only continent that flies the. Union Jack over every part of its territory." Australia waa the strongest child of Britain. Tho British Empire was a chain that reached around the earth; the weakest link was the strength of the chain, and the weakest link of this Imperial chain was the colonies in Central Africa. As the result of the European occupation of Central Africa within the last ten or fifteen years, ail war waged by the Mohammedans of the Northern Central Afrioan Sultanates against the 200 free tribes of the Central African ironsfcono plateau waa now at an end. In the past the Mohammedans had tried to win tho negroes for tho Crescent religion by conquering them. What they had failed to do by force of arms, they now attempted to brings about in a peaceful way through their missionaries and tradere. "Tho negroes of Northern Africa are going over to Islam," said Dr. Kumm, "and if they become unified through this great non-Christ-ian religion, then a fanatical religious outbreak may reeult in such a conflagration in Central Africa as that continent hae never eeen before."

"Our leading geographer of to-day." eaid the lecturer, in emphasising tho gravity of the situation, "believes that the last great religious war will bo fought in Africa between the Creecent and Christianity." Continuing, Dr. Eumm said the only remedy ho could ccc was to immediately begin, not to Europeanise or denationalise the negroes, but .to give them some restraining, elevating influence; give them Christianity. The brek door of British South Africa would becamo infinitely more exposed to danger when the negroes became imbued with the spirit of Moslem fanaticism. ,.

The Senuassi sect, mentioned in the above cables, have been receiving a Rood deal of attention of lat© years from authorities in Africa. They havo monasteries in the Hinterland of Tripoli, and go out as Moslem missionaries to the peoples in other parts of Africa. They are said to have met with a great deal of success.