SOUTH WEST AFRICA.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume IV, Issue 239, 23 September 1914, Page 5

SOUTH WEST AFRICA.

GERMANY'S BEST COLONY

German South-West Africa is the only one of Germany’s foreign possessions that she might conceivably have some day made into a real colony. But now it is fairly safe to say that this, too, is destined to belong to Britain. The total white population of the colony is under 15,000, and a couple of thousand of this number are not Germans. It has been ironically said that of Germany’s colonies the fertile ones are not habitable (by white men), and the habitable ones are not fertile. German South west Africa is certainly an exception to this rule, though the estimates of its value are very contradictory, and there is little chance of its ever realising the expectations of the great German Colonial Minister, Herr Dornburg, who looked noon it as a future rival of Canada and the Argentine. The colony has an area of over 300,000 square miles, a great deal of which is cultivable, and it runs north from the border of the South African Union. The Germans there may attack Walfish Bay, which belongs to Britain, and which it surrounds, except upon the sea side. But Walfish Bay is said to be well garrisoned, and in any case the ultimate end would be the same. The fate of Togoland must overtake this German colony also—the South African Union can be trusted to make sum of that. Remembering that Germany has spent nearly £100.000,000 in the last 25 years on her colonial empire, and that the war with the Herreros in this particular colony cost her £32,000.000. one might almost sympathise with her on the approaching loss. But the thought of broken treaties, peaceful Belgium made a battle ground, harmless fishermen and emigrants murdered by mine explosions, and cities held to ransom, prevent any possibility of that.

SOUTH AFRICA. HERTZOGITES LOYALTY TO BRITAIN. WAR AGAINST THE GERMANS. (Received 23, 9.0 a.in.) Capetown. Sept. 22. A crowded meeting at Bethlehem, a strong Hertzogite centre, overwhelmingly supported Government’s operations against Gorman South West Africa. COMMERCE CARRIERS. ARMED MERCHANTMEN. UNITED STATES PORT REGULATIONS. [i’ll ESS ASSOCIATION* COPYRIGHT. 1 (Received 23, 10.25 a.m.) London, Sept. .22. Renier’s. Xew York correspondent ;d:itos tbtti the Umied States has decided that merchant mon of bclhgercm nations entering Iho ports max carry guns, not exceeding sixinch. fi r defence, uithmil .acquiring the charter of ships of war. The guns mm.; not be mounted forward mid only .a little anmmuiiion carried, ami the ves*<l manm d by the same number as hei’ere t lie war. WAR RISKS AT SEA. GOV Elt N MENT Gl' AR A \ TEES LUG ED. The secretary of the Hastings Chamber of Commerce (Mr. Geo. Hartshorn) received a communication from the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce fc-day enclosing a letter that chamber had forwarded to the Prime ’.Minister, drawing attention to the excessive insurance risks and freights prevailing owing to the war, and asking the House to carry legislation enabling the Government, to take up war insurance risks and freights at a reasonable percentage.