GRAB FOR LAND

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 246, 14 September 1935, Page 14

GRAB FOR LAND

PARTITION OF AFRICA

LUNCH CLUB ADDRESS.

Interesting sidelights on tlie present' territorial situation in Africa were given by Mr O. Doel, M.A., of the staff of file Palmerston North Boys’ High School in an address to the Citizens’ Lunch Club yesterday. It was entitled “The Land Grab in Africa.”

Although Africa was the home of the ancient civilisations of Egy r pt and Cartlifiginia, it lxad remained the Dark Continent until recent years, said Mr Doel. AVhen the spreading Ottoman Empire cut off the route to India in the seventh century, it was not until the loth century that the Portuguese sailed down to the Gulf of Guinea, though its constline was tlie first outside of Europe to be mapped. There were few harbours in the 16,000-mile coastline encompassing Africa’s area of 11,000,000 square miles. Deserts like the Sahara and Kalahari, the latter the least hospitable of the two, had provided natural barriers to travel southwards through tlie continent. Hostile natives luid occupied dense, almost impenetrable tropical belts infested with malaria. Mighty rivers falling over the plateau to the coast had also thwarted travel. It was in the 17th century, when slave trading for the West Indies and the Atlantic seaboard of America was rife, that settlements were established in .Gambia, Sierra Leone and other parts. There was no thought then of annexing the hinterland. Trade grew in palm oil, ivory and gold along the Gold Coast and the Gulf of India.

It was in 1561 that the Dutch established Capetown as a port en route to India, the speaker proceeded. Britain later captured it and forced the Boers back through Natal. Sixty years ago most of the continent of Africa was open to European exploitation. Turkey- nominally controlled the northern portion, but was a “sick man.” Towards the end of last century, with the advent of the machinery age, nations began to look for sources of raw material. Germany and Italy had meanwhile consolidated numerous states into united empires. AVliile this integration was proceeding in the development of their nationhood, they found that Britain, France, Russia and the United States lrad “stolen a march” on them, and were sharing world status. ANNEXATION PROCEEDS.

Lake Victoria, ot 20,000 square miles, and 200 miles across, was the source of the Nile and very shortly 7, with the growth of industry 7, there commenced a grab for Africa, Mr Doel continued. France annexed Tunis in 1881. Italy, incensud, formed an alliance with Germany and Austria, which was later to be broken at the outbreak of file Great War. In Egypt, after rule by an Albanian adventurer, and a subsequent extravagant administration, European Rowers stepped in to secure control. France withdrew when a revolt occurred, and Britain went on alone, suppressing it and continuing the administration in which she had become involved. Disraeli purchased for England a seven-six-teenths interest in the Suez Canal at a cost of £4,000,000. To-day those shares, the original outlay 7 on which had been collected eight times over in shipping dues, were worth £83,000,000. It was controlled by a board consisting of one Dutchman, 10 Englishmen and 21 Frenchmen. Lord Kitchener had finally conquered the troublesome Sudan, now an important cotton growing area. There followed a wild scramble for the possession of Africa, with Belgium foremost in the exploitation of the Congo, until protests were raised at the iniquities carried out. Germans, in 1883, went out to AValfish Bay and annexed South-West Africa, following up this by securing the Cameroons and the Zanz'bar coast. The German system of colonisation, with its rigid military discipline, caused much friction and led to 46 punitive expeditions in seventeen years. The Conference of Berlin, for the division of Africa, started a more furious land scramble than ever. Protectorates and concessions were secured, the French taking over portion of the Congo, part of Somaliland and Madagascar.

ITALY’S ENTRY. Italy, the speaker added, then made an unfortunate entry into Abyssinia, but was defeated in a disastrous battle in 1889, though she subsequently claimsuzerainty over Abyssinia. Later, the Ilalions were beaten at Adowa and decided to leave Abyssinia alone. She secured Tripoli in 1912. In the allocation of post-war African, mandates, Italy was. rather shabbily treated. Abyssinia was a country of 360,000 square miles, its population, under feudalised conditions, being very warlike. It was an oasis in tlie African desert, the lowlands being hot and arid, but the highlands were fertile, with reputed mineral resources which were very extensive. Italy, if she could secure control, would have an abundant supply of raw materials which she was now importing, and also have an outlet for her population. Britain wanted to retain control oi Lake Tsana, one of the sources of the Nile. The French wanted the League of Nations to remain to ward off by the application of sanctions any danger which might threaten her. Mussolini might find that he had undertaken a big task to conquer a mountainous country like Abyssinia. Whether Italy could bite off as much as she intended remained to be seen, Mr Doel concluded.

Mr A. G. Roe, who presided, thanked the speaker. Visitors welcomed were Messrs T. Watson and T. F. Madsen (Feilding).