RICH DARK CONTINENT

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 65, 31 October 1911, Page 6

RICH DARK CONTINENT

A VISION OF THE FUTURE,

FOUR GREAT RAILWAYS

TAPPING UNTOLD WEALTH

Four groat railways, Inigo arteries of trade, have boon driven into the heart of Africa. From the Atlantic to Timhuctoo from the Mediterranean to Khartoum, inm the Ind'on Derail to Lganda, and from the Cape to the source of the Congo, these iron roads have been laid to tap the undeveloped riches of the Dark Continent. More than twothirds of the gigantic Cape to Cairo railway has been constructed. This has been the work of the white man in Africa during the past ton years. What will the next decade bring forth P Dr. Karl Kumm, the African explorer, who will visit New Zealand shortly, knows the Cinderella Continent from end to end, and without laying claim to the gift of prophecy, he h as a pretty clear vision of the future of Africa. In the next ten years, lie says, the north will lie linked to the south and the east to the west. New road and river connections, the veins of civilisation, will be opened up by the pionee.s of industry. The whole of Northern Africa will ho occupied by European Towers. The vast mineral resources, geld, tin, copper, iron, and coal, will le c> plaited. In these riches Africa is far wealthier than any of the other continents. This is the prophecy. The explorer ' made reference to what has recently been done with a view to developing those mineral resources . Coal in great quantities has been discovered in the Lado Enclave on the Upper Nile. There wns magnificent coal in Rhodesia and Gorman East Africa, which would be cleveloped. In Northern Nigeria the largest deposits of tin in the world have been discovered, and :n xbo last three years fifty now tin companies have been formed, with a capital of over seven millions sterling. In Rhodesia, again, new gold mines are being opened almost every week. One mine near Bulawayo last year paid 150 per cent. A new railway is being built from Lobita Bay to British Central Africa, a distance of over 2000 miles, with no other object than fo tap a mountain of copper of tremendous wealth. Dr. Kumm, m his last journey across the continent, discovered large copper deposits close to navigable rivers, as well as gold. tin. iron, and coal <n new locali'ies. Australians were met with in Rhodesia,. British East Africa, Johannesburg, and other parts of Africa, and they seemed keen and business-like. There was no doubt that Australians will do there share in the future development of the unmeasured resources of the. Dark Continent. At present the world’s cotton crop

was controlled liv the United States. But Great Britain now has in tlic Nile Valley .and the Niger territory land capable of growing more cotton than site will ever need. The British cotton-growers have already invested large sums in developing the cotton industry in these districts.