On Aug. 1, a year ago, German colonial possessions in Africa totaled
over a million square miles, in four regions--Togo, Kamerun, Southwest
Africa, and East Africa. Togo, running from the north shore of the
Gulf of Guinea, is wedged between French and English colonies. In
August, France and England joined in attacking it, and on Aug. 26
their occupation was complete, a rich area of 33,000 square miles thus
passing from Germany to the Entente powers.
[Illustration: Togo, the German Colony which was surrendered to a
Franco-English expeditionary force.]
[Illustration: German East Africa
Scene of Operation of Anglo-French forces against the German Colony of
Kamerun]
Kamerun, in the elbow of the Gulf of Guinea, is about ten times as
large, one-third of this having been conceded by France to Germany in
1911, through the agency of M. Caillaux. Recent letters to The
London Times describe the fighting there:
On the 7th (May) we had a trying experience. Our company
commander went out with myself and another subaltern and
about forty men. We crossed the Mungo River in canoes, and
then did a long and very difficult march all through the
night in absolute dense forest. However the guides managed
it passes comprehension.
About 5 in the morning, when it was just getting light, our
advance party were just on the point of stumbling on to the
German outpost, when what should happen but an elephant
suddenly walked in between and scattered our opposing
parties in all directions. I was in the rear of our little
column, and was left in bewilderment, all our carriers
dropping their loads and every one disappearing into the
bush. After a few minutes we got our men together and our
scouts went forward again, and found the Germans had bolted
from their outpost, but soon returned and opened fire on our
scouts.
A British officer writes:
I hope you have heard ere this of our capture of Duala and
Bonaberi, and our further advance along the Duala Railway to
Tusa, and along the Wari River to Jabassi. The heat and
climate are very trying. It's awfully hot, far hotter than
the last coast place I was in; a drier heat and sun
infinitely more powerful, and yet the rains are full on and
we get terrific tornadoes. The nights, however, are cooler.
We are surrounded by mangrove swamps, and they breed
mosquitos, and consequently malaria and black-water fever.
This is quite a pretty little place (Duala) with some jolly
houses, typical German of the Schloss villa type; nice
inside and out. The country is pretty, the soil good. A good
deal of timber and rubber. I found some beautiful tusks the
other day, worth a good bit. Elephants abound. The native
villages around are totally different from other West
African ones--here their houses are mostly one long mud or
palm erection, with thatched roof, and are divided into
compartments instead of the smaller separate huts one is
accustomed to see in these parts.
The notices all over the place are strangely reminiscent of,
say, the Black Forest--"Baekerei," "Conditorei," &c., and yet
it is the heart of tropical Africa. None of the natives,
strange to say, talk German; all pigeon English. The Hausa
boys are splendid chaps, as different from the Duala boys or
Sierra Leone boys as chalk from cheese. Smile and make an
idiotic but beautiful remark, they rush with a roar of
laughter for the biggest load.
We get some beautiful sunset effects here. At sundown night
before last, on the sea near mouth of river, it was
absolutely gorgeous with the purple mountains standing
clear out against the orange and emerald sky and the dark
gray shapes of our ships lying sombrely in the background,
talking to each other in flashing Morse. The great mountain,
Fernando Po, standing up out of the water to starboard and
the Peak of Cameroon (13,760 feet) wreathed in mist to port;
Victoria invisible, as also Buea--both hidden behind the
clouds as we passed disdainfully by and entered the estuary
of the Cameroon River.
As an added detail for West Africa, it should be recorded that, on
March 19, a combined French and Belgian force occupied Molundu in the
German Congo territory, and Ngaundere on June 29.