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THE GERMAN TERROR IN AFRICA One of the things which Germany feats most is the loss of her African colonies They are the most tangible realization of her desire for a place in the sun We know from the Lichriowsky memor ¬ andum that before the war she was negotiating with Great Britain for an economicpolitical sphere of interest in Portuguese East Africa anil that a member of the British cabinet said to Prince Lieb nowsky We dont want to grudge Germany her colonial development developmentA A condition of the impudent peace offer to Bel ¬ gium the other day was that the Belgian govern ¬ ment should urge the retention of her African colonies by Germany after the war This plea has been favorably regarded by the pacifist element in tlie allied countries ever eager to save Germany from punishment for her crimes It is worth while therefore to emphasize the reasons why Germany should lose for all time the foothold she has gained in Africa They are set forth clearly and conclusively in a report which has Just been issued as a Parliamentary Blue Book a report which is the more impressive because it is not an argument but a plain statement of facts factsThe The accuracy of these facts is indisputable The evidence is drawn from German judicial and ad ¬ ministrative practice set forth in German official documents from writings by recognized German authorities and from sworn statements botli by Europeans familiar with the country and by native chiefs chiefsThat That the German colonial rule has been character ¬ ized by the cruel exploitation of the natives is in ¬ deed well known the notorious Dr Peters was a flagrant example of German methods But it Is worth while at this moment that the memory of the civilized world should be refreshed on this point Germany has shown the cloven hoof In Africa as in every other spot which her Kultur has contaminated She has made an unbroken record of official bad faith and aggression of private oppression and cruelty This document shows clearly that Ger ¬ many can never be trusted to deal justly or hu ¬ manely with inferior peoples Other nations it is true have sins to answer for in this respect but in the case of Germany alone has there been de ¬ liberate and systematic disregard of even the com ¬ monest human rights rightsTlie Tlie customary proceedings when Germany wished to extend her influence over native tribes or peoples was first to enter into agreements with the chiefs But these agreements were kept only until Germany was strongly enough established to repudiate them They were in the words of a German colonial governor dealt with uniformly without regard to their stipulated details Thus the tribes were all whether this was arranged for in the agreements or not made subject to German laws and German jurisdiction and received German garrisons garrisonsIt It might be argued that this deception was in ¬ tended for their good that German laws and Ger ¬ man garrisons promoted their welfare and developed their resources Unfortunately for this theory the records show that German rule was brutal and tyrannous that natives could not get justice in j German courts that native offences were punished by floggings by executions carried out in a man ¬ ner which would have been considered as brutal two hundred years ago Some of the stories told in tlie report would be wellnigli incredible were it not for what has taken place in Belgium and northern France under our own eyes And if a tribe like the Hereros was goaded into rebellion orders were given to exterminate it Kill every one of them and take no prisoners the German commander said saidLet Let us keep these facts a few among many given in the report in mind when the mushyheaded senti ¬ mentalists begin to press for the return to German domination of races she has so brutally and de ¬ spicably abused New York Tribune
