THE GERMAN EMPIRE OF CENTRAL AFRICA
VII. — The Organization of German Mittel-Afrika.
As one must build on existing foundations, we will start from the actual economic situation before the war in the four chief districts of Central Africa (German East Africa, French Equatorial Africa, the Belgian Congo and the Cameroons).
We can lay it down as an axiom that the economic and financial position of the two German colonies was very satisfactory. But we will give a few figures for the benefit of those who have no accurate information on the subject.
German East Africa had 1,062 km. of railway in running order; large steamers with a total tonnage of 1,150 tons plied on the 620 miles length of Lake Tanganyika. The white population had risen to 6,000 persons. The area under plantations was 106,292 hectars, of which 56,753 hectars were productive. Foreign trade had swollen to a value of 89 million marks ; the actual revenue of the colony amounted to more than 16 million marks. It could itself find more than 6 $ million marks for the interest on railway loans, and was engaged on the construction of an important new line of communication 400 km. long. The customs brought in some 5^ million marks.
The Cameroons had long remained behind, as they were ill-provided with means of communication. But the colony had a trade of 64 million marks, revenues of its own of more than 11 million marks, and its financial appearance was thoroughly sound. In the budget for 1914 a sum of 1,565,000 marks was introduced for the construction of roads and bridges alone.
Germany only gave the two colonies subsidies for the military administration, which amounted to an annual total of 3 to 3^ million marks.
In comparison with the clear and lucid financial appearance presented by the German colonies, that of the Belgian Congo and of French Central Africa can only be described as confused and complicated. The latter has a general and a
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