iooT. FRANCE 



extent, however, to military service. Recruiting produced. some disturbances at first, but 

 in October 1912 was going on without hindrance. 



The railway system is in course of active development. The Est-Algerian and Bone- 

 Guelma lines were successively bought up; and eight new lines (in all 542 additional miles) 

 are in process of construction. A commission has been appointed to consider a bill authoriz- 

 ing the construction of a Trans-Sahara Railway, to come out, not at Timbuctoo., as in previous 

 projects of the kind, but on Lake Chad, so as to open up communication with the Belgian 

 Congo and British South Africa. 



Tunisia. 1 In 1910 the total population was 1,923,000, of whom 42,000 are Frenchmen, 

 1,700,000 Moslems, 50,000 Jews, 108,000 Italians, and 12,000 Maltese. The imports 

 amounted to 4,219,000 and the exports to 4,816,000. Since the acute agricultural crisis 

 of 1908-09 business has taken a more satisfactory turn. Trade was brisk m 1912, the 

 Italian Government buying large quantities of stores and beasts of burden for the troops 

 occupying Tripoli. Here, as in Algeria, the native question is uppermost in people's minds. 

 Complaints are made by the Tunisians of the heavy Medjba tax. In former times this used 

 to be almost i per head, but in 1910 it had fallen to fifteen shillings. The Jews, at present 

 amenable to native tribunals, want to be brought under the jurisdiction of the French courts 

 of law. A good deal of land has passed into the hands of European colonists. In 1909 

 2,400 Frenchmen owned about 700,000 hectares. With property changing hands on so large 

 a scale, there was bound to be friction between colonists and natives, and bad feeling on both 

 sides was shown even at the Conference consultative; so much so indeed that by a decree of the 

 Beylik (April 30, 1910) the Conference was split into two different sections, which in future 

 will sit separately; their financial powers have been curtailed, and all resolutions passed must 

 be submitted to a newly constituted Conseil superieur. 



Serious rioting broke out at Tunis in November 1911, caused partly by Moslem excitement 

 over the ItaknTurkish war, partly by a rumour that an Arab cemetery in the city was to be 

 taken over for other purposes. A mob of natives fell upon the Italian residents and a state 

 of siege was proclaimed by a decree of November 13, 1911. The ringleaders were found guilty 

 and seven of them condemned to death (June 30, 1912). 



The Regency of Tunisia was empowered by a law passed on March 28, 1912, to raise a 

 loan of 3,620,000 for the completion of the railway. 



Western Africa. 2 Population, 11,350,000. Trade in 1910: imports 6,123,000 (an 

 increase of 1,380,000 over 1909); exports 5,007,000 (or 614,000 more than in 1909). 



Railway construction is in active progress. The line from Thies to Kayes is nearly 

 finished. The Guinea line has been brought as far as its provisional terminus at Kouroussa 

 (it is to go to Kankan later on), while the Ivory Coast line has been made as far as Baorhi 

 (about 193 miles). All these lines are only branches, to be linked up bye-and-bye. Still 

 they are paying satisfactory dividends, and doing a great deal for economic development. 



The turbulence of certain Ivory Coast tribes made it necessary to disarm them in 1999. 

 The pacification of Mauretania was completed by Colonel Gouraud in September 1909. 

 Some alterations were made in the conditions of native labour contracts by a law passed on 

 July 15, 1912. To safeguard the rights of the natives the contractor was compelled to pay 

 over the sums due to them to the administration, so that in the event of the native worker's 

 decease the money should be paid over to his family. A system of native justice was 

 organized by a decree passed on August 16 providing Native Courts (Tribnnaux ethniques) 

 where cases among natives can be brought before judges of their own race. 



Equatorial Africa. 3 Population about 8,000,000 (before the recent treaty with Germany). 

 Imports in 1910, 527,000 (an excess of 82,000 over the year 1909), and exports 985,000 

 (or 287,000 more than in 1909). 



In June 1909 after occupying Abcshr, the chief town of the Wadai, Captain Fiegenschuh 

 fell into an ambush laid by the Sultan of Dar-Menalat, and perished with all his escort 

 (January 1910). In November Colonel Moll was killed in a successful engagement against 

 the Massahts, and Colonel Largeau had to go out to re-establish authority in Wadai. On 

 June 5th he took the step of deposing Sultan Acyl, who was intriguing against France, and 

 governed the country with the aid of seven native dignitaries. Large areas of territory were 

 ceded to Germany by the treaty of November 1911, extending as far east as Cameroon and 

 touching the Congo and Ubangi at two points. The demarcation of the new frontier was 

 begun in December 1912. 



Madagascar. 4 Population, 2,700,000. Imports in 1910, 1,383,000 (a decrease of 

 27,cMxj on the returns for 1909), exports, 1,915,000 (an increase of 472,000). 



Tin- Islands of Anjuan, Moheli and Grand Comoro were proclaimed French colonies 

 and brought under the government of Madagascar by a law passed on August 3, 1912. 



Public works arc in active progress, and the very flourishing financial conditions enable 

 these to IH: carried out with very little borrowing. A very high degree of economic develop- 

 ment has, been the result. With the new roads, the old system of porterage has been swept 

 away, leaving many more hands available fgr field work. The railways have now opened 



1 See E P. xxvii, 393 el sea. ' See E. B. xi, 99 el seq. 



' See E. R. xi, 205 (and allied articles). < See E. B. xvii, 270 et seq. 



