Trade and the Flag 29 



The East coast of Africa is divided between Italy, Great Brit- 

 ain, Germany and Portugal. Of these four spheres the Italian 

 is the least attractive. Italian Somaliland consists of fort-like 

 promontories without a single blade of grass or other verdure, 

 and sand-storms frequently envelop the whole region. There 

 are fertile valleys in the interior however, and the products are 

 considerable. These consist of cattle, sheep, goats, hides, ivory 

 and various gums. The colony suffers commercially from the 

 lack of good harbors and the coast is inaccessible a large part of 

 the year because of the monsoon. 104 The trade of Italian Somali- 

 land is therefore considerably less than that of Eritrea. 105 



The Portuguese possessions in East Africa are older and richer 

 than the Italian but they are not much more highly developed. 

 Order is not yet entirely established, slave raiding is thought 

 still to exist, capital is lacking and the customs tariffs are unfavor- 

 able to commerce. However, they yield a considerable amount 

 of such products as ivory, cotton, copal, rubber and various valu- 

 able drugs. 100 The exports are mainly rubber, various ores, wax 

 and ivory. Portugal receives a goodly share of the trade. 



The chief products of Portuguese Angola are coffee, rubber, 



right to take the produce of the soil in the Domain. This would be accom- 

 plished in three stages. On July 1, 1910, the Lower Congo, Stanley Pool, 

 Ubangi, Bangali, Kwango, Kasai, Katanga, the southern portion of the 

 Eastern Province, Aruwimi, and the banks of the river as far as Stanley- 

 ville would be open to freedom of trade. On Jul}' 1, 191 1, the Domain 

 of the Crown, and on July 1, 1912, the Welle district would also be thrown 

 open. Furthermore, the Government would levy taxes in money and the 

 system of provisioning the agents would be abolished. In March, 1910, 

 various decrees ameliorating the condition of affairs were voted by the 

 Colonial Council, regulating taxation, abolishing the exploitation of Domain 

 land by the State in July, 1912, and abolishing the powers of the Co mite 

 Special of Katanga.'' Statesman's Year-Book, 1910, p. 646. 

 104 Eliot, East Africa Protectorate, 248-249. 



"'"' Trade of the Italian Colonies. 



Year. Imports lire. Exports lire. 



1907-08 Italian Somaliland 2,260.944 1,299,201 



1907 Massowah, Eritrea 10.605,877 2,188,205 



Statesman's Year-Book, 1910, p. 970-971. 

 1,9 Eliot, op. cit., 251. 



205 



