September 28, 1916 
LAND & WATER 
15 
German Administration in East Africa 
By John A. Jordan 
\Mr. John Alfred Jordan, (he writer 0/ this article, is 
a well-known elephant and big game hunter. He has 
spent many years of his life in East Africa and has 
enjoyed exceptional opportunities of studying local 
conditions both in British and German territory] 
AT the present time when the most vahmble of 
the German Colonial possessions is gradually 
passing from German into British hands, it 
should be of interest to know something of 
that vast country which is regarded in Africa as 
" The Settler's Paradise." It is most improbable 
that German East Africa will ever revert to German 
rule, indeed it should be impossible, for the possession of 
this vast agricultural and stock-raising country is 
absolutely essential for the proper development of British 
East Africa, which is, of course, contiguous to it. 
My first experience of the country was in 1902 — just 
after the South African war. Since that time I have 
spent upwards of ten to twelve years shooting, prospect- 
ing, mining and generally studying the German adminis- 
tration and comparing it with our own in the adjoining 
colony. I arrived at Shirati, a German port on the Lake 
Nyanza, in November, 1902, and was surprised by the 
general desuetude of the town and also at the cowed 
and spiritless condition of the natives. The place was 
overrun with rank vegetation and sanitary arrangements 
were non-existent. There were millions of mosquitoes, 
which were terrifying even in the daytime. The Com- 
mandant of Shirati at that time was a man named 
Bohmstadt, from whom I obtained my first game and 
prospecting licences. A comparison of the shooting 
. licences, which at that time were respectively issued in 
German and British East Africa, and their influence 
on the condition of either colony is an important 
and interesting study in retrospect at the moment : 
German East Africa: General shooting licence. Rupees 10. 
Tlie following sums are also charged on all animals killed : 
(i)Elephant, Rs. 100 or one tusk ; (2) Rhinoceros, hippopo- 
tamus, buffalo, lis. 20 each ; (3) Antelope, Rs. 2 each. 
With each licence was issued a " Vermin bounty " which 
covered liOn, Rs. 20, leopard, Rs. 10, and wild cat and croco- 
dile. Rs. 5 each. The skins were stamped by an official 
who paid the bounty, returning them to the licence holder. 
British East Africa : General shooting licence, £50. 
On this licence the hunter was restricted to : Two elephants ; 
two rhinoceros ; two buffalo ; 1 wo hippopotamus ; and 
one or two {in rare species) and sometimes up to five in 
common species, of antelope, and gazelle. 
No bounties. 
The immediate influence on the two colonies of these 
licences will be obvious. In British territory, the 
expense of the licence, and the restricted number of 
animals allowed, especially the elephant clause, rendered 
it impossible to adequately protect the crops, while in 
German territory they shot out nearly all the elephants 
and destructive game, with the result that that country 
became the most flourishing agricultural country in the 
whole of East Africa. 
The position at that time of the natives under 
German rule was deplorable. They were in a state of 
absolute subjection on account of the extreme brutality 
of the oihcials and soldiers. Stringent laws were 
brought into operation and were very vigorously applied. 
The natives had to pay all taxes in money. The Germans 
also fixed one price for all native produce and live stock 
was valued, a cow Rs. 5, an ox Rs. 2, and goats and sheep, 
4 annas each. In addition to this extremely low tariff 
the natives were forced to supply the officials and soldiers, 
without payment. 
Further, there was an enforced system of military 
service, all native men being liable to military service, 
and thousands were driven to the Barrack Square. It 
was a common everyday sight to see German N.C.O.'s 
walking up and down the lines of the native recruits 
slashing them across their faces until the blood ran 
down into their uniforms. I have frequently seen 
natives with the most dreadful scars on their legs and 
arms and deep gashes on their faces. WTien one considers 
the great difticulty that a native must experience in 
absorbing the general ideas of mihtary discipline, it is 
remarkable that these men, who belonged to purely 
agricultural tribes, should have submitted to this rur(j 
of " f rightfulness," and that they should at the present 
time form so formidable a fighting force against us. It 
was entirely useless for natives to complain. If they had 
the courage to report injustices they were given 25 lashes 
with the kiboko first and then they were asked what they 
had to say. If the complaint was against an official 
they received further and severer treatment. The result 
of this mihtary despotism was simply indescribable. I 
travelled through that country for a considerable period, 
and wherever I happened to be and whenever the natives 
realised that I was an Englishman they flocked to my 
camp and poured out their troubles. After about nine 
months in that part of the country I trekked to Muanza 
which was then their principal port, and there I found 
the same deplorable state of affairs. 
I left soon afterwards and returned to British East. 
Africa, where I had ample opportunity of comparing 
the two systems of treatment of the black man. In 
the British Colony the natives were assisted in every 
conceivable manner. They were paid generous prices 
for their stock and produce. The hut tax was never 
harshly enforced. If the natives were poor owing to the 
failure of their corps, or for other reasons, the Govern- 
ment not only withheld their demand but supplied them 
with food and fresh seed. In the Civil Courts justice 
was meted out tempered with great leniency to the native, 
and the magistrates would listen all day to their com- 
plaints if there was any possibility of them having been 
unjustly treated by the settlers. In every case within 
my experience they have always received justice without 
prejudice to race. The natives in the colony were ex- 
tremely proud of the fact that they lived under British 
rule. About this time settlers poured into the country 
and the price of stock rose accordingly. 
There was plenty of work for the natives at good wages 
and the country developed with extraordinary rapidity. 
Small towns sprung up everywhere. The Government 
devoted their attention specially to hygiene. They 
cleared off all the garbage and rank vegetation and suc- 
ceeded effectually in stamping out diseases, and the country 
soon became one of our most valuable possessions. The 
Germans soon realised the advantages of this feature in 
our administration and were not long before they copied 
it. Their country was placed tinder civil administration 
and the same laws were introduced, but they were unable 
to expunge their natural faults, and failed to substitute 
justice and firmness for injustice and cruelty- Officials 
visited the chiefs supported by their armed soldiery. 
Frequently without hesitation the natives have been 
forced in thousands to cut roads all through the country, 
and the soldiers at all times were allowed to take what 
they required from the unfortunate natives. 
When I returned to German East Africa some two 
years afterwards I was astounded to see the enormous 
alteration. The towns were remarkably well laid out 
and there was a very noticeable increase in the number 
of white officials. They had sown all kinds of crops, 
rubber, cotton, and fibre. The country generally looked 
exceedingly flourishing. The natives, nevertheless, were 
still living in terror of their oppressors. My experience 
was that they never really enjoyed themselves except 
when they were allowed to enter British territory in 
search of wealth. The German Government allowed 
natives to leave their colony on payment of one rupee. 
They generally visit British territory and work for a year, 
saving all the money, and then return to German East 
.\frica with considerable sums of money to spend, so 
that in point of fact a large proportion of the anmial 
sum secured by the German hut tax has been furnished 
by British purses. There was so much British money in 
the German colony that usually in change one received 
