Correspondence
A LETTER FROM EAST AFRICA.
• [To the Editor of the Semc-raroa.1- Sur,—This year 1927 has seen much of advance in these younger territories and in the further investigation of our problems. At the great Colonial Conference in London we have been glad to see our difficulties brought to light, and the urgent need of more and better information at last realized.
There is great satisfaction, for instance, at the appointment of a Commission to investigate the means of a closer co- operation between between the East African Territories. Many prob- lems of a unified Customs procedure, Code of Law, and Transport will, we hope, be explored by this Commission.
The International Commission on Sleeping Sickness has completed its general investigation, and the recommendation has been made for a permanent, but smaller, Commission to be established at Entebbe. When one goes through many parts of the continent where one sees a beautiful and gloriously fertile country denuded of all human inhabitants through this scourge one realizes the practical need, and probable economic return, of the solution of this problem. Recently I went through such a country, where a few years ago there were many villages, and the whole district was seen to be left to the buffalo, elephant, and other game.
Kenya is concerned over a Defence Force Act and the demand for self-government. The former brings in the principle of compulsory service for all Europeans, and peti- tions both for and against this have gone home. The latter question lies in the demand for an elected majority in the Legislative Council, but many wise observers cannot see the Home Government agreeing to hand over the government of a largely native population to a Council elected by the settlers and traders of the white and Indian minority. Education and Infant Welfare are two other matters very much before us, too, and there has been a great move forward in the second of these by Lady Grigg's campaign, both in England and out _ here. Inspired by the wonderful results in Uganda of maternity work, under Dr. and Mrs. A. R. Cook, of the Church Mis- - sionary Society, Lady Grigg is actively pushing forward the organization of this work.
The financial crisis I forecasted for Uganda seems mote serious than the most gloomy prophecy foretold. Faced with a big estimated deficit, the Governor appointed a Committee to investigate the whole position, and now we learn that the deficit budgeted for will probably be doubled. I spoke of the Customs and other revenues as so largely depending on the one crop of the Protectorate, cotton, but it has been found that this dependence was very much greater than had been suspected in some quarters. We are now to see the accumu- lations of the surpluses of the past prosperous years dwindle away to keep the services of the Protectorate going. It will therefore become urgently necessary to lop off many branches from the trees of the Departments.
There has been a great stir about the line the railway extension is to take, Uganda's wishes having been turned down by the authorities. After the strongest possible agitation among the commercial communities and in the papers, a qualified reconsideration has been secured. It now appears that the last section of the new line was badly planned, to the extra cost of the whole scheme, and so it would be better to dike the advice of those with a better local knowledge as to needs and costs in this next section, instead of overriding them as before. We are half promised that the line shall now come direct to Jinja and Kampala as everyone wanted before, and shall pass through the great cotton areas.
Another problem of transport has also to be faced in the periodical blocking of Lake Kioga by the sudd. This route is inereasingly being used for the transport for the Kilo gold Mines of the Congo. The big matter in Uganda, however, has been the Jubilee of the landing of the first missionaries. The remarkable pageants of that celebration must have taken a
great deal of time and energy to organize, while the cathedral
services and other parts of the Jubilee gave a practical demon- stration of the great advances of the last fifty years. Two scenes of that time stood out from the others—one at the last pageant of the 'Series, and the other in the Thanksgiving Service in the great cathedral. In the final pageant we saw the long pioneer struggle of the missionaries consummated in • the proclamation of the Protectorate in 1893. Then the thousands who had taken part in the performances formed a procession to march past the Governor. First came the " old customs" performers, warriors, chiefs, slaves, men, women and children, witch-doctors, and the rest, with King Mutesa's Court and Stanley. These shambled past, a disorganized, undis- ciplined, fearsome and fearing mob. Then each page of history was unfolded before us, with the end brought up by the present- day schools, Girl Guides and Scouts, bright, happy, erect, confident and marching in perfect step. So we saw what these fifty changeful years have meant for this country. The other outstanding scene was when the Bishop, in his sermon at the Thanksgiving Service, asked the survivors of the early band of converts, so many of whom were burnt to death for their Faith, to stand up for us to see. Then we realized that all we were thanking God for had happened in the lifetime of men now living. All of us who travelled to Uganda for the Jubilee were deeply impressed at everything we saw., —I am, Sir, &c., YOLTR EAST AFRICAN CORRESPONDENT.
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