Herr Dernburg, the German Colonial Secretary, delivered a striking address
last Sunday at Dresden before the King of Saxony. His object, as the Times correspondent says, was to excite interest in colonial development, and he seems to have succeeded admirably, if we may judge from the enthusiasm of the audience. German East Africa, he said, would probably yield five thousand bales of cotton in the coming season, and that would be more than double the yield of the neighbouring colonies of British East Africa and Uganda. In German West Africa the cotton production also exceeded that of the neighbouring colonies. The experimental stage had not yet been passed in New Guinea and the Cameroons. Herr Dernburg prophesied that German East Africa would have also a flourishing oil trade. Rubber was to be found in all the colonies except South-West Africa. But South-West Africa was as well able as Cape Colony to support successful sheep-farming. Moreover, diamonds had been discovered there, and the finds would probably continue. Altogether, it was a roseate statement. On Thursday evening in Berlin Herr Dernburg lectured on German South-West Africa before the Emperor and Empress. We note that the German Govern- ment has begun to issue illustrated circulars giving details of the development of German possessions. We rejoice in the success of the German Colonial Empire. Its development and prosperity can be nothing but a source of satisfaction to this country. We want to see our customers wealthy and contented.
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