Send in the Chinese?

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

Don't be a Menshevik: Clip all extraneous text before replying to a message
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(From "Stanhope White's "Lost Empire On The Nile: H.M. Stanley, Emin
Pasha and the Imperialists". Emin Pasha was one of the colonial
administrators of the Sudan during the Mahdist uprising. An attempt
to rescue him from the savages was mounted by Stanley of "Dr.
Livingstone, I presume" fame. Despite the Turkish name, the Emin
Pasha started life as Edward Schnitzer, a Silesian Jew who converted
to Christianity and worked his way up the ranks of the colonial
bureaucracy. In this letter to a Professor Schweinfurth, he lays out
his plans how the Dark Continent might become civilized.)

I will now touch on another point which appears to me to be a vital
one and upon which I would ask your advice and help in the name of
those ties which bind you to our country. You were, I think, the
first to propose the immigration of Chinese to open up Central
Africa. Since the government of this Province was entrusted to me
three years ago I have certainly studied the people and the country
with great care and I have come to the conclusion that under the
present conditions no real progress can be made, or at least it must
be so slow that decades will hardly suffice to set upon a solid basis
the work which has hitherto been done with so much trouble. Let us
set aside all discussion as to the cause of the anomalies which
exist--regrets are no cure. I cannot get over the conviction that if
it is possible for Central Africa to be opened up, it can only be
accomplished by means of the Chinese and that our beautiful country,
with all its rich resources and with the possibility which is
afforded of establishing good communications between each settlement
by means of such workmen, would repay a thousandfold such an
undertaking. This idea has been one of my dearest projects for four
years, but I kept silence because I hardly expected to obtain a
single response to such wishes. Now, however, that you have given me
permission to come to you for advice, it is different, for your
influence in Government circles in Egypt will attain much that
'uncertain Emin Bey' would strive for in vain.

Will you support me in this matter if I apply officially to the
Government? Will you convince the Belgians that a few hundred Chinese
established in any suitable place--under the direction of practical
Europeans--would form a better nucleus for the civilisation of Africa
than any number of Indian elephants and ironclad steamers? Will you
be so good as to give me your opinion on this subject?

The rice you sent me grows splendidly . . . The maize that Stone
Pasha sent me also thrives well . .. The grass you sent me as pasture
has not grown as well as I had hoped . . . After considerable trouble
I have managed to rear some ten to fifteen eucalyptus trees . . . The
fruits which flourish best are figs, lemons, citrons, bananas and the
pawpaw . . . Will you send me some good wheat? I have written to
Kabrega for coffee to try ...

Would not the introduction of Chinese settle the slave trade once and
for all?

--
Louis Proyect, lnp3@xxxxxxxxx on 10/20/2001

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