Tanganyika Territory

Post-war Administration.

The British and Belgians es tablished their own administrations in the districts they conquered. It was not until March 22, 1921, that all the districts which Bel gium had occupied but which fell within the British mandated area were transferred to Tanganyika Territory, the name officially given to the British area in Jan. 1920. A civil administration had been set up while the war was in progress, Mr. (afterwards Sir) Horace Byatt being the first administrator—a title changed in Aug. 1920 to that of governor. The country had suffered severely from the ravages of war and the work of reconstruction was diffi cult and prolonged. All the German settlers were repatriated and their estates sold. Until this process was nearing completion few new land grants were made and agriculture for a time was prac tically at a standstill. Moreover, both the planters and the com mercial community complained, with some show of reason, that the Government was indifferent to their needs. Complaint was also made by the Europeans of the competition of the Indians. As to that the administration was tied by the terms of the mandate (which were approved by the Council of the League on July 20, 1922). The mandate enjoined equality of treatment to nationals of all members of the League in matters of "residence, trade and commerce." The administration was hampered by lack of funds and the necessity of rebuilding a large part of the central rail way (the Dar-es-Salaam-Tanganyika line) ; and it had as its first, duty the care of the natives, many of whom were restive and de moralized by the war. It had its hands full; nevertheless, it might have paid greater attention to the needs of planters—and the Amani institute for scientific research in all things connected with agriculture, which was one of the best works of the Germans, was allowed to go nearly to ruin.

Successive governors of Tanganyika were Sir D. C. Cameron, 1925 ; Lt.-Col. Sir G. S. Symes, 1931 ; and Sir H. MacMichael, 1933. Meanwhile attention had been called to the suitability of the highlands in the southwestern parts of the territory for white settlement and a number of Europeans, mostly British, obtained farms there, on long leasehold, the administration having decided against freehold sales.

Economic Development.

By the middle of 1925 the era of transition after the war may be said to have ended. In June of that year ex-enemies were allowed to re-enter the territory (a step which would in any case have been necessary when Germany entered the League of Nations in Sept. 1926). Over 200 Germans,

mostly former settlers, came to Tanganyika in the next 12 months, somewhat to the alarm of the British settlers. In a couple of years it was realized, however, that the German "invasion" was of lim ited extent, and a degree of co-operation was established between the British and Germans. The development of the country led in 1926 to the setting up of a nominated legislative council and occasion was taken of its first meeting (Dec. 1926) for a message to be sent by the king, who expressed his "deep interest in all that concerns the welfare of the people of Tanganyika Territory." This was more than a formality, it was intended to indicate the permanent character of the ties linking Tanganyika with the Brit ish empire. Agitation had been kept up in Germany for "the re turn of the colonies" and was directed as far as Britain was con cerned to Tanganyika. Apart from the king's message explicit declarations were made by the British Government that the man date gave Great Britain as secure control of Tanganyika as of ter ritories actually British. The mandate simply imposed certain "servitudes," and even permitted the administrative union of Tanganyika—if that were thought desirable—with the neighbour ing British territories. (See BRITISH EAST AFRICA.) But eco nomics as much as, or more than, politics engaged the at tention of the administration and of the settlers. The Amani insti tute was reopened as a research department for the whole of East Africa ; measures against the spread of the tsetse fly were taken; the rights of natives in the proprietorship of land were secured, much progress was made in education, for whites, Indians and natives alike, and particular attention was paid to improving means of transport. A line from Tabora to Mwanza on Lake Victoria, opened in July 1928, was the first addition of any considerable length to the railway system since the war.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.—Report on Tanganyika Territory (Cmd. 1,428) , an official publication covering the period from the Armistice to the end of 192o (1921) ; the Reports to the Mandates Commission (London, yearly) ; the text of the mandate is given, with map, in British Mandates for . . . East Africa (Cmd. 1,794) (1923) ; Report by Sir Benjamin Robertson Regarding the Proposed Settlement of Indian Agriculturists in Tanganyika Territory (Cmd. 1,312) (1921) ; G. D. Hale Carpenter, A Naturalist in East Africa (1925) . See also entries under BRITISH EAST AFRICA, GERMAN EAST AFRICA and KENYA COLONY. For the Young Commission on East Africa see UGANDA.