The products and trade are similar to those in the British sphere, cocoa and cotton being of growing importance. There is also a trade in copra, an industry in the hands of the coast natives. Lome (pop. 1933, 10,900) is the capital and centre of the external trade. The chief imports, cotton piece goods, come almost entirely from Great Britain. Exports were valued at 17,000,000 frs. in 1922, and at 79,000,000 in 1926; in the same period imports rose from 10,000,000 frs. to 99,000,00o frs. France supplies about 25% of the imports and takes half of the exports. In fiscal matters the French authorities sought to build up a reserve from which to undertake public works, and revenue for several years exceeding expenditure, a sum equal to £250,000 had been accumulated by 1927, in which year the budget was balanced at 33,380,00o frs.
When Dr. Gustav Nachtigal was sent by the German Government to west Africa in 1884 as imperial commissioner on an annexation errand, he had the fortune to find between the Gold Coast (British) and Dahomey (French) a small stretch of the Guinea coast, sover eignty over which was not claimed by any European Power. The king of Togo—the ruler of this little patch—was induced to sign a treaty (July 5,
placing his country under German suzer ainty. Thus Togoland was founded, and by arrangement made with Great Britain and France a coast line of 32m. was obtained. Before the coming of the Germans as rulers, Portuguese, British, French and German firms had trading agencies along the lagoons behind the coast. In earlier days trade was chiefly in slaves (ex ported) and gin (imported) ; in later days the products of the oil palm had taken the place of slaves. The natives were in general dependent upon the rulers of Dahomey or Porto Novo; but the towns of Little Popo and Togo were capitals of small States which claimed freedom. With the development of French interests in Dahomey there was the prospect of these minute kingdoms being absorbed by France. In Togo town, however, Bremen merchants were influential and this fact helped Nachtigal to conclude his treaty. Germany at once advanced claims to a large hinterland, and this caused a great deal of negotiation with Great Britain and France. It was not until 1899 that the inland frontiers of Togo
land were fixed, Germany securing an area somewhat larger than Ireland. Many of the tribes expressed preference for French or British rule respectively but the Germans had no great difficulty in making good their authority. The people were fairly good agri culturists and the Germans steadily developed the resources of the country; they created a port—Lome—and built railways. After 20 years' work Togoland was self-supporting; it was the only German colony in Africa to attain that position.
In the first month of the World War (Aug. 1914) Togoland was conquered by a British force from the Gold Coast under Capt. (temp. Lt.-col.) F. C. Bryant, aided by de tachments sent by the French from Dahomey. Before surrender ing, the Germans blew up the powerful wireless station at Atak pame, which had been completed a little earlier in the year and which communicated directly with Berlin. Thereafter the western part, including Lome, was administered by the British and the eastern part by the French. Germany renounced her sovereignty by the Treaty of Versailles and the Supreme Council gave the mandate for its government to Great Britain and France. The first division, made in an Anglo-French agreement of July r 0, 1919, gave dissatisfaction to French colonial circles, as it lef t Lome to Great Britain, and by a convention of Sept. 3o, 1920, in exchange for an enlarged British area in the interior, Lome and the whole seaboard went to France. Both spheres are governed under mandates approved by the Council of the League of Na tions on July 20, 1922, and, in each, citizens of the United States have obtained the right to equal treatment with the nationals of the members of the League. In both spheres the administration was carried on with the co-operation of the natives and without friction, there being a great development in trade.
See H. Klose, Togo enter deutscher Flagge (1899), a comprehensive survey, with bibliography ; Togoland, a British Foreign Office hand book (1920) ; and the annual reports published by the British and French Governments on their respective spheres. (F. R. C.)