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10/7/1958 - Portuguese Africa: The Schemers by Smith Hempstone Jr.

NOT FOR PUBLICATION swwuw ocuwoo SH araSctober Portuguese Africa Luanda The Schemers Angola Nr Walter S Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York B6 N Y Dear Rogers If there anything closer heart Portuguese administrator couple fingers aguardiente shade banyan prospect drawing settlement scheme This development Two hundred years Governor General Angola named Francisco Inocencio Sousa Coutinho worked elaborate bring thousands white settlers Portuguese Africa Nothing Coutinho usual settlement schemes those followed The failures probable future debacles worry Portuguese unduly It wonderftully exciting build pretty scale models patchwork farms inhabited imaginary Portugue family watered electri magnificent hydro electric project And yohave wonderful scale model factories provide younger outlets peasants materials manufactured goods It doesn matter engineering point impossible build there materials tories settling peasant family would support families comfort The scheme thing whether feasible seems secondary importance In recent years scheming reached proportions favorite Port uguese indoor sport Only century white settlement Angola ozambique received support Portuguese ernment Prior principal colonizing effort aimed Brazil after country asserted indepen dence official policy favored settlement Africa But today Portuguese emigrate Brazil Portuguese overseas territories combined In Dr Salazar Novo Estado planned transport whole Portuguese villages surVe prepared sites Angola where settlers would provided stock implements A families settled scheme still years later In Benguela Railway author undertake colonization scheme along right Each settler receive house stock acres already planted repaid company period after which settler receive title Twelve years later farms still occupied Those schemes which still operative standing The important involving white settle Portuguese started several native settlement schemes Limpopo atala Cela colonatos Several attempts establish settle ments Limpopo north Lourenco Iarques I ozambique All proved abortive three reasons scheming little planning tendency underestimate costs estimate productive capacity improper selection settlers In Limpopo settlers become easily couraged slipped across border South Africa where living easier Some colonists repatriated unsuccessful The reason Port uguese pushed despite repeated failures seems political Portugal forget sting effec occupation decree Berlin Conference would establish whies Limpopo block possible future South African Rhodesian territorial designs vital Lourenco larques The present scheme inaugurated Six Development Plan calls eventual settle Portuguese African families acres irrigated Each white family receive acres irrigated acres Portuguese settlers allowed Africans Statistics often reliable always Portuguese Africa believed about white families smattering Africans settled This scheme Reason Bulawayo railroad Lourenco arques right through settlement scheme In which provides irrigation water bridge across Limpopo The presence assured would built schedule reasonably soundly The railroad provides cheap transport ducts The fertile reasonable selec colonists modicum administrative there reaso Limpopo scheme shouldn Also underway smaller similar schemes Zambezi Vila Cabral eastern shore Lake Nyasa Both schemes handled correctly could successful But again intrusion strategic concepts matters which should completely economic produces unrealistic settlement attitude which threatens sound development colonatos One feeling reasons Zambez Nyasa colonatos relieve population increase agricultural production Africa block extension Rhodesian salient toward Beira consolidate Mozambique limited access fishing grounds Lake Nyasa In Angola principal schemes involving Europeans colonatos Matala Cela The Natala Scheme Cunene River which separates Angola South West Africa again based primarily strategic rather economic concepts Although principal raisond seems establish Sani Zone frontier frustrate possible South African expansionism block clandestine black immigration labor short Angola Tsumeb mines South West The Matala Scheme planned cover million acres accomodate whites large number natives As Limpopo Scheme native settlement alongside whites proposed attempt stabilize native agriculture teach blacks European methods farming Again whites allowed native labor It became obvious schemers again optimistic official report stated third proposed number settled within years could considered success At present about families settled Cunene villages The original colonist which irrigated Of acres farmed grazing coffee orchard The house stock equipment valued repaid years which titles would issued But continuity seems another basic failing schemes colonato deluged funds during enthusias governor general completely neglected under sanguine successor Any somewhere along irriga holdings shrunk acres which poorly built failed store enough water going rough The Portuguese Iatala colonato nearby Johannesburg scheme might folded complete As PEASANT OMAN cities repatriated Portugal AT ZABEZI WELL The Cela colonato Amboim plateau northwest Nova Lisboa lumps seems gradual getting sound basis Salazar himself showed consid erable interest Cela scheme found thusiastic supporter person Agapito Silva Carvalho Governor General As usual Carvalho enthusiastic practical With Salazar money ready appropriated aside swampy closed mountains On million scheme planned settle families Cela trouble before CE A OO O A O first settler arrived To clear first AND PEASANT FANCILY families heavy machinery brought There roads money spent forcing valley The machinery clear arriving When marshy Engineers drain valley Cela hreatened become Boreholes irrigation ditches before settlement could begin It years after begun before first Portuguese colonists seemed reservations about matter themselves moved house village Vimieiro diplomatically named after Salazar birthplace Each family found waiting storey house brick orange heart Portuguese Each house three bedrooms central living dining euphemistically described The latter consists small floor But should remember these houses better Portuguese peasant would probably uncom fortable split level rambler middle income bracket Ameri would Versailles There electricity running water The families bring their furniture Portugal Fu rnished house plots ranging acres depending family couple milch chickens rabbits seeds implements A fenced barnyard behind house provides covered stalls store rooms various sizes Although authorities Angola their assure colonists selected settlement adaptable conditions ultimate control rests Lisbon In cases people willing Angola those demonstrated their inability properly losing their farms Portugal experience hired hands perhaps because lacked industry procure their political undesirables petty criminals If industrious intelligent could usually enough country without making disruptive Africa Still Angola apologies D A R ayflowe descendants first country colonized Dr Jose chief colonato estimates about immigrants failed completely either voluntarily expelled clear assumed firmly established other still trouble chance making Causes failures those which might expected Portuguese colonists scheme arrived expecting streets paved others allowed selves deeply supply store where first settlers charge clothing household appliances still others overcome saudad peculiarly Portuguese bitter sweet nostalgia village which Says Dr The heart worst enemy We Port uguese sentimental people That allowed colonists bring state expense rickety furniture which could built cheaper better Without these sticks which grown Portuguese could Also there question pears grapes peasant without these They bring cuttings Portugal usually Only grapevine started It grapes wonderful grapes In addition question grapes there question human nature having their stock equipment least moment colonists failed proper their property Although aside coffee fused They unfamiliar coffee uninterested takes several years fruit Although colonato repaid eventually settlers begin making payments period during fifth lement Cela every other Portuguese settlement scheme fabulously expensive To establish families people roughly million about family enough support peasant family lifetime Still there worse waste money Cela least seems likely Only about acres although times amount surveyed Of latter figure third aside native families displaced white settlers Eventually Port uguese competent native farmers white settlement areas equal basis their Portuguese neighbors The center scheme around which villages scattered completely Santa Comba Dao Here administrative offices colonato garages stores cinema primary school Portuguese educa compul years cafes replica saudade church which col0nits Although settlers allowed Africans houseboys there nothing prevent having whites The successful colonists enough unfortunate neighbors their families their farms tractors A successful farmer acquire goverrnnent Dr states colonists their crops potatoes tomatoes This seems awfully always Portuguese tendency confuse desirability reality It estimated founding colonato average annual income would about andthat figure seems reasonable Equally important future Portuguese Africa experimental native settlement schemes From point Portuguese there several advantages persuading natives establish permanent villages Although neither Angola ozambique populated shifting nomadic agriculture generally practiced Africans causes erosion exhausts Secondly easier cheaper administer settled communities nomads And lastly through settlement improved agricultural methods native improve standard living contribute national product incidently enough money worthwhile There least native colonatos Angola The three north established ecial purposes At Damba Toto about native families established since All these people expelled Belgian Congo participation Watch Tower organiza which Belgians approve At Damba acres allocated partially leared machinery planting peanuts beans cassava At Toto family received seedlings twelve acres coffee crops The third settlement outside Ilalange penal colonato There cells prisoners ecouraged marry after having completed third their sentence settle permanently nearby villages The southern native settlement schemes Caconda Chiumbe larger established without special purpose The Caconda colonato designed families about settle Chiumbe families Wherever possible government tried persuade entire clans settle scheme The native colonists grouedin villages families Under headman white advisor Each group communal storehouses stockyards grain mills As white settlers family receiv acres irrigated larger tract grazing farthing An agricultural expert exerts control scheme The native schemes suffered white colonat addition their Planning either lacking faulty Portuguese suffered their knowledge native customs mores Good homes built which natives abandoned because houses windows It animal fertilizer their fields because prefer And native still retains desire attachment partictular piece He bored tends wander In cases government taken adequate health measures least Toto colonato almost wiped outbreak Lastl providing incentive harder increased production resulting improved farmin methods colonists plant fewer acres exist level before The Portuguese found necessary expel native farmers onatos failing reasonable productio quotas At first glance inclined write settle schemes ortuguese Africa white mixed black total failures There certainly grotesque blunders extravagant expenditures ludicrous waste opportunities It would funny weren human beings involved Still problems under attack solutions sought important Portuguese territories Africa The experience gained through these attempts stabilize native populstions establish white settlements independent black labor could paramount importance hundreds years world where population daily becom serious problem For Africa Little Rock Iottingham example whites blacks working under conditions without racial friction should suggest something If Portuguese colonatos inspire enthusiasm disinterested observer breasts SH I09 schemers certainly possible cheer although three Received York October