32 
EUROPE AND AFRICA 
selection of many of their earlier officials. Those that were 
not domineering, pompous, and inexperienced, were incom- 
petent or corrupt. Little effort was made to secure the 
confidence and codperation of the natives; and small regard 
was had for local customs and traditions. With true Teu- 
tonic thoroughness they set vigorously to work to civilize 
the inhabitants and to transform the country into a Euro- 
pean paradise within a year or two. The merchants ex- 
pected to build up an extensive trade immediately in the 
new lands, and immense profits were looked for within a 
few months on every hand. Colonization was supposed to 
be an easy method of developing a country through land 
grants, and it was not deemed necessary to pay any atten- 
tion to the rights or claims of natives. 
Many undesirable and inefficient colonists, as well as 
fortune-hunters, were thus attracted to these colonies, and 
the lands and property of the natives were ruthlessly seized. 
The result was that almost constant irritation existed be- 
tween the settlers and inhabitants, and the Government 
was continually in hot water. For twenty years after the 
acquisition of German Southwest Africa, the imperial au- 
thorities were compelled to resort to the use of force fre- 
quently in order to preserve peace and to protect the lives 
and property of its colonists. And it was not until after the 
great Herero uprising in 1904 had been put down with the 
annihilation of a large percentage of the Herero nation, the 
most capable and promising people in their territories, that 
the Germans secured real peace. 
After twenty years of experience, and particularly after 
Herr Dernburg introduced the “new colonial era” in 1907, 
matters were handled in a more scientific and intelligent 
manner. A Colonel Office was created by the imperial 
authorities to supervise the government and the develop- 
ment of the colonies. Railways were constructed into the