In the construction of these African electric railroads America played an important rôle. Cecil Rhodes was at first inclined to award the contracts for rails, copper wires, cars and general equipment to English manufacturing firms but his worthy patriotic sentiments soon vanished when it was demonstrated clear as sunlight, even early as 1898 that America could produce a far superior grade of machinery in much less time and at much less cost. In 1901 Cecil Rhodes awarded all his heavy contracts to American firms. In other words, England furnished the capital and America practically built the entire system of African railroads in 1930. The first "eye opener" in the line of American competition against British machinery came into prominence in the spring of 1899, when work had already commenced on the north division of the great trunk line through Africa. The Atbara bridge and the first lesson in industrial economy that it taught, will not soon be forgotten. Bids were invited from British and American [America Leads the World.] bridge builders in April, 1899. It was represented to all competitors that the proposed bridge must be completed in the shortest time possible. When the bids were opened it was discovered that the English engineers required seven months to complete the work, while their American competitors guaranteed to complete and deliver the bridge in forty-two days from date of signing the contract and the work was to be completed for a much less sum than the price demanded by the English builders. The lesson of the Atbara bridge was not lost upon the great "Deputy Almighty" of South Africa and Cecil Rhodes became the [A Peaceful Victory.] means during the first quarter of the twentieth century of securing many million dollars to the American trade. Africa's most urgent needs in 1900 were railroads and missionaries. England supplied a very superior article of the latter, while in the railroad field no country could equal the American output. In the nineteenth century it had been the unpleasant experience of France to suffer at the hands of England two Waterloos. [France Eats "Humble Pie."] One was the great and only Waterloo, which drenched the soil of Belgium with the blood of many brave men. Waterloo, Jr., overtook the French soldiers at Fashoda, on Africa's soil in 1899. When in that year England ordered France to leave Fashoda without any further ceremony a victory was won by England, bloodless, but none the less effective.