CONGO ATROCITIES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8137, 20 June 1906, Page 4

CONGO ATROCITIES.

A BEITISH MISSIONARY IMPRISONED.

. Muck resentment has been caused in o'rcles where an interest is taken in the affairs of the Congo State by the arbitrary action of the Congo officials in arresting the Rev. Edgar Stannard, one of the most honored missionaries working in this part of the Dark Continent.

On January 11th last (says a correspondent of the Daily Chronicle) 52 evangelical missionaries, including Englishmen, Canadians, Americans, Germans, Danes, Swedes, Norwegians, and represent the entirety of evangelioal missions on the Congo, assembled at Stanley Pool, and drew up an Appeal to; Civilisation, which has been issued to the world through the Congo Reform Aa u.w .0.1, and communicated to all tne signatory Powers of the Berlin Act, and to the United States of America.

In that appeal the missionaries said that the reforms proposed were merely " | a'.liative," and left " unoached the main root of the evil which we all recognise to be the system in force." The appeal went on to point out that the system of oppression was unchanged, that atrocities still prevailed, and uttered a solemn protest against t.iu terrible itate of affairs still existing in the Congo State. JL'he reply of the Congo State was prompt and twofold. It passed a law providing for the punishment of any person communicating to the judicial authorities " calumnious" charges against an official, live years' imprisonment, or afine yaryingin amount, It resolved ti make an immediate example of one of the most courageous missionaries on the Congo, the Rev. Edgar Stannard, of the Congo Balolo Mission at Baringa, whose evidence before the Congo Commission of Enquiry amply satisfied the Commissioners, and amply substantiated the charges made by him and his colleague, the Rev. John Harris, before the arrival of the Commission. Mi' Stan-

nard, who was on his way home after four years' service, has been arrested at Coquilbatville on a charge of criminal libel. BEION 0; TJJBHOB. Ever since the Commission of Enquiry left the Upper Congo, and in particular the Abir territory, where Baringa is situated, syste.nilic efforts have been made by the local officials and byjthe Abir agents, but especially by the former, to establish a perfect reign of terror among the nitive tiwi s which sent witnesses to testify before the Commission. Many of these'towns have been raided and pillaged. Witnesses have been forcibly arrested and deported, notably the chief Lontulu, who brought evidence of 120 murders committed among his people by Abir sentries. Mr Stannard is a prisoner at Boraa, 1200 miles away from his native wi - nesses! It is well-nigh impossible to believe, after our experience of the Stokes case, and of the repeated violations of the plighted word which the Congo Government has shown towards us, that a British Government can tamely acquiesce in the plot which is now on foot. No Englishman should ever be allowed again to stand his trial at the hands of a Congo Courl No stronger argument could be net vancedthan is provided in this incident for the establishment of British Consular Courts in the Contfo. No donbt the Congo Government will stop short of the madness of sentencing Stannard to a term of imprisonment, but they will pronounce a nominal sentence, including possibly a fine, and trumpet throughout Europe that a missionary has been convicted of a " caluminous " charge. The whole affair is outrageous from beginning to end, and it is impossible that this country can stand still and acquiesce in what is going on.