THE CRIME OF THE CONGO.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 251, 29 November 1909, Page 1

THE CRIME OF THE CONGO.

► SIR A. COXON DOYLK'S PAMI'ULKX. ( A STRONG INDJd'.UIi.NT. ' . London, October 1">. i . k'r Aitliur Conaii Doyle has .puuiished, , in a Short, readable pamphlet, a strong and vigorous indictment ot the Belgian administration of- the Congo. it is high • time tbiit a problem which Ims iiecn ite--1 bated ■ backwards and' forwards lor a great "number of" years Hy politicians, reformers, and missionaries should al last come before the judgment of the general public in Britain, i'or, as Sir Arthur swys, the only reason why public opinion has not been more sensitive upon the question of the Congo Jj'ree State is that the terrible story nas not not been brought thoroughly home to the people. One or two names stand out among those who have worked in tlus matter—Mr. E. D, Morel, above all, to Whom this' pamphlet is dedicated by the author, and the Congo lletorm Association itself, which his struggled 'hard tor a long time past with very scanty means'. But if anything is to be done by the British Government, acting either in concert with other Powers or, if neeu bo, acting alone, sucli vigorous' action can only become .practicable if lire public conscience be first aroused by the definite and detailed information which Sir Arthur ifl able to givo in 'his vivid and well-written pamphlet. ENGLAND'S RBSPONSiBIUiX ironi a public point of view cue or two main facts 'have to .be borne in mind. The first of these is utat uie British Government is definitely responsible, because, in combination with other nations, it practically helped in tine founding of the Congo State at the Berlin.Conference of 188 a. Of course, the objects of King Leopold were, at the start, of blameless integrity. There was to be free trade everywhere; the ports were to be o,pen; tlie natives were to be raised physically, morally, anjl intellectually; and the enormous wealth of the country .was to be exploited solely in humanitarian interests. What actually happened was the direct contrary of all these laudable objects. The Congo State became the private domain of Lie liiijg. Every obstacle was thrown in tlftf way of traders other .than Belgian. 1 The,land was taken away from the natives and declared to belong to King Leopold. And, in order to collect rubber, ivory, aud other products, the most terrible, system of punishments, dues, and taxes was instituted, accompanied by nameless tortures of the nuseraule natives. And for this, as Sir Arthur impresses upon ua, tbo British Government, as one of the signatories of tlie Berlin Conference, cannot avoid responsibility. Then, in ISSD-ISWU, there took place the Brussels Conference and the Powers were still -ready to accept, apparently, King Leopold's professions ot his humanitarian aims. For they agreed to' relieve the new State from those l'rec-port promises which it bad made in 188*3, and to permit it in future to levy 10 per cent, on imports. Holland, it :s true, which alone had the sagacity to appreciate the true situation, protested for two years; the other Powers were more convplai^aut.

protesting voices. A series of terrible incidents Juts marked the subsequent history, illustrated from time to time by cunspicuous infamies so dreadful that they nave for a time ams'ted the attention of tiie world. 1 We 'have not spate to descmie these in detail. But there is, to begin with, the murder of Mr. StoKes by Captain Lothaire, Mr. Stokes being an Englishman working for an American company, a successful trader, and, therefore, a rival for the Belgians to get rid 01. Subsequently Captain Lothaire seems lo .live been implicated in the terrible Along,ilia massacres. .Some light was thrown upon the darkness by the alfc'olutely appalling report of Consul Huger Casement, in 1004, supplemented by various reports from tile Rev. Joseph Clark, an American missionary, and a Swedish clergyman, .Mr. Sjoblom. As a matter of fact, however, various voices Have been heard from time to time testifying to the wholesale massacres, widespread 'cruelty, and gradual depopulation of the whole country. Everything has/ been sacrificed for greed; everything, also, lias been doner-to keep all traders, except Belgian <ones, out of the district. When tlm Congo State was annexed to Belgium on 10th August, 1!)0,S, overyone hoped that some reform wouid be instituted; hut, alas, the hope lias been frustrated. The latest "mockery" is the report of a Belgian Colonial Minister, M. ltenkin, who does his best to whitswash tlie oflicial administration of which he is the spokesman. THE KB-MEUY.

tii circmiistiHices like these Sir Artnur Coiian lsoylo joins with earnest reformer* in -urging our Government to do •something. Testimonies as. to misrule are 'not confined, of course, to our own countrymen. They emanate from French, German, American, and Swedish sources. Sir Edward Grey himself Jiag spoken witli considerable emphasis on the necessity of some forward steps being taken to put an end to so grave a European scanilal. fcir Arthur does not -hesitate to suggest, in the linal chapter of his interesting pamphlet, that, whether England acts in conjunction with other nations or acts alone, sfoe should peremptorily declare that the present Congo administration jnust cease. A blockade of thy Congo is one plan; another is the proclamation of the guilty land as an outlaw State. There is yet another .solution, the author adds: "Let a huge caravan start into the Congo laud from "Northern Rhodesia. We claim that we have a right to free trade by tin- Iterlin Treaty; we will enforce our claim. To do so would cut at the very roots of Ui Congo system." Clearly, it will not i;e Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's fault if tiie public at large reinaiu in ignorance oi the infamous maladministration of the Congo.