THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1910. CONGO-LAND.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10006, 31 March 1910, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1910. CONGO-LAND.

The further the dealings of the late King Leopold with the Congo Free State are probed the more sinister are the discoveries that are made by the investigators. In the course of the recent discussion in the Belgian Chamber of Deputies statements were made—and were not contradicted—which seem to show that malversation of the moneys derived from the Congo Free State took place to an amount running into millions of pounds sterling during the lifetime of the late King. However, that is all past and done with now. Whatever unpleasant discoveries may be made by the Belgian Government in the process of auditing the accounts of the deceased monarch, there is nothing to prevent the Government from taking steps to effect permanent reforms in administering the vast area of Central Africa which is now under its management. The Belgian Minister for the Colonies, M. Kenkin, lately returned from an official visit to the Congo Free

State and candidly admitted that a change from the Leopoldian regime was necessary. M. Renkin'outlined his proposals, which included the abolition of forced labour and the substitution of a money tax, the natives being allowed to sell the produce of the country to traders of all nations. The new conditions would come into operation successively, he promised, in different regions of the country which he indicated. M. RenKin also promised to ameliorate similarly the conditions under which the natives at present are compelled to work for various private companies that have obtained concessions. It is to be noted that the definite guaran- > teea which Sir Edward Grey deraand- ] ed from the Belgian Government as a condition precedent to Great Britain's recognition of the annexation of the Congo Free State by Belgium have not yet been offered. Mr Elihu Root, on behalf of the United States Government, made a similar demand, and pending its fulfilment the annexation remains unrecognised at Washington. However, the attitude of the I Belgian Government and the Belgian Chamber appears to be eminently conciliatory, and the desire to remove the grievous evils that have stained the administration uf Congoland hitherto appears to be sincere. The attitude of the British Government and ot the United States Government in refusing to recognise the annexation until the causes were removed must be regarded as an important factor in bringing about the new regime. And that is a notable triumph i for the humanitarian ideals of the two great English-speaking nations—the only nations that refused to shut their eyes to the horrors perpetrated in the Free State by the agents and officials of the Sate King Leopold.