The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-30
THE AFRICAN CONFERENCE.
The Terms on Which the United States
Takes Part in the Berlin Congress.
The Object Is Simply to Secure Equal Com
mercial Privileges, and No international
Obligations Are Incurred.

WASHISGToN, Jan. 29.-In response to a House
resolution calling for information respecting the
participation of the United States in the Congo
conference, the President to-day sent to the
House a report admitted by the Secretary Of
State to the President The Secretary says
some time must elapse before a full documentary
history of the transaction can be laid before Con-
gress, but, IN view of the general interest taken
In the subject, he submits a preliminary report
leaving the transmission of papers to follow.
lie then gives in detail the causes and motives Of
the participation OF this government in the Ber-
lin conference, all of which is well
known to the public. at being estab-
lished," the report proceeds, that the conference
was not to have plenipotentiary functions. no
special credentials were needed to enable Mr..
kasson to attend as a delegate of this govern
ment, he being already accredited as minister to
the imperial court. The instructions sent Mr..
Kasson were brief but precise as to the exclusive
question OF territorial jurisdiction. By direction
of the President, Mr.. Henry Sanford, whose re-
lations to the international association represent
ing the free state of the Congo seemed to ft
him for the work, was appointed associate dele
gate on behalf of the United States, his course
to be governed by the instructions sent Mr..
Kasson. MIR. Sanford, not being an officer of
this government, was accredited by q letter adj
dressed by the Secretary of State to the German
Minister of Foreign Affairs, as an associate dele
gate.
THE resolution of the House calls for the text
of the credentials or powers given to representa-
tives of the United States, and the letter accred-
iting MIR. Sanford will be transmitted with the
rest OF the correspondence at an early day. Il
may, however, to be here mentioned that it con-
fers no definite powers on him. 1t merely re-
cites the proposal of the imperial government.
that associate delegates, having special knowl-
edge of the condition Of affairs in West Africa,
and especially in the region of the Congo, should
assist at the meetings of the conference, and
formally accredits Mr.. Sanford as such associate
delegate on behalf of the United States.
subsequently, the report says, Henry M.
Stanley was invited by the conference itself to
appear and give touching the Congo
region, as to which he is admittedly an origi-
nal and sole authority Mr.. Stanley's naine
appears in the protocols of the proceedings as
associate delegate of the United States, but he,
was not accredited otherwise than by Mr.. Kas-
sons personal introduction. Neither Sanford nor
Stanley have had a vote in the proceedings. The.
voting has been by countries, the delegation OF
each voting as a unit, and the voting is quite .
matter of form. The latest dispatches received
from Mr. Kasson," Secretary Frelinghuysen says,
bring the proceedings to Dec. Is. on which day
the conference adjourned until Jan. 5. Up 70
that time, the department of State has seen no
reason to feel otherwise than satisfied With the
discretion, prudence and ability with which Mr..
Kasson has carried out the instructions given
him. Besides limiting the United States to one Of
commercial interest, ASSOCIATED from questions
of territorial control, he has been attentive that
AO ~ va - pal ohhEA ONlkt A4OLA wi SOA
sistent national policy; he has been watchful
that no expression should be found of record
in the agreements of the conference which might
imply that its results are to be binding upon or
to be respected by any power which may not
formally accept them, even when we'll estab-
lished principles of international law apply, suck
as those in regard to riparian privileges and the
right OF an inland state to freely reach the ocean,
by any Manageable waterway passing through its
territory, and recognition thereof is confined to
the SignatOry powers only.
ut has been said that the principles which
the conference is discussing with respect to AT
RIGA are at variance with those which the United
States have ever maintained N respect to the
American continent. The cases are not similar.
The venerated doctrine put forth by Mr.. Mon
roe was simply that the time had passed for OBJ
tanning fresh footholds on the American CONT
nent, since the whole of it was subject to
recognized sovereignties, whose rights of posses
sion must be maintained and respected. In 1929.
not a foot of land remained subject to alienation
at will by the aboriginal tribes of America; in
1884 the whole heart of Africa remained to DO
opened up to occupancy and control of civilian
ton. This government, in taking part in the
Congo conference at Berlin, has not departed
from its traditional policy, and certainly it has
followed a good precedent. It's rights have
been scrupulcusly reserved and guarded
at every stage, and whatever conclusions
the conference may reach will record the volun-
tary and unanimous opinion of its members
which the respective governments are Mt liberty
W wi thhFA PoN sN ~ Ai0A nLCt h6
tional compact among themselves, If they shall
deem it to their interest to do so, or reject, as
they prefer
Since the foregoing was written. the Secretary
has received a dispatch from Mr.. Kasson. dated.
Jan. 2, in which he adverts TO kilograms pubr
iished in the news columns of German papers.
which appear to show misrepresentation of the
motives and purposes of the conference, and Of
the nature of the participation of this govern
meht, and thereupon reviews the position of the
United States as understood by himself and bv
the conference. Some extracts from the last
dispatch are subioined. After reviewing the
conference thus far, Mr. Kasson says:
'Knowiug with absolute certainty that the
United States would not embark in m eager
struggle among European powers for African
colonial possessions, | appreciated with equal
assurance a point eqally important to tho com
MERGE of my country, that of obtaining like con-
cessions from the present and future possessory
powers of tho largest extent Of central Africa
which might be subjected to these bcnefcent
andladvantagcous provisions. | presented, with
such force as | could command to the conference
my reasons for this extension of FREQ commerce,
with perseverance of the rights OF other govern
ments not represented in our declarations. The
conference agreed to this enlargement and era
braced within the range of their pledges all terri
Tory east of the Congo basin. from the Zambssi
river on the south to the fifth degree of lati-
tude on the north. and as far as tho
Indian ocean on the east. Mono ever
doubled the policy of this action except those
WIN ucSirCQ W ~ tilo llUcIt1 OI eStdUllSuluR
closed colonies in that region. It was finally
made a part of the commercial declaration by q
unanimous vote. No clause of any declaration
contemplates or suggests an alliance; no clause
creates a guaranty by any government of the
action of any other government; there is no joint
undertaking for future enforcement Perfect
liberty of action is reserved to each government
except in what it accepts as limiting that action.
All these limitations are in the interest OF non
colonial powers. An international commits
sion is formed, to see that general
rights and interests are maintained
where a local government does not exist tc ap-
ply them, but it is a right reserved, not a duty
imposed on each government to be.represented in
this commission. Finally, not one Of the dccla-
rations agreed upon by the conference is binding
on the United States, until tho government at
Washington shall formally accept it. My action
in the conference has not merely been in accord
with this ntlrnoea of nrasaruinn tLn nnrfnct In.