The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-01
THE CONGO
FREE STATE.
England's Sensational Deal With
Leopold.
The King Of Belgium Forced to Abandon
His African Enterprise.
Official Announcement Of the Sale to Be Made
In a Few Weeks kS-United States
Interference.
w Special by the oalilornia associated Press.

LONDON, May 3f.-Within few weeks
the announcement will be officially made OF
the purchase by the British Government OF
the Congo Free State, the area of which
exceeds /, 100000 square miles and the pop
ulation 39,0C0,0O0. The frequent trips OF
King Leopold of Belgium to London dur
ing the past few weeks and his numerous
protracted interviews with the Marquis oil
Salisbury and Secretary of State for the
Colonies Lord Knutsford, are due to the
impending sale which the Prime Minister
intends to spring upon the country much in
the same manner as Lord Beaconsfed did
the purchase of Suez Canal shares. Sails
bury regards. the: acquisition of the Congo
State. which is the richest district OF the
entire African Continent, as magnificent
coup. which will appeal to the patriotic
feeling of every Englishman, and will en-
able him to dissolve Parliament next fall
and face the general election with every
certainty of success and the consequent
prolongation of Tory tenure Of Office for
another Parliamentary term Of seven years
THE UNITED STATES HEsTANCY.
All the tran sactions in connection with
the purchase are completed and the official
announcement of the sale is delayed solely
by the hesitation of the United States to
consent to the repeal of Article ~ OF the
Berlin Congo treaty of 1884, which stlpu-
lates that all merchandise imported into
the Free State shall remain free from import
or transit dues for twenty years. The re-
vision of this clause was first mooted at the
Anti-Slavery Congress in session at Brus-
sells, Leopold basing his demands for
authorization by the sgnatory powers oil
the Berlin treaty to levy custom dues on
all imports into the Free State on the ground
that the revenues to be derived therefrom
were absolutely necessary for carrying on
the administration of the Government.
THE SALE A NECESSITY.
In fact, 10th he and his representatives
have given the Powers to understand that
it will be impossible to carry on the admin
istration and development of the State with
out pecuniary relief to be derived from the
imposition of custom dues on imports, and
that means this sale is indispensable in or
der to avoid deficit in the Congo budget,
although Stanley has given reason to dis
credit these statements by expressly de,
claring III two public speeches that the
Congo Free State was paying cent for cent
on the money which Is invested there, yet
the British Government has lent the full
weight of its official support to Le0pold's
demands on the subject Of the imposition Of
custom dues.
Although the Government has already de-
cded to offer Stanley the IoYernOr-Gener-
aship OF tirSir new dependency, yet both
the Minister and Gcepold arc careful to
avoid giving the great eXplortr any hint OF
the negotiations which have been going on,
for Stanley, although q famous explorer, Is
utterly lacking in either tact ordlscretlon.
4 fact that no one deplores mere deeply
than his friend and admirer Leopold.
THE CONTRACT PRICE.
Although there.is, the highest authority
for the above statement it is jmpsSible to
obtain the exact figures with rtgarn<to the
price paid for the purchase, but 1t is be-
lieved to be between S40,0Oo,Ouo cGS
S50,000,0 COO.
Importance, for he has not only his own
enormous wealth, but 1t Is rumored also
that he has a still more considerable
fortune which he holds in trust for his de-
mented sister. ex-Empress Carlotta OF
Mexico, invested in the Congo enterprise
For years past lie has been moving heaven
and earth to obtain the sanction of France
and England to Congo lottery loan with
view to recouping his losses
LEoPoLD's DILEMMA.
This is all the more:urgent since the con-
viction is gaining ground that Carlotta has
recovered her reason and that she may de-
mand from her brother an accounting of
her fortune. Moreover as the sovereignty
of the Congo Free State is vested in Leopold
Individually, Belgium as q State having no
participation in the responsibility, he is
bound TO make arrangements for the con-
tinuation of the Congo enterprise after his
death. for he is now an aged man. Neither
his brother. the Count Of Flanders, nor the
latter's son, Prince Baldwin, who is the
heir apparent to the throne, has the slightest
have always discOuntenanced and deplored
Leopold's infatuation in the matter.