New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-08

the state of Congo by creating IL without furnishing
tfor reasons which at the time were cohSiucicd wise
and cogent-wh the means Of levyng customs duties,
thus making impossible for Congo TO raise the large
which would be needed for putting into operation
the measures adopted by the Conference for the re
preston Of the slave trade.
In nscquencc of this declaration OF the congo
delegates the president OF the Conference, at the ses
sion of May 10, introduced resolution modifying
Article of the general act Of Berlin providing that
import duties not TO exceed 10 per cent al vaoTchi
might be levied by the Congo Government an articles
of merchandise imported into TIE States comprised In
the Congo basin. The import duties on spirituous
liquors ha1 already been fixed by the Conference ut
high rate with the view TO limit as far as possible the
Importation OF liquors. which, as past experience had
shown, had proved an almost insuFmouh'abic OBJ
stacle in the way of civzing the natives Of Africa
The impor duties OH other articles of merchandise
~ specified In the act Of the Brussels Conference
vary from TO per cent ad valocm, the duty on
textile goods I'm which probably the united states Is
chiefly interested, being fixed at per cent This was
Justly considered the most feasible plan OF furnishing
to the Congo State the indispensable funds for carrying
into effect the decisions Of the Conference In regard to
the abolition Of the slave trade.
AT the discussion OF the resolution the only coun
tries whose delegates raised objections to the sano
were those OF the Netherlands and the United States
Tho reasons given by the United States however were
simply of formal character, the delegates from that
signed the general act Of Berlin. it not properly
qualified to modify it. After some explanations how
ever the United States delegates signed the general act
of BRUSSELS Us well as special declaration accepting
the principle Of levyng import duties on goods III
troduccd into Congo and engaging themselves to ne
gotiatc at some time treaty Of commerce on this
basis with the independent State of Congo. II was
considered absolutely essential that the general at OF
Brussels should not only contain provisions relative
10 the suppression OF the slave trade but also such
provisions as would enable the Congo Government to
carry out the anti slavery measures passed BY the
Conference which without the necessary funds would
have remained almost dead letter. This was the
reason for uniting the two measures in one act max
inc the one dependent upon the other; and all the
Powers-with the exception OF the Netherlanis-rcooS-
MIXING the force Of this signed the general act
Of Brussels
But upon what ground is the opposition Of the
Netherlands basedi'
.Dollars and cents. Purely mercantile interests
have induced the Netherlands to pursue TINS course
and without cxsggeraton, 1t may be said that single
wealthy and powerful firm, the 'New-African CONNER
cial Society of Rotterdam has mainly been instru
mental i'm bringing about this result. The battle be-
tween the two interests the philanthropc and the mer
camille is wagcd between the State OF Congo bacheo
by the entire Conference, on the one sac, anu ''o
Netherlands on the other. Congo had this III common
with France and Portugal Doth having colonies on the
west coast OF Afca that it was placed In the zone OF
free commerce. in which the act OF Berlin prohibited
the levying of import duties. But unlike the colonies
OF these two countries. it did not have back OF II
mother country on whose treasury it could count for
meeting its expenses Having nothing but Its own re-
sources for fulfilling the duties imposed upon IL by 'o
act of the Conference 1t stated frankly us nhahc
position and asked that the States comprised III the
Congo basin should be permitted TO levy import duties
In doing this it did not claim privileged place for
Larry SpPh hltD 4
asked to be placed Oh an equal footing with uesc
colonies and to have its finances put on safer basis.
.No one doubted that the financial condition OF the
State urgently required new means for meeting inc
constantly increasing expenses 1t was recognized ua
II devoved upon the Congo Government TO assure te
safety of the commercial enterprises extending further
and further into the interior Of the country; that IL
WAS morally bound TO provide ample protection TO
commerce by the establishment Of more posoifces ana
new stations: and by increasing the armed force IL
was recognized that the putting into effect OIL 'ie
BRUSSELS act including the provisions Tor the sup
preston of the slave trade, would impose new ana
heavy burdens upon the Congo Government, not only
for the purposes have mentioned, Dut also ior u'e
building of roads and railroads ana telegraph cs' ~u
the establishment of lines OF steamers"
what is the financial condition of the Congo
state7"
alt is such conclusively to show the necessity vi
speedy relief Already the annual expenses largely
exceed the income In 1887 the expenses aInouhteu
10 900 900 francs in 1883 to 100000 francs, ana
I'm 1850 TO 31OO, 900 francs. These amounts repre-
sent simply the ordinary expenditures. low es-
innate places the annual expenditure lncludihs 'le
cxpenses imposed upon the Congo Government by inc
Brussels act for the suppression of the slave tfoe at
upward of 1000, 900 francs while so lar uo ''n''
income has never yet exceeded 100000 francs
"Do the Netherlands claim that the impoSlt'oh Vi
duties would bear heavily upon thcr co'inci'o
~
"Tbat ia their contention, and is the chiei reason
oiven for refusing assent to the act OF Brusses' Az
would be surprising indeed II the companies "iion
have carried on trading operations on 'ne ConAo "
many years. and with large capital did ho' uo a
,roe business there The figures given by them, now
ever should be accepted with some reservation lieS
state from official documents, that OF the to value
~ articles exported from the Congo In 1851 WIZ
| s7o b,o francs they exported 6,127,3ol francs.
Those figures however, include all the goods III t'sie
| through the Congo, coming from the frchoh anu
Portuguese colonies. In order to get at TIC ao'"'i
| share of the duties In the export trade, we shouu
take the sum of AGO., 543 francs. which represent
the yalue of the special exports in 1889, ana OF ts
sum 2,15O,OOO francs. or about one-han' repoS'"''
| the Dutch share ,...
"But even granting the correctness OF these hguies'
this does not enttle the Dutch TO the right 10 se'
this important question. Other nations winch car
on trade with the Congo, though not on SO large
| should certainly have something 10 s"y III III"
Belgium firms for instance though scarcely esl'psno
on the Congo exported goods to the value OF oooooO
francs and there every reason TO believe thaI 'ell
| export trade will increase from year to year. bu'
neither Belgium nor any Of the other nations ihtcr
ested, expressed any fears that their interests "ou'
sufcr in consequence Of the Brussels act IL shouid
be stated that the export trade by no means
represens the entire trade The nations interested il
the import trade which is not entirely absorbed by th
Netherlands would certainly raise the cry OF aiarm
the import duties were prejudical to it, According
Official estimates, there imported into the state
Congo exclusive of the neghboring countries and
colonies IL 100000 francs worth OF goods per year
and of this according 10 extremely liberal estimate
3. 800 900 represents the Dutch share
at is certainly strange that the nations whici
import seven and half millions worth OF goods a
| not ion the Dutch in their cutlery against The
| Brussels act. In fact, the reasons advanced In op
position to import duties not conclusive No OBJ
lection could be raised against the maximum rat