The record-union., 1891-04-27
OUR INTEREST IN THE AFRICAN
CONTACTS

CONTACTS.
Some reference has been made in the
press to the rejection" by the United
States Senate of the General Act"
agreed upon by the plenipotentiaries of
seventeen powers, assembled in Brussels
July, 1890, in reference to the slave-trade
in Africa. 1t now appears that the Sen
ate did not reject the Act. The President
and the Secretary of State recommended
the Act to the Senate and urged its pas
sage. The Senate adjourned, however,
without taking any action upon it, except
TO remove the injunction of secresy.
The Act provides for exchange of rati-
fication prior to July ?, 1891. The Senate
will not be in session before that date.
The friends of the measure fear that this
failure on the part of the United States to
ratify the Brussels agreement will inn
peril the whole matter. This should not
be the view taken, however. The Presi-
dent and Secretary of State have said to
those inquiring that the Government of
the United States has not withdrawn from
the agreement. The first act of the SEN
ate, on recOnvening, should be to ap-
prove the compact so soon as it enters
upon the consideration of treaties.
That the agreement in this matter may
be better understood, some sketch of it
will be necessary, and as knowledge of
it now will prepare the way for its ratifi-
cation, we outline the main features. The
powers agreeing are the United States,
Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark,
Spain, the Congo Free State, France,
Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands,
Persia, Portugal, Russia, Sweden and
Norway, Turkey and Zanzibar. All
these were represented at the Brussels
conference and all signed the articles.
There are one hundred articles in the
treaty. They set out that to suppress the
slave trade African territories should be
organized and placed under protectorates
of civilizations with established stations
at convenient distances to make the re-
pressive action effectively felt. It is
agreed that roads may be and ought to be
constructed between these stations, rail-
ways advised and fostered and steamers
on inland waters encouraged, and their
owners protected by fortified ports
That capital shall be encouraged to con-
struct telegraph lines between the occu-
pied stations, to facilitate communica-
ton. That flying columns and expedi-
tions shall be organized by powers flying
flags in the territories to keep up COM
munication between stations and enforce
repressive action. That restriction shall
be placed upon the importation of fire.
arms and ammunition in all the terri
tory exposed to slave-trade raids.
The duties imposed upon the repre-
sentatives or agents of the powers are to
aid commercial enterprises, to watch over
the legality of contracts with natives, to
prepare the way for the foundation OF
permanent centers of cultivation and OF
commercial settlements; to protect mis-
sions regardless of creeds, to provide
sanitary service and to aid explorers and
all others who viii take part in suppress
kag the African slave trade.
There are very many minute specifica-
tions relative to caravan routes, the slave
trade by sea, how it shall be resisted; the
use of the flags of the powers and their
mutual recognition; the establishment O
an international Office at Zanzibar, etc
There are thirteen articles relating tC
countries to which slaves are sent who
recognize slavery. Four articles relat,
to the protection of liberated slaves. Five
articles treat of restriction Of the traffic il
liquors between north latitude 200 anC
south latitude DC and the Atlantic ant
Indian Oceans, including islands within
100 nautical miles of the coasts TIL,
liquor restriction varies from prohibition
where liquors are unknown, to heav,
duties in other parts, according to the ma
tionality of the protectorate established.
1t will be seen that all the provisions o
the compact are beneficent. The United
States sees no territory over which it de
sires to extend a protectorate upon tina
continent, and its sole interest arises on
OF its anti-slave trade policy, with whic
it has labored hand in hand with Englan
upon the African coast for a half centur
or more, and out Of the fact that it is on
OF the signatory powers to the establish