The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-16
REVOLT IN TIE CONGO STATE.
$500 BLACK soldiers KIN Their white omcer-
and spread lnaurrection,

$500 Black soldiers Rkin Their white omc.r,
and spread Insurrection.
A cable despatch to THE Sun. printed on june
Is, announced the revolt of n part OF tho native
troops of the Congo State and tho massacre n,
some twenty of their white officers. The official
dispatches to the Congo state Government an.
nouncinR this tragedy have reached this Office.
They are brief and obscure and give no idea OF
tho cause OF the revolt, but the details they fur
nish show that all the white stations in the en-.
tire eastern part of tho Congo State are in a
critical position. II tho revolt should spread
further there is no telling whether the stations
could hold out till succor reaches them from the
lower Congo.
This is what has happened as far as IA now
known; and as there were no white men two
years ago In the region where the revolt has
occurred their presence there now will DO 40
counted for in n few words.
Two years ago next fall Baron Dhanis, who
drove the Arab slave stoalers out Of the Congo
State, went back to that country on a secret
mission. 1t was a year before 1t was clearly
known what he was doing. BY that time his
work had advanced SO far that his purpose was
evident. He wos taking effective possession OF
the large northeastern part OF the State. He
was planting n line OF stations for hundreds of
miles from the mouth of the Aruwimi River to its
source; and from that point he has been extend.
ing his stations north along the boundary on
the numerous head sources OF the Mobangi-
Makua, the greatest Congo tributary. The rea-
son why this work was carried on very quietly
was, evidently, to avoid. IL possible, attracting
tho attention of the Mahdists.
The revolt began on Feb. IS at the village Of
Diff on the frontier, not far from the northeast-
ern corner Of the State, where tho mutinous SOL
diers killed their leader. Capt. Leroi, and his
white subordinates, whose names and number
are not mentioned.
Tho mutinous soldiers are OF a single tribe,
the Batetela or Bakussu natives, who live over
400 miles southwest between the Sankuru and
the Congo rivers. In the war against the Arab
slavers they gave splendid service. Alexander
Delcommune wrote, some years ago. that they
were one Of the finest races he had seen in
Africa. They are large. we'll built, with aquiline
noses and agreeable physiognomy. They have
proved their bravery In many a battle. Capt.
Gillian wrote that the Batetela women were the
handsomest negresses he had seen.
There were other soldiers OF their tribe at tho
posts further south. and so the revolters turned
southwark toward their homes, picking up their
tribesmen from post to post and killing their
white leaders. There was a hard fight between
the faithful soldiers and the mutineers, in which
Lieut.. Julien and his two s~ubordinates, Closet
and Tagon, were killed. Capt. Matthew wan
killed on the Obi River, and still further south,
near the Aruwimi. Louis Dhanis. brother OF the
chief Of the expedition, met his death. These
are all the persons killed whose names have
been forwarded. The Congo State denies that
it has any information Of the killing OF twenty
subordinate officers.
Tho revolving Batetels grew in numbers az
they went south till there were 1900 of them,
and then they set out for their own country
with the avowed purpose Of stirring up insur-
rection among the natives in the upper Congo
region.
All that has been heard Of Baron Dhanis, tho
Commander-in-Chief, is contained in a letter he
wrote on March 4, saying that he had concen-
trated the faithful soldiers at Fort Avakubi. on
the upper Aruwimi. and that he had conhded
to them and to their leaders the task of
restoring order in the region where the
revolt began. He was about TO set out
south to Stanley Falls and Nyangwe In order
to get ahead of the 1900 Batetela deserters and
prevent them from stirring up Instruction al
the stations on the Congo and its neighborhood.
His mission is q perilous one. but he is a man Of
much ability and resource. and his influence and
tact may thwart the purposes of the mutineerA
Meanwhile an expedition is organizing on the
lower Congo to SO TO Dhaniss relief. and all the
Congo officers on furlough in Belgium who were
able to return have gone back to reinforce
Dhanis's force of white assistants.
Next to the Arab war, this is the most serious
situation that has confronted tho Congo State.
White troops cannot live there, and 1t has been
necessary to drill many hundreds Of blacks In
military tactics and to arm them with improved
weapons. The trained native soldiers rendered
great service to the State In the Arab war. but
recent events have shown the great peril OF
placing arms in their hands and teaching them
how to make the most effective use Of modern
weapons.