New-York tribune., 1901-06-30
CONDITIONS IN THE CONGO.
l-1NC LroPOLD'S GREAT AFRICAN DE-
TENDENCY WHICH HE WISHES
BELGIUM TO ANNEX.
BRUSSELS. June Ii.

tives draws attention to existing conditions in /
King Ieopo!d's great African dependency. AS at
present constituted the Congo Free State is an
absolute monarchy, King Leopold III being the
sole arbiter of his African subjects destinies
The government of the Free State in its pr-~~"t /
form is. however only temporary; since. accoru-
ing to the convention OF 1890, Belgium has the
right 20 annex the State. King Leopold has |
moreover as is well known, bequeathed the
state Ia Belgium. in the event Of his death be-
fore The. question Of annexation is voted upon
by the Belgian Parliament. If, contrary to all
probability the Belgian Chambers to refuse
tlc royal legacy. it would be difficult to say who
would become the next sovereign of the State,
though this question can be settled by King
Leopold himself. If he beIueaths the Congo to
his successor presumably Prince Albert. the
Kings nephew. of the Count of Flanders
this successor must before accepting the gift.
b. authorized to DO so 10y Parliament.
Tho Free State is therefore, At present King
LeoEold's personal property. The annexation of
the Congo to Belgium colony would be an
affair of the utmost importance both for the
Free State and for Belgium. which would thus
become great colonial power The existing
commercial! ana industrial situation in the Free |
State is clearly set forth in the recently pub
hshed official government reports the sub
ject. When the Belgans first explored the
regions Of the Lower Congo ;he only articles
of export from the district palm oil. cocoa
nuts and ivory. But now that the Matadi-
Laopoldville Railway, which will carry freight
at low rates. is open To traffic. a great number
OF other products will I've exported.
The figures relating to the ivory trade in the
Free State significant. \ ccording the |
latest statistics the annual production OF ivory !
the world is about hundred tons. OF |
which six hundred tons is derived from Africa. i
1t may. in fact. be said that. with the exception
OF a small stock OF fossilized ivory derived from
India and Siberia, the entire output of ivory
comes from the Dark Continent. Half "A cen
tury all this African livery from
Egypt and Zanzibar. but to-day the Congo Free
State holds the first rank among ivory producing
countries. In 1899 no less than $40 tons were
exported TO Europe this being than half
the total African output. The Antwerp ivory
market. which started on July 81 ISIS
with sale of fifteen tons. surpassed the Liver
pool market i'm 1890 and the London market in
1873 The Antwerp ivory market is to-day by
far the most important in the world Four
great public sales held there every year at
the beginning of February May. August and
November
The Congo ivory. as. indeed. all African ivory.
is far more highly priced than the Asiatic prod
uct. 1t is harder. of a finer grain. lends itself
more easily To workmanship and has fewer
hssures. The tusks Of Congo elephants are as
d rule very large and weigh on an average
sixty pounds. Some Of them are Of extraordi-
nary size. At the Brussels Exhibition pair
OF tusks were on show each OF which weighed
lIG pounds.
Herds of wild elephants still extremely
numerous in the immense virgin forests of
Central Congo. The natives hunt these ami
mals more on account Of their flesh. which the
negroes greatly appreciate, than for their tusls.
But only a small proportion of the ivory annu-
ally exported from the Congo is taken directly
from newly killed animals. Thus during 1888
OF the 293SI tusks sold the Antwerp mar
kct S..-9 alone came from freshly killed ami
mails tho remaining u / rs tuslls being what the
natives term dead ivory" For centuries the
aboriSines have been collecting elephant tusks
whicn they considered having little intrinsic
value, bat useful articles Of exchange The |
khartoum merchants were the first To discover
region Of the Upper Nile in the district OF
Bahr-e-GhaZal. Later the Zanzibar traders
pushed on to Katanga and thence To the very
heaIt ct the Congo. with the result that the
IVORY trade soon became the principal industry
"i the country BY a decree passed in 1889 ele-
phant hunting is forbidden throughout the ter
l1tory of the Free state without special pernis-
sion from the government. The carcasses of all
animals killed in violation of this law are con-
fscated 10y the State.