The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-01-26
CONGO FREE STATE HORRORS.
Capt. burrows says the stories Are True
-Rubber the Cause OF the Atrocities.
r.. al. o.y,, naUt ko.no
From the London Daily Netrs.

Government, lately coinpleteu BIN years
service on the Upper Congo. He says
In regard to the recent charges brought
by English and American travellers, traders,
missionaries, &c, and the denials and
excuses put forward by Congo officials
and Others:
THE chief fault Of the charges brought
against the administration is that they
do not go far enough, for l can say, without
fear Of contradiction. after six years ex-
p~erlence Of Congo methods, that the state
Of affairs on the Congo has been, and still
is, a disgrace TO civilization. ! have sworn
testimony Of c~ruelties Of the most horrible
character having been perpetrated upon
natives even 30 late as the time left the
State, a few months ago. | have photo
graphic evidence Of atrocities, which even
the authorities themselves cannot deny. At
the very foundation Of the gross ~barbarities,
which are perpetrated In the state by
white officers In the name OF civilization
is the rubber traffic, Quite lately the
Government at Bona commenced a half
hearted crusade against the various COM
panies holding concessions on the Upper
Congo. but IL should be noted that II Is
| but rarely the guilty parties are punished.
| Belgian officers usually escape, and
| punishment il meted out TO more or less
irresponsible subordinates These men
who look TO making their money from
| the gratuitiee paid by the companies on the
| amount of rubber collected by them, quite
| naturally employ every means in their
power TO force the natives IN the neigh
borhood Of the posts they command 10
bring In az much rubber AZ possible. Mr..
| Canisius, an American official In the service
Of the Government, spoke quite truly when
he recently said to you, The State cannot
exist without rubber, and the natives VIII
not work rubber on the terms offered eX-
cept al at the muzzle Of the rifle.
sIast year an American missionary per
sonally known TO me-, charged the state
| officials with EMPLOYING 800 XappO Gaps
snnibal whom they had previously armed
in massacring and capturing unar1ned
natives near the station oil Luluaburg, ana
this is a fairly typical case OF the means
employed by the state Government ~
| introducing civilization into the remote
corners Of the State and furthering the
great work Of the King On TINS particular
occasion the State explained that the natives
had been armed for the protection Of the
Europeans. but that by some extraordinary
| overnight the authorities had forgotten
90 cali In these 500 rifles. Yet the responsi-
| ble official was never punished,
Il have in my despatch box ~ orn eNl-
dence Of a Belgian handing over natives
to the cannibal tribe for the express pur-
pose Of being eaten, and Of paying ms
w~orkpeople with corpses Of murdered
natives. That the cruelties praciised upon
the natives by company ana government
agents exist IL not open 20 doub', NV tiiGF
are generally difficult 10 bring home 10 me
nerpet rators. L.atteTlv. the Government
has taken action against the agents OF
several Of the Upper Congo companies,
but IL l. worthy Of note that, a. az almost
universal rule, IL has been the small agents
who have bteu punished, Whilst Ih"-' ia
the NOR responsible positions have es-
caped scot free. The equally applies 10
the Government agents
1.-The engagement by the Government
aud bv the societies OF employees utterly
unsuitable 10 undertake" IN" i"rpolINbli'N
attached 20 the duties they viii De- called
mon 60 perform IN Africa. coupled VIII me
reiterated demands of the Government
and company directors Tor NOR" ihhbri
and th. paymput uf rmHil fixed pay ana
lfyh gratuItirs on the collection 81 products
arr the direct causes which haN" lrd 10 lh"
committal of these atrocities In lN5'
Nh Bun. the then BurEoma-'rr ~ Bru-- D.,
mad. "A trip upth" Congo IA Tar a. "a" station
81 Stanley Ealls This gentleman. Who,
! b@llev" In a personal lri'iid pI nv M'J'N
King ls,Ipald. uu itr return Apulr l~r.tlN"l
he present adulul-tritluu 81 10" Stat"
iu th- wori-. regime dAlhlui uh" Alh.ul
u-ing the rife with which "a" state if''I'-
are armed lhlr b. a. true to-day a. 'h"N
Tho Who'll" system 20 i1f'"i lh'"'i
la.sI on uftrUN mistaken ll'a- j.
addition o. supplying Die weekly VYH'i
~ rubber. ranh rl.,i BE- taHlul 200 -llIs'
YEARLY "a certain number uf ftffIt'- 'HI
Lac Stat, military isf''r lh'-- u'h goo
enlisted Tor r.Nru N"strt 'I'- 'I'- "
a. annual drain apI. ll. native iIIH'a '.
h. adiit.u tuth, Imparliuu-ih' 'i.'f
ars ubllxtai Go rIHIIr CON uNu.".I lH"
guats. egs- ~ tHr "a" DHH-IHtI .. ' .