The San Francisco call., 1904-09-25
MoreI Will Ask President
to Intercede and End
Atrocities.

LONDON, Sept. 24.-E. D. Morel, sec
restary of the Congo Reform AssociaL
tion, formed last February under the
presidency Of Earl Beauchamp, sailed
for America on the Baltic on Septem-
Der p TO present a memorial to Presi-
dent Roosevelt and to address a session
of the Boston Peace Congress on the
Congo atrocities. The objects of his
mission are OF such increasing interest
and Importance in England and the
United States that l sought out Morel
TO obtain details.
L am going TO America" he said,
partly by invitation to address the
Peace Congress at Boston on the SUBJ
ject- Of the, Congo in connection with
the efforts which are being put forward
by the Congo Committee of the Massa-
chusetts Commission for International
Justice and various religious and phil
anthropic bodies in your country. and
to present a memorial to the President
of the United States on behalf of the
Congo Reform Association. l hope to
have the privilege of presenting the
memorial TO the President shortly after
will depend. of course, upon when the
President may find it convenient to re-
ceive me-"
/ asked Morel if his visit could be
considered in the light Of a semi-offi-
cial step. He replied:
Not in the least. l go in the inter
est of a large section Of the British
public which is interesting itself in this
question, as the representative of an
independent association belonging TO
no particular party in the state, but
including men OF the most varied polit-
ical opinions and traditions, creeds,
and, for that matter, nationalities. l
may remind you. by the way, that
among the supporters Of the Congo Re
form Association are some Americans
Of position and influence. such as Pro-
fessor Poultney Bigelow of Boston,
Henry Phipps and Bishop Hartzell,
who have joined the association.
moved by the same spirit of pity for
suffering humanity which has led other
strangers to join our ranks, hke the
Russian Prince, Boris Czetwertynsky,
the well-known African traveller and
sportsman; Count Hans Coudenhove,
an Austrian nobleman, also of extern
sive African experience; Herr Ludwig
Deuss of Hamburg, and others.
APPEAL TO AMERICANS.
"Our memorial is a respectful appeal
to the American public through their
Chief Magistrate. We appeal-that is
all-and We give our reasons for the
step. We found our appeal upon the
historical basis that Stanley, an Amer
lean citizen, opened up these vast lands
to what was thought at the time to be
a power of sound craftsmanship, in
spired by liberty-loving instincts and
humanitarian feeling. We found it
upon the historical basis that the Gov
ernment OF the United States was the
first to recognize the flag of the Inter
national Association, which subse-
quently became the Congo State, and
that that recognition had a profound
influence in shaping the subsequent
course Of events. You extended that
recognition on certain well defined lines.
on the strength of certain specific and
solemn promises. You were told, as
we in Europe were told. that King Leo
pold's policy was practical. liberal and
nunanlLaflans tnat the natives would
receive just and equitable treatment
and that the Congo Basin would be
flung open TO the legitimate enterprise
Of all nations. We urge respectfully
that if the terms upon which American
recognition was secured have not been
kept-and do not think that there
can be much doubt on that -score-that
the right and the obligation of the
United States is to insist on their OBJ
servance and, although you did not
actually ratify the Berlin act-whieh
your representatives helped materially
TO draw up and, also signed-you took
a prominent part in the framing Of the
Brussels act, which was the sequel and
the corroboration of the conference of
Berlin.
Ridiculous as appears the insinua-
ton to all who are aware of the abso-
lutely spontaneous and steady growth
of public opinion in this country. which,
far from being inspired by ofiicialdom.
has dra gged officialdom after it. we are
accused by the henchmen OF the Congo
State Of being animated with ambitious
ealfel, v,,otfvaS profaGfi ia n