Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-17
REPLY TO Mr.. MOREL
Baron Moncheur Answers His
Criticism.
THE CONGO MEMORIAL
CAUSE OF AGITATION THROUGH
OUT COUNTRY ON SUBJECT.
Charges Of Mud-Slinging Made by Bel
gian Minister-Talks at Length
Of Issue.
THE CONGO MEMORIAL

| For the past week there has been ag1ta-
| ton in the various newspapers through the
/ United States as to the call of Secretary
1 E. D. Morel of the Congo Reform Associa-
| ton on President Roosevelt and presenting
| a memorial from his association asking the
President to take some action in the matter
of the alleged atrocities in that country. At
| the peace congress which recently closed
\ In Boston a resolution was passed urging
| the President to favorably consider the
memorial Mr.. Morel. in an interview
1 printed in The Evening Star several days
| ago, set forth his views in the matter and
criticised the actions of Baron Moncheur,
| the minister from Belgium to the United
States, for the part he has been taking in
| the discussion of the matter. charging in
effect that Baron Moncheur was making an
attempt to mislead the American people in
regard to the entire situation. A reporter
| for The Star called on Baron Moncheur for
| the purpose of securing his views on the
| subject
| 1.-THE statements made to your reporter by
| Mr.. Morel," said Baron Moncheur do not
surprise me at ALL He Is only fulfilling the
mission which has been confided to him by
| those who have sent him over here. He Is
conscientiously attending to his business
| and Is earning his wages Voltaire used to
say, Throw mud, keep on throwing mud.
| some of 1t will stick That sums up the
whole of our adversaries' tactics"
Atrocities Never Existed.
1.-THE atrocities charged against the Congo
| have never existed. The falseness of these
accusations has been proved hundred
times Nevertheless, they keep on repeating
them, and 1t is always the old story which
| is served up to the reader every day-it Is
| only the sauce, composed of rhetorical in
suits, which Is changed from time to time.
| This agent Of the Liverpool companies has
hat
1 have wished to mslead public opinion in
America. He adds that / cannot speak of
the Congo question as Belgian minister. but
only as a private individual. 1t does not
follow that l am not to be believed. l am
well known in Washington, where I have
| lived for three years, and between my
word and that of Morel do not think any
| man of honor will hesitate.
"Mr. Morel declares in advance that the
commission instituted by the king-sover-
| eign to make Investigations in Africa does
not give any guarantee of impartiality. His
accomplice, Mr.. Fox-BOurne, In letters adj
dressed to the newspapers has given abso-
lutely inaccurate information in regard to
the members of that commission for the
! purpose of disparagfng them. The falseness
of these accusations has been acknowledged
| even by the London Times. which, In a
| leading article on October 3, says: Tt
would have been wiser on the part of Mr..
Fox-Bourne to have taken more pains to
verify the exactness of his charges against
1t the commission) before Fastening into
print.
'In connection with this commission I will
mention a circumstance which gives an Idea
of the degree of good faith which Is to be
found among some Of our adversaries. Z
- A Change Of Heart.
ION the 10th of last September the British
minister at Brussels wrote to the depart
ment Of state of the Congo expressing the
desire of certain missionaries of the Eng
fish mission OF Balolo (Congo)-Mr. Arm
strong Mr. Frost and Mr.. Bond-to be
heard by the commission of inquiry before
fits departure from Brussels for the Congo.
The department of state replied imme-
diately that the commission would consent
| to hear them, but two days later, Septem-
Der II. the British minister replied as fol-
| lows:
has reached me it appears that the authors
of the request have decided against giving
| effect to their wish without offering any
other explanation than that they are I'M
able to present themselves before the COM
mission.
"It is evident that these English mission
aries had only asked to be heard in the
hope of refusal, so that they might use it
as an argument against the Congo. They
stole away ANONYMOUSLY as soon as they
saw that their ruse was unsuccessful.
"Mr. Morel. in his interview with The Star.
insists upon the perfect dsinterestedness
of the associations and individuals whom
he represents. The ardor which he always
displays in denying that he is furtherinx
any mercantile object begins to attract sus-
picon
'It is with disnterestedness as with no
bility. when person possesses it he rarely
talks about it himself.
However. 1 hope soon to be in a position
to give you some interesting details of a
nature to throw light upon the 'disinterest-
edness of those who are carrying on this
campaign against the Congo and Its sover-
eign
A Reply by Belgium.
Henry 1. kowalsky of San Francisco to-
day presented to President Roosevelt and
to the State Department a reply on the
part of the Belgian government and the
government of the Congo Free State to the
allegations recently presented to this gov
eminent by Mr.. Morel. Mr.. Kowalsky said
that an attempt was being made to have
this country become a cats paw for Eu-
rope and he was sure it would refuse to do
so. The petition he had presented to the
President would be made public later.
KNTHHTS 0T Alta