The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-10-22
KING OF BELGIUM
MAKES PROTEST
Answers Attacks Made ON Govern
ment of Congo Free State.
SAYS STATEMENTS ARE FALSE
Col. Henry l.. Kowlsky, of San Fran-
cisco, a Friend of King Leopold,
Presented the Kings Letter
to President Roosevelt.

to President Roosevelt.
Washington, Oct. 18.-At the request
Of the king of Belgium, Col Henry /.
Kowalsky. of the San Francisco bar,
and a personal friend of King Leopold,
called at the White House, Monday, by
appointment, and presented the reply
of the federation for the defense of
Belgian interests abroad to attacks
made on the government of the Congo
Free State. Col. Kowalsxy presented
to the president an autograph picture
of King Leopold, framed in silver.
In the course of an extended audi
ence with the president, Col. Kowalsky
said:
Interested Britishers are endeavor-
ing, under the guise of benefactors
of the Congo natives, to open the
question of sovereignty over those re-
gions by calling conference of the
powers at which, it is hoped by the
Britishers, England may establish the
contention that Belgium is impotenr
to maintain an effective government
III LuS SOuSOs
Statement BY Col. KOwlslky.
In the interview, Col. Kowalsky
said: 81 presented to the president a
letter from King Leopold in reply to
the baseless charges of the British
'humanitarians, and also other docu-
ments stating the Belgian side of this
controversy.
"The testimony of travellers from
the day of Sir Henry Stanley to the
present time is unanimous and en-
phatic in praise of the Congo Free
State government. If it were neces-
sary to disprove such inconsistent and
palpably false charges as those which
try to make it appear that the Belgian
officers in the Congo chop off the
hands of blacks whom they are trying
to ensiave, would bring the statements
of such eye-witnesses as Maj. James
Harrison, Sir Harry Johnston, Mr..
Grenfell, Capt. M. n. Bell and Michael
Holland, themselves all Englishmen,
who assert that the Congo Free State
is far more, advanced in civilization
than East Africa and Uganda. Car
dinal Gibbons has given his testimony
also regarding the great work per-
formed by King Leopold in Africa.
81 also called to the presidents at
tention the fact that all this uproar in
England over the fearful atrocities in
the Congo is fathered by missionaries,
whose applications for big concessions
were turned down by the Belgian au-
thorities. Not single charge of cru
city, as l said to the president, has
been made except by those who have
been seeking material advantages in
that region, and who have not been
permitted to exploit it at the expense
of others. I told him that fact, and
the fact that Great Britain has failed
in her effort to open up the Congo
question, accounts for the attempt now
being made to work upon the sympa-
thies of the American people by
trumped-up stories of cruelty to the
Congo natives"
Cordially Received BY President
Col. Kowa;sky was cordially re-
ceived by the president, who ex-
pressed his pleasure that King Leo.
pold had thus honored an American.
After the matter had been carefully
considered by the president AMI Sec
rotary Hay, a reply will be made to the
Congo Reform association.
After his visit to the White House,
Col. Kowalsky sent cable to King
Leopold, assuring him of the presi-
dents appreciation Of his majesty's
thoughtful consideration.
King Leopold, in his letter to Col.
Kowaisky, copy of which was left
with the president, encloses a state
ment about the Congo from the fed
Grafton for the defense of Belgian in
terests abroad, and says:
"You will, in delivering this com
munication to President Roosevelt, re-
iterate to him on my behalf the feel.
ings of high esteem 1 have for. him,
and the mistaken confidence place
in his spirit of justice and impair
Liality.
81 have to express the desire that
Mr.. Roosevelt will kindly take cogniz.
ance of this address in your presence,
so that you may be afforded an op-
portunity to give him any further in
formation he might wish to obtain
from you. The foundation and fairness
of the case which you have been good
enough to undertake to defend will
supply you with such numerous and
conclusive arguments as to contour
the enemies of the Congo Free State.
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