Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-14
GREATADvANCE SHOWN
DEVELOPMENT of the Kongo
Free State.
GROWTH IN COMMERCE
EXPORTS JUMP MANIFOLD IN
SEVENTEEN YEARS.
Many American Manufactures Adapt
ed for Use in the African Interior
Transportation Facilities.
GROWTH IN COMMERCE

Consul General Howe Of Antwerp fur
nishes to the bureau OF manufactures, De-
partment of Commerce and Labor. long
and interesting report on the kongo Free
State, the twentieth anniversary of whose
independence was celebrated at Antwerp
In May last The state is under the protec-
ton of Belgium, and King Leopold has
manifested the great interest in its phys
ical development, industrial progress and
the moral welfare of the people. Under his
direction the country has been thoroughly
explored and many public improvements
made.
Four Times Size of France.
The Kongo Free State covers an of
$4,000 square miles, or nearly four times
that of France. Lying on the equator 1t
extends five degrees north of the line and
five degrees south. The river Kongo is the
most valuable feature of the new country.
1t is navigable from its mouth to Stanley
Falls distance of 800 miles, with the ex-
ception OF the rapids and falls from Yelala
to Leopoldville on Stanley Pool, a distance
of go miles The connection of the navi-
gable portions was absolutely essential to
the future prosperity of the state. This the
Begians fully realized, and in July, 1898,
the railway from Matad to Stanley Pool was
lnaugurated in it's full length about 25O
miles. The opening of this railway has
brought the resources OF the KOngo Free
State In direct communication with the
markets of the world.
Transportation Facilities.
Since the opening OF the railway IN 1898
the Importance of the Kongo market at
Antwerp has been steadily increasing for
1t must be remembered that all the CONNER
cal enterprises in the Kongo Free State
have made Antwerp the general world mar
ket for the Free State products. A regular
tri-weeky service of elegant, frst-class
passenger mail steamers, specially built for
the trade by English owners and sailing
under the Belgian flag, plies between Ant
werp and Bona. which is the principal city
and port of the Kongo. The Matadi-Stan-
ley Pool Railway covers a distance of about
go miles over very hilly country, neces-
stating the construction of over 100 bridges
varying in length from 80 to $50 feet. The
time occupied in making the journey, which
is only continued in the daytime, is about
forty hours The cost of building this rail-
way was $l2 5000 Another railway from
Bona to Lukula, a distance of 81 miles, |
was commenced in October, 1898 and |
reached its terminus. Lukula. in December, |
1901.
The Kongo Free State has now In view
the building of 1,242 miles OF railway. One |
line is TO connect Stanleyville with Mahagi |
and Duhli with Redjaf. and another will |
connect Kasango, on the river Lualaba, |
with the environs of kibanga, on Lake !
Tanganika. Another branch of this i'm |
portant railway system will run from Stan
leyville TO the south Into the center of the |
railway along the Lualaba from Stanley
Vile Is well under way.
Inland Waterways.
The Kongo Free State has on the water
ways OF the upper Kongo regular steam
navigation lines. On Stanley Pool there !
are about 100 steamers, half OF which be- |
long TO the state. The steamers in use on
the river and lakes are specially built IN |
Europe for sluggish waters. From the ports |
wide and easy highways extend toward the |
interior, some Of them specially constructed
for automobile service and others for pro-
Jected railways.
launched on Lake Tanganika, Lake Kivu
and Lake MOreo. The ports of Banana,
Bona and Matadi on the lower Kongo are
accessible at all times TO transatlantic !
steamers and Banana, at the mouth of the
river, enjoys the great advantage of having |
no sandbanks to interfere with navigation. |
Telegraphs and Telephones.
Communication within the past ten years
by telegraph and telephone has been largely |
developed. The first telegraphic line was
established between Bona and Matadi July, |
1895. On September 10. 1898 both tele-
graphic and telephone communication was
established between Matadi and Leopold
Vile. At the end Of the same year the wires
ran for a distance of 425 miles. and in 1899
there were some 500 miles of wire in use.
Since that time long distance telephoning
has been perfected, and communications
are practically easy for distances of about
400 miles. Wireless telegraphy is now being
successfully experimental with.
Administration Of Justice.
Justice IS administered throughout
the length and breadth OF the Congo Free
State. In the capitals Of the various dis
tricts there are territorial courts, having
jurisdiction over both natives and Euro
peans, and the judicial system is car
ried out BY forty-four civil tribunals and |
military courts, fifty-seven bureaus of |
vital statistics and twenty-sx official no. |
taries. over all these there is the high
council which sits at Brussels, both as a |
court of appeal and as a court OF cessation
in civil and criminal affairs There 10 a |
court of appeal at Bona, composed of a |
president and two associates q district at
torney and a clerk. The three Judges are
CHOSEN as far as possible. from different |
hationahues.
Educational Facilities.
The government has established school
colonies managed by Belgian sisters of
charity, where the scholars acquire a prac |
ucai' solid. professional training From
these institutions the government has ac |
CURED the services OF capable employes
roremen and non-cOmmissioned officers for
me public force, the name by which the
army OF the Kongo Free State IL known
The Belgians IN 1885 had only MISSIONS
n
ana U missionaries In the state Today
they possess 90 permanent missions and %
travelling missions, attended by RsI ,,,js
slonaries and sisters of charity There are
o2s chapel farms, lt3 churches and chapels.
o23 lecture halls, intermediary schools ~
primary schools and 40 elementary schools
In the latter the natives themselves teach
reading and writing. There are poor
asylums, II Christian villages and ~ 3s2
converted Christians. The schools are
meeting with success and II Is stated that
the young Kongolese learn wit hease and
Tapidity. speak French well and are apt for
hlgh education. Many go to Belgium,
where II they become acclimatized, which
1t must be borne In mind, is not always the
case, they follow various callings with a
certain degree Of success.
Increase in Commerce.
The increase OF trade with the Congo
Free State during the past seventeen years
has been remarkable. exports jumping from
$685. in 1881. to $1,000, 600 In 1904 The
% imports rose from about $500 900 in 1892 to