The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-05-14


Henry wellington Wack,
a member of the New
York bar, has a claim
for interest in two ways. One, THAI the
wonderful progress Of this big country
IN the heart Of the Dark Continent liz
The last twenty years is Of so much i'm
portance. and tie other that the book
Is an attempt to controveTt the attacks
that have been made against the meth
DDS Of ruling the Free State by the
Belgian Government, and to show that
jealousy Of the advance in value Of the
country and its products, due TO Bel
gian enterprise. and s desire to exploit
the advantages of the Congo region
and do away with Belgian control, are
q part Of the motive behind the So
called Congo campaigns in England
and America 1t has been supposed in
some quarters that the author was
writing as an employed advocate Of
King Leopold II and his management
Of his Central African trust. but Mr..
Wack states so positively in his preface
that he went at his task and executed
il so wholly unbiased by Belgian infiu-
ence that to doubt his impartiality In
the investigation is 10 accuse him of
deliberate falsifying.
Wack has been a student of mid
African affairs for seven years, and in
the preparation Of his book he had &C
cess to the archives of the Free State
at the Offices of the Congo adninistra-
ton at Brussels. While in England he
got his idea that the religious organi-
zations there were being used TO fur
ther the selfish aims of a clique Of Liv-
erpool merchants, and later he saw
that the campaign of calumny against
the Congo Free State was being ex-
tended 70 the United States. Then he
decided that his special knowledge
would be Of value TO the world hence
the book. II is a big. elaborate study
Of more than 600 pages and profusely
illustrated with fine full-page pictures.
It is well indexed and has large col
ored map. Great credit is given to
King Leopold for his establishment OF
the Free State and Of his management
Of II since the nations turned the trust
over TO him. 1t is shown that he had a
noble ambition in planning this design
Tor the civilization of Central africa,
that success in large measure has re-
suited from his efforts, and it is the
authors plea that the Belgian monarch
should not be shut out from the fruits
Of his enterprise. He has q suspicion
that il win be right in the line of Brit
ish policy TO acquire this country as
the keystone of African territorial
possession" to make the little fellows
in Africa get out" and so dispose of
the Belgian possessions, This he thinks
is an iniqUity which would be yelled
with specious pnetense, and upon the
attitude Of the American people much
depends as to the fate of the Free
State.
The size Of this Central African State
is one-third that of the United States,
and the population is estimated to be at
least q, 600 600 of natives. Besides these
there are believed TO be vast numbers
Of q dwarf race in forests not yet pene-
trated by the white man. The country
has great possibilities of development
The State was established in 1884 and
since then slavery has been sup
pressed, the Arabs defeated and pre-
vented from entering the country tc
maraud, there is a good administration
OF justice, agriculture has greatly pro-
Eressed, polygamy is being suppressed
and thousands Of Christian marriages
take place among the natives. Consid-
ering that this is the last place into
which civilization has penetrated, the
progress of the score of years of the
Free States life is reported TO be mos;
encouraging.
The pictures and the text describing
the natives are quite Interesting. Some
OF the wild tribes are very brave. They
viii charge with their primitive weap-
ons against enemies with firearms ano
persist, though nine out of ten Of then
fall before they reach their opponents
and close with them hand to hand
Some of the women have their bodies
decorated Ia elaborate designs by CT.
catrizing. 1t is very hard TO oonvince
some Of the tribesmen that polygamy
ts wrong. They think they have right
20 all the wives they can support and
they can buy wife for two goats OF
& cow. Cannibalism is not yet wholly
overcome and when they eat a mar
they have way of first preparing hin
by breaking his limbs and soaking hin
for three days in a pool Of water. His
head alone is left out of water in order
that he may live as long as he can
The Government is building up the rub
p Der trade by regulating the planting
OF the trees in proportion to the prod.
uct which is sent out
The author has very little adnira-
ton for the fearful work" Of the
AboT1giaes' Protection Society Of Eng
land, and believes that this work is be.
ing used TO assist the schemes of Brit.
fish traders. He speaks of the shifts
BY which certain Liverpool mer.
chants" hope to create en- opening fol
their Interior plans.
&c. p. Putnam's Sons, New York