Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-11-11
Conditions in Congo Free
State to be Improved.
English Parliament and Phi|an-
thropic Societies Behind Move.
Commission, Composed Of Belgian, Italian
and Swiss PuhIcisls, at Work Is Months.

Brussels, Nov. 1O.-The Belgian gov
eminent is to make public the report
of the commission appointed by King
Leopold to investigate the conditions
in the Congo Independent State and
the charges made against the admins
tTation of the Congo. The investigation
was the result of the violent criticism
by the British Parliament and the
rhilanthropic societies in Great Britain
and the United States and of Foreign
Secretary Transformers representations
concerning the alleged i'll treatment of
natives the purpose of King Leopold
being to secure 4 complete and impair
tial statement of the actual situation.
The inquiries have been in progress
Is months. The commission, which
was made up of Belgian, Italian and
Swiss publicists. has been holding scs-
sions throughout the Congo. The re-
port. access to which was given to The
Associated Press. while praiSng the
notable work Belgium has accomplish
cd frankly criticises number of
abuses. The following are extracts
from the report:
Our voyage to the Congo produced
All impression of admiration and Won
der. Security rcigns, today, in a coun-
try which 25 years ago was plunged in
barbarity. plmdered by Arab tribes
and StreWn with markets for human
flesh The slave trade has now disap-
pcared, cannibalism seeks hiding and
human sacrifices have become rare.
Villages have sprung up. railroads have
been constructed to the head of the
equatorial forests, steamers navigate
the rivers. the post and telegraph oper-
ate. hospitals have been established
and governmental administration pro-
ceeds effectively iii that vast territory.
Continuing, the report considers the
charges. which are under eight heads,
and says: Z.
THE state was warranted in appro-
priatinG large tracts of vacant lands.
gut this led to buses by which the na-
tives were confined to narrow limits.
"Tnc system by which the natives
pay taxes i'll work requires strict limi-
tationS, SO that their work shall not
exceed 40 hours per month.
THE natives also suffer hardships in
having to carry their tax contributions
unreasonable distances
Tho report CriticizcS the harsh meth
DDS of enforcing taxes, condemns hold
ing women as hostages pending the
n-p2yment of taxes, and says that
to these customs are largely attributa-
bic the hurshness of the native chiefs.
The action of the commercial COM
panies in placing sentinel overseers
over the native workers is condemned
as leading to i'll treatment and abuses
l,n
vofad n number Of bloody conflicts.
Military expeditions against the na-
lives have become rare. but the COM
mission points out that such expcGi-
ti0ns are liable to assume the charac-
ter of war operations. and therefore the
commission recommends the passage CT
q law strictly defining VINO is capable
war operations. Despite the states
prohibition, the report further says,
commercial agents send out military
expeditions, causing grave abuses.
The commission examined at length
the charges Of the mutilation of the
bodies of natives Missionaries anu
natives affirmed that they had seen
baskets containing q score of severed
hands. The Rev. Mr.. Clark said nc
saw a number of several hands which
appeared to have been smoked, and
several Individual cases We're specified
of natives having their hands severed.
Some Of these natives appeared before
the commission. The report points out
that the mutilation Of their bodies is
an ancient custom of the natives and
that all the cases of mutilation pre-
scented were attributable to natives
Tie commission therefore concluded
that there was no testimony showing
that TIE whites had been guilty Of mu-
til9tion.
AS the various abuses We're chiefly
within the concessions, tho report
recommends d rigid surveillance Of the
concessions.
adopting the recommendations of
the commission will remove the abuses
and terminate the criticisms. The
recommendations particularly cover
granting the natives larger land facili-
| ties, the limitation Of native labor. the
suppression of sentinel oversecrs. the
prohibition of companies imprisoring
| natives and the limitation of military
exriditions''
King Leopold has appointed a com
| mission of - members to consider
| means for the practical adoption Of the
| recommendations.