The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1906-02-17

from So 900, 900 to nearly $4,000, 900.
Belgium has about SO per cent of the
total special commerce.
We are Id that since Leopold as
s1lmed sovereign power over this ter
ritory the slave trade has been sup
pressed. If not entirely abolished; that
inter-tribal wars and cannibalism. as
well as abuses arising from the liquor
traffic, have been largely reduced. But
the commission appointed to inquire
into Congo atrocities, the report Of
which commission has but recently
been giver out, tell Of most horrible
conditions; though tho document is
of very limited dimensions, it affords
striking confirmation OF all that the
Congo ReformerS' have alleged. 1t
will no longer be possible to deny the
existence of legalized hostage taking;
of mutilation by black soldiery; OF the
ruin of villages and wholesale muir
ders, the only object of which was, and
is still, the extorting of large quanti-
ties of rubber. Rubber is, of course,
the main cause of the slave trade in
delivered in ever increasing quanti-
ties. otherwise there is trouble from
Brussels"
When the men at Brussels send no
tice of dissatisfaction, the white agents
down IN the Congo must put their
deputies to greater work to get results.
And to get a rubber output satisfac-
tory to the powers that be, the natives
have to be terrorized. There are three
ways in which this is done; by tlog-
ging a native that fails to bring in
the required amount; by capturing and
keeping hostages; by raidng village
and making use of arms provided by
the white man, the torture accompany
ing supplied by the savage.
The London Graphic, which we have
already quoted, does not, as rule, go
in for sensational Illustrations; but
the atrocities now going on in the
Congo are of such character and so
general it is deemed necessary a cru
sade be started that the whole civilized
world learn what the defenseless ma
tiyes are suffering, that the whole civ
ilized world make a protest the Bad
Old Man" shall have to heed
In the accompanying illustration we
are shown a scene it has been proven
beyond doubt is of common occur
renee. The white man has come to
get his toll of rubber. The natives
come forward with their several bas-
ic II 1u
weighed. If the scale turn six and
three-Quarters pounds, the man is
lucky, and he is given some trifle-
perhaps a bit of salt, belt, a yard of
calico. The unfortunate whose rubber
shows underweight is laid hold on.
When all the rubber has been weighed,
the short weight fellows are brought
forward. One by one they are flogged
and admonished to do better when
they bring the next fortnight's toll
Mutilation is a means employed fire.
quently, as is attested by the number
of wretched beings that go about with
one foot, one hand, and sometimes the
two hands cut off, the two feet. When
the commission of inquiry was on the
Congo there was brought forward by
relatives of the victims q sorrowful
array of cruelty mutlated persons.
Here is one case presented to the COM
mission: "Boaji, wife of Lomboto. OF
Ekerongo, was punished by the sentry
lkloondo in this way: Her loot was
cut off and she was further beaten
with a gun on her side, which caused
an enormous tumor" These details
are reyolt!ng, but the time has come
for them to be considered, time the
public realize the fun enormity of the
crimes committed in the name OF
commerce Let us recall the location
Of this state under the sovereignty Of
Leopold II lies little south of Cen
tral Africa, all but the narrowest strip
is interior; its boundary on the north
is French Congo and the Egyptian
Soudau the east lie British East
Africa, German East Africa and
Northern Rhodesia; on the south,
Northern Rhodesia and Portuguese
West Africa, on the west, Portuguese
West Africa. the Atlantic and French
Congo,
In the summer of 1908 Mr.. Roger
Easement, British consul made in
vestigation of conditions in the Upper
Congo, and a result OF his investiga-
ti0ns was sent Lord Lansdowne, the
report perhaps the most damninc in
dictment ever made against the adj
miuistration of a civilized govern
ment" Lord lansdowne urged an in
tarnalional inquiry Leopold appoint
ed a commission of his own The
commission, contrary 70 expectation.
carried on most careful investigation,
and has given report OF most peculi4;
administration