Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-26
RULE oF THE CONGO
THIS COUNTRY WITHOUT Ex-
CUsE FOR INTERVENTION.

The attitude OF the United States govern
ment toward the conditions in the Congo
Free State and It's desire for some plan for
the administration of all of Central Africa
by the several powers ruling or exercising
controlling influence there are in
latter sent by Secretary Root to Repre-
sentative DENLY of Michigan. Secretary
Root says this government has no oppor-
tcnity or power to investigate Congo con-
ditions. His letter follows:
Il have your letter of the 18th regarding
the widespread feeling among your con-
stituents that our government ought to do
something to bring about an international
inquiry with a view TO authoritative adJu-
dication of the issues to which the condi-
lions supposed to exist In the Congo Free
State are related.
Relations to the Congo State.
Your inquiry expresses the difficulty in
the way. 1t is not clear that the United
States Is in position to bring about such
an international inquiry and adjudication.
We are parties to a general act for the
suppression of the slave trade and the regu-
lation of the firearms and liquor traffics in
central Africa, but that act reIegates and
confines all power and functions to those
ends to the several powers having posses
sions or spheres of influence in Africa. The
lHitcu States HIS nettfeTs anu It's pafilClpb-
ton In the general act was on the distinct
understanding that we had no territorial or
administrative interest in that quarter
Our only potential function is in relation 10
the search and capture of Slave-yesSelS
within certain waters of the African coast.
and no occasion has arisen to exercise that
function. We are not parties to the other
more commonly cited general act of the
Congo (sfgned at Berlin on February 26.
1880 Our treaty relation to the Congo
State is that of one sovereign to another.
wholly Independent of any relations created
BIZ or deducible from the. general act of
Berlin, which applies only to its signatories.
1t is questionable whether the treaty rights
OF the signatories extend to intervention by
any one or more of them In the internal
affairs of any one of them. The Congo
State absolutely denies any right on their
part to intervene in its affairs. and none
Of the other sgnatory powers appears to
be. 1t is certain that the United States has
not treaty right of Intervention. We could
not rightfully summon or participate in
any international conference looking to in
tervention, adjudication or enforcement of
a general accord by other African powers
against the Congo State.
Without Right to Interfere.
Moreover, we are without opportunity or
power to investigate conditions in the
Congo. We have no diplomatic consular
representatives in that country We could
not send any one there except with the con-
sent of the government of the Congo-to do
otherwise would be an invasion of its SOW
ereignty. Other powers, being parties TO
the general act of Berlin, have made in
vestigations through their authorized rep
resentatives, and the Congo government
also has sent investigating commission.
The information we have on the subject of
Congo misrule comes at second hand
through opposed channels
Whenever complaint has been made by
American interests IN the Congo that the
administrative conditions there--fmpair
American rights or endanger American es-
adjustments the matter has been brought.
promptly and forcibly before the Congo
government and has been met with due as
surance of investigation and, If substantial
ed full redress. In taking this course we
act within our sovereignty rights, directly
and without subordinating them to the
Judgment of any third parties. So far as
we have rights OF our own in the Congo IL
would be impossible to submit them to an
international conference.
Il most sincerely wish that some way
could be found by which the whole of CEN
trail Africa could be rightly administered
by the several powers ruling or exercising
a controlling influence therein, so as TO
realize the intention of those powers when
they framed the general act of the Congo.
Much may be and doubtless is desirable IN
way of good government In that vast re-
gion elsewhere than in the Congo. If the
United States had happened to possess IN
darkest Africa a territory five times as
great and populous the Philippines, we,
too might find good government difficult,
and come in for our share of just or I'M
lust criticism. Nc such responsibility falls
upon us. That pertains to the powers VINO
have assumed control and undertaken by
mutual agreement to regulate its exer-
cfs