The Washington times., 1906-12-10
Malicious MongerS Have
Never Even Visited
State Says Vener-
able Ruler.
DENIES ANY INTEREST
IN FINANCIAL WAY
Progress of Once Totally
BarbarOus Country Told.
Lifting SaVageS Into
Light.
lcopyrLght. ~. II - FnnLL.Nsrs- -. }

Copyright, 1896. by The Publishers Press4
BRUSSELS. Belgium. Dee. 10-In a
sensational interview given personally
today 20 the correspondent of the Pub
fishers Press, King Leopold OF Belgium
denied catesoricaHy the reports which
have been circulated So widely OF afro
cities practiced la the Congo. His com
mon sense would have kept him from
indulging ina cruelties such as those he
Is accused Of practicing. the King de-
clared. even If ho was not moved by
humanity TO do So
The old King also paid high tribute
10 America and Americans, especially
10 President Roosevelt. whom he de-
scribed as a splendid type OF the
splendid American nation"
81 Am Called Monster"
On the subject OF the charges OF
cruelty and misgovernment in the Con-
so. and Leopold said.
1t is curious what satisfaction cer-
tain people get spending their lives
hbeling others. ! suppose there is no
body in Europe painted as monster
Of such blackness rs am. The words
used IN picturing my perndy cannot be
repeated in polite society. Nero. Il is
said. was a saint compared TO me. L
am an agre who delights TO torture help
less AfTicau negroes.
Then, it. is not true that atrocious
conditions exist in the Congo region
was asked.
or course, not. People should credit
us with common sense even if they will
not allow that humanity exists outside
their own country. Ii would be absurd
loT us to mistreat the blacks. because
10 state prospers unless the population
is happy and increasing. America
knows. perhaps better than any other
country how true this is
Method in Maligning.
Many Of the people maligning us
are doing So from interested motives.
1t seems n new trade has arisen in the
world. that of caluminatiou. There are
those who make their living by forming
associations 70 protest against every
thing under heaven.
Recently an American missionary
made sensational Congo charges, and
bitterly attacked me. Some one wrote
him protesting against the vehemenca
OF his language. and received q letter
rom him saying he had never been 10
the Congo. All his charges were based
on hearsay.
Admits Misjudgments.
"I do not deny that there have been
cases Of misiudgment on the part of
Congo officials. Most likely cruelties,
even crimes. have been committed.
There have been a number Of convic-
tions before Congo tribunals for these
oHeHses, / do not deny that every ef-
fort, as far as possible, has not been
mace u stop the in trea tment of ma
lives not only by white people. but by
natives themselves
mo government I'm the world has
remedied all the grievances within its
own jurisdiction
our God says We must all have Chris
tian fellowship one for another. Ger
tainly this example lS not being shown
the blacks By those white men who at
tack the Congo SO maliciousIy.' 90
Improvement of Congo.
Leopold dwelt at some length on vybat
has been accomplished I'm the Congo
saying.
we have been fortunate i'm reducing
smallpox in Central Africa by the in
PRODUCTION OF vaccine. We have STONED
the Congo slave trade and prohibited
alcohol from entering the country. nut
steamers on the rivers. have built and
are building railways and introduced the !
Continued on Ninth Pageg