The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-31

Attitude Of Belgian LewiSIatOrS ward
IT'S administrator.

To Tux EDIroR or Tai SUN-Sir: In your
article Of October ~ on the Congo question:
apart from the main iesue. there are a Few
inaccuracies. which you no doubt wtsh 70
have corrected. Referring to Mr.. DAems'
the ex-deputy Of Brussels, you describe him
as "A representative OF the most conservative
AID catholic wing Of the Government party.
Mr.. Daems, who styles himself a Christian
Democrat ever since he first entered Par
lament as a member for Alost has been tnS
most rabid adversary OF the conservative
Government. opposing 1t systemattcaly on
all questions in and out OF season. To Gall
Mr.. Daems a friend OF the Government or 81
the conservative party would be t-antarnount
to calling Mr.. W. j. Bryan q supporter OF the
present Administrations. Mr.. Daems himself
would no doubt repudiate such an allegation
and look upon IL as libellous. may d that
Mr.. Daems was defeated for reelection on
May ~ last. obtaining only s,SSi out OF q total
Of 27p. 200 votes cast. His attitude on the
Congo question had a great deal to do with
You also refer to Mr.. !Lprand as "a con-
spicu?us member 81 the Liberal patty AZ
chAteau-Virton district. i well known as q
radical Republican. entirely out Of sympathy
in Belgium. Furthermore. Mr.. L9rand Is an
anti-expansionist, opposed TO all forms OF
the Congo Administration which Is entirely
distinct from the Administration OF Belgium.
are the principal organs OF the Liberal party
LIndtpenddnce and L'EtoiIe Beige.
Now, as to the main issue, IL Is universally
conceded that some blunders have been com.
In tho Congo Free state, but no more there
than In other far away and barbaTous cQun-
triee in process 81 colonization, and these
abuses wherever found must be corrected by
all means, l sincerely believe that the pres
ent Administration Is honestly striving TO
attain that end. King Leopold and the able
statesmen who assist him In his. great work
Of civilization should not be held responsible
for these reprehensible acts, o more. than
we hold President Roosevelt responsible for
some misdeeds in the Philippines or lynch
ings in the South. The punishment OF the
guilty and the taking OF measures to pre- vent
the recurrence OF these abuses are all that can
reasonably be asked.
The remedy proposed by some Interested
parties, terferen by the Powers, will n
be accepted by the Belgian people. They
rightly pretend TO be able to administer their
own affairs. and Secretary Root has upheld
them In this contention. Not only the Con-
~servatives and the Liberals will stand by the
Government on that issue. but even the
Socialists. In support Of this view allow ms
to quote the following from a speech bySen-
atOr Henri La Fontaine. the leader Of the
Socialists in the Belgian Senate. at the Inter-
national Peace Congress in Boston:
am a Socialist and a Republican, and I don't
care for King Leopold, but ! wish to point out that
all tho Governments OF the world which have cot
onies are the trustees OF those colonies before tho
world II You are going 10 inquire into the Congo
state Government, ] claim II ls only fair ana Just
that you should Investigate every other case where
cOionisuc relations prevail.
CHARLES RoKMAET,
President, Belgian Union.
NEW YORK, October 30,