The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-02-01
ANTIQUITIES IN CONGO.
tcontlnued from First Page,

are certainly deserving of explanation and comment. The publication of the report was preceded by an alleged re- ary society, which practically exoner- ated the king from all wrong-doing. This resume was accepted by many of the leading American newspapers as genuine, and was widely and favorably commented on, although a few were somewhat suspicious. It is now clearly demonstrated that this West African Missionary society was bogus affair, got up solely for the purpose of mis- leading the public before the real re- port was issued. Moreover, the Amer ican people have been further mlsled by alleged abstracts of the report of the commission of inquiry, which are being sent broadcast over the country at the present time by person or per- sons who are under pay of the king.
 'The report absolutely declares that King Leopold claims practical owner ship of the country of nearly 100000 square miles, which he accepted from the worlds great powers for the ma terial and moral regeneration of the natives.
 "The interpretation comedies to the state a right of absolute and exclusive ownership over virtually the whole land, with this consequence-that it can dispose-itself and solely-of all the products of the soil; prosecute as a poacher any one who takes from that | land the least of it's fruits, or, as a re- ceiver of stolen goods any one who re- ceives such fruit The king is exploit ing large portions of this country through certain societies which have no interest in the childish people whose in terests were solely sought by the pow CTS that originated tbe Congo Free State; the concessionnaire societies, by the fact that they are commercial, pur- sue lucre, and not humanity and civil ization.'
 "The report asserts clearly and une- quivocally that the natives are the vic- tins of slavery as hopeless and atro- cious as has ever been recorded in his- tory. The natives spend about 2S0 days out of every year in the gathering of rubber, for which labor they are paid practically nothing. since the king claims the rubber as his own and the labor of the people as taxes
 "The report asserts unequivocally the practice of a terrible system of force to drive the unwilling natives to their almost unremunerated toll. Rifles are placed in the hands of cannibal sen tries who are turned loose upon the : defenseless people to terrorize them l into the gathering of rubber. These sentries whip the natives with the ter rible chicotte of hippopotamus hides; | they outrage, pillage, burn and murder in the villages till the terrorized people are glad to submit to the burden of la bor imposed by their hard task-master, the king.
 Under this regime of King Leopold 1 whole districts have already been de- populated. It is estimated that in the past fifteen years the system has de- stroyed as many as 10,000000 or 12,000,- 900 of people. The United States gov- ernment is more responsible for this condition of affairs than. any other na- | ton. We first recognized the 'Interna- tional Association of the Congo Be- cause of this recognition other nations followed, and finally the Berlin and Brussels conferences were held. By these two conventions the Congo Free
 State was confded to the stewardship of King Leopold. He was thus secured in the political rights which have en-
 abled him to make the helpless nation the victims of his lust for gold"