Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-09
TROUBLES OF CONGO STATE
Question of the Realignment of the
Powers.
SOUTH AFRICAN PREJUDICE
British Government Has Same Situa.
ton in Transvaal as Roosevelt
Finds in California.

l
! LONDON. December S.-The question NJ
the relations between the white race and
men of other colors is one of pretty well
worldwide agitation at the present mo-
ment. 1t occupies the public mind in Eng
land. Germany. Belgium France and Spain
and Its problems are absorbing the atten-
ton of the governments of those coun-
tries The Congo question has now passed
from the stage of sentimental discussion
INTO a serious international issue. Despite
the scathinS condemnation of King Leopold
IN the Belgium parliament il seems doubt
ful If genuine reforms VIII be voluntarily
adopted which will lead Great Britain TO
| abandon her declared intention to inter
vene insbehalf of the natives in the Congo
| Then we shall see the first serious test OF
| the Anslo-French entente
| 1t has happened I'm all previous interna-
tional attempts to deal with the Congo
| question that France has supported Ger
| many. There is little doubt that Germany
WIN continue to oppose any interference by
| the powers. The British policy of some
| form or intervention has been only vaguely
! mentioned by Sir Edward Grey. the foreign
minister but the French attitude on the
| question has not been indicated
| III the Clemenceau government reyerses
| the former position and supports Great
| Britain. then for a first time the world will
| realize the far-reaching importance of that
| recent re-grouping of the powers which
| has changed the direction of modern poit-
| ical history.
| France and Spain are on the eve of the
execution of their mandate TO reduce the
| turbulent Moors to order. and there is
| every indication that their task is more
| formidable than the delegates to the Alge-
| ciras conference expected. Rough work
| approaching war on a small scale seems
| probable Germany watches with jealous
eye but apparently she has no intention of
| making the task more difficult by reason
| of threatened interference.
Serious Outlook.
Germany, indeed has a race scandal of
her own of the blacklist description No
story of the Congo or of the Russian ante
bel!um atrocities In Manchura can COM
pare in horror with that told in the reich
| stag this week by Herr Bebel, the socialist
| leader. He described the determination of
| whole villages In South Africa by German
| troops, who massacred adults and then
| drowned the children In the river. The
most that the government could say in reply
| was that there had been abuses. but that
| the worst reports had been exaggerated.
! The whole race question throughout
| Africa has become one of appalling serious
ness. Europe is determined to rule that
continent. and the great problem OF the
speedily settled. The Spectator today says
| that there is positive danger lest the whole
native population of Africa should become
| penetrated with a dread and hatred OF
! white men. 1t adds: f
| 1t is reported from many quarters that
| this feeling is already betraying itself
throughout the vast dominion of the Congo
Free State and it may easily spread south
ward and northward till the entire CONT
nent of Africa is filled with hostility to
| Europe resembling that which 300 years
| ago undermined the ascendency of the
! triumphant Spanish monarchy There is
| community of the black there is of the
white world, and while the black is pre-
| pared to be governed by his white superior
| with certain absolutism he will not bear
| that reasonable cruelty which keeps him
| in perpetual terror well a. kind of be-
| wiIderment as to what Is required of him,
which tempts inferior races to believe thai
| only in massacre can they find deliverance.
There Must Be Justice.
1.-The white men in Africa can never be ire
resistible from their numbers and the popu-
| lar European belief that the blacks car
| never combine and can, therefore. nevet
| revolt successfully is but partially sup
ported by evidence A Bantu tribe annt
hilated a British regiment and there have
| been black generals developed from the
people who founded Kingdoms and made eff
| fective armies. Europe desired to rule AT
| RIGA and intends to do it, but she has suffi-
| cient perception of her own interest not to
| wish to do it by incessant fighting or
| through system like that which is gradu-
ally extirpating the black races in the vast
system Of valleys which call the Congo
| State. However Stern the conqLerors are
| they must De seen to wish for substantial
| justice. however harsh, and must avoid a
| cruelty which suggests to their victims that
they are in the hands rat Their of evil demons
than of able fighting men.
we must add. though we unwilling to
enter upon that side of the subject that
peaceful security will never be attained I'M
| til the invaders have learned what we early
learned in India-to let the women aione.
"Negresses of South and Central Africa
are not English ladies, but they care for
their children, and if some of the stories in
the German parliament are true there may
be hatred and dread of white men handed
down through the villages from generation
to generation. We Europeans want to rule
Africa, but will not if Mussulman mis-
sionaries, who are Already thousands in
number can say with truth that where the
Christian is there is habitation of cruel
ty."
The British government finds itself faced
with a similar difficulty in the Transvaal as
confronts President Roosevelt in Caifor-
MAS anti-Japanese action. The Inhabitants
of the Transvaal resent the competition of
natives of India who have immigrated to
that country. They have endeavored TO dis
eliminate against them by imposing serious
disabilities in what is known as the "Asiat-
&c law amendment ordinance" The Y Tins
appealed to the home government, which
has vetoed the act.