Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-13
THE CONGO LOBBY
What Consul General Whitley
Says on the Subject.
IT HAS NO EXISTENCE
According to His Best Information.
CONGO REFORM ASSOCIATION
Have Been Spreading Stories of
|. Cruelty Which, It is Claimed, HAP
pened Years Ago.
IT HAS NO EXISTENCE
According to His Best Information.
CONGO REFORM ASSOCIATION

Mr.. James Gustavus Whitley, the consul
general of the Congo Free State. was seen
this afternoon at the Belgian legation,
where he discussed at length the question
of the alleged Belgian lobby with Star
representative. His first plea was that his
information on the subject was not as COM
p!ete as has been attributed He denied abb
solutely the assertion made that he has
been In any manner connected with the lob
by. or has had anything to do with the par
ties interested. He said he was sure that
anything he had done was compatible with
diplomatic etiquette as we'll as his official
instructions.
No Lobby Exists.
II do not know of the existence of the
lobby he said, land. In fact. believe there
is no lobby, and that there has been none.
In so far Col. Henry 1. Kowalsky's con-
nection goes, l am not prepared to say, be-
cause he acted independently of the con-
sulate. l saw the man perhaps twice, and
the last time was two years ago. l must
add. also, that Col Kowalsky had HIS own
instructions, delivered to him and signed
by King Leopold. These instructions were
published in the American press some time
In l!0f, and there has never been any secret
about his mission here. Col. Kowalskys
duty was to offer nformaton-not to pur-
chase opinion-to whoever needed il, regard
to statesmen well as private individuals
Obeying the spirit of the instructions given
him, he was to do nothing but present the
Congo question in its true light, and from
the standpoint of the Congo government.
Colonel Kowalsky remained in that
capacity tor one year. | do not know IL he
had been appointed only for that length OF
time, or IL he voluntarily resigned or IL he
was called upon to resign. His OFFICE be-
leve, was in New York, and business often
called him to Washington.
Congo Reform Association.
81 am sure said Mr.. Whitley, that the
Congo Reform Association is very active in
spreading these stories of cruelty in the
Free State. The professional reformers,
who continue their campaign against the
Congo, are fighting a dead issue. The re-
forms they asked for have been granted. IL
they really wanted reforms they have re-
ceived them II they want something more
they are not acting in good faith. but are
seeking an excuse to destroy the state.
They always bring to the fore stories part-
ly true and partly false, of a few isolated
incidents which occurred many years ago.
during the period when all the energies of
the king were engaged in putting down the
Arab slave raids.
There are over 800 missionaries out
there. of whom about. 400 are Catholics.
The others, all PrOtestants; are animated by
religious Jealousy and fanaticiSm. They
signed an appeal against the administration
whose course was defended by the ma jority
that is, all the Catholics The signers
numbered fifty-two, of which sixteen were
the wives of missionaries, and thirty-fiye
lived along the territory of the coast, ca silly
hundreds of miles from the interior, where
the incidents mentioned were supposed to
have occurred. One of these .signers, ar
rived in Congo nineteen days before affixing
his signature to the appeal.
Issues Evaded
'All these issues" declared Mr. whiteley
ARE evaded by the Congo Reform Associa-
ton. In fact, if anything, the association
Is the one party who maintains a lobby-if
SO it can be caled-in this city. Its MEM
bers wait upon the government officials,
senators, representatives and others under
one pretext or another. They always speak
disparagingly of those who oppose their
efforts.
I'm conclusion, let me add that the best
enlightenment the government of the
United States can get upon the actual af-
fairs of the Congo Free State is from Mr..
Clarence r. Slocum the American consul
general there, whose report is probably on
the way over here now. So far as the
resolution of Senator Lodge goes, I cannot
comment upon it. see that the Senate
a body is antagonistic to 1t. but don't care
to go into the merits either OF the senator's
bill the spirit of the Senate
Secretary Roots Opinion.
In reference to federal action, the explicit
opinion of Secretary Root was quoted:
1.-The Congo State absolutely denies any
right on the part of the powers to inter-
vene in its affairs, and none of the other
signatory powers appear to controvert that
denial. However this may be- it is certain
that the United States has no treaty right
of Intervention. We could not rightfully
summon or participate in any international
conference looking to Intervention, adjudi-