Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-02-10

1 been given out, tell of most horrible conditions; though the document is of very limited dimensions, it affords a striking confirmation of all that the Congo Reformers' have alleged. It will no longer be possible to deny the existence of legalized hostage taking; of mutilation by black soldiery; of the ruin of villages and wholesale mur- ders. the only object of which was, and is still, the extort!ng of large quanti- ties of rubber Rubber is, of course, the main cause of the slave trade in the Congo. This commodity must be delivered in ever increasing quanti- ties, otherwise there is trouble from Brussels. 7
 When the men at Brussels send no- tice of dissatisfaction, the white agents down in the Congo must put their deputies to greater work to get results. And to get rubber output satisfac- tory to the powers that be, the natives have to be terrorized There are three ways in which this is done; by fog- ging native that fails to bring in the required amount; by capturing and keeping hostages; by raiding village and making use of arms provided by the white man, the torture accompany ing supplied by the savage.
 The London Graphic, which we have already quoted, does not, as rule, go in for sensational illustrations; but the atrocities now going on in the Congo are of such character and so general it is deemed necessary cru sade be started that the whole civilized world learn what the defenseless na- tiyes are suffering, that the whole civ ilized world make a protest the Bad Old Man" shall have to heed.
 In the accompanying illustration we are shown a scene it has been proven beyond doubt is of common occur renee The white man has come to get his toll of rubber. The natives come forward with their several bas- kets, and each basket is carefully weighed. If the scale turn six and three-guarters pounds, the man is lucky, and he is given some trife- perhaps bit of salt, a belt, yard of calico. The unfortunate whose rubber shows underweight is laid hold on. When all the rubber has been weighed, the short-weight fellows are brought forward One by one they are iogged and admonished to do better when they bring the next fortnisht's toll.
 Mutilation is a means employed fre- quently, as is attested by the number of wretched beings that go about with one foot. one hand, and sometimes the two hands cut off, the two feet. When tho commission of inquiry was on the Congo, there was brought forward by relatives of the victims a sorrowfnl array of cruelty mutilated persons. Here is one case presented to the com mission: 'Boaji, wife of Lomboto, Of Ekerongo, was punished by the sentry Ikloondo in this way: Her foot was cut of and she was further beaten with a gun on her side, which caused an enormous tumor' These details are revolting, but the time has come for them to be considered. time the public realize the full enormity of the crimes committed in the name of commerce, Let us recall the location of this state under the sovereignty of Leopold. IL lies little south of Gen. tral Africa, all but the narrowest strip is interior: it's boundary on the north is French Congo and the Egyptian Soudan; on the cast lie British East Africa, German East Africa and Northern Rhodesia; on the south. Northern Rhodesia and Portuguese West Africa: on the west. Portuguese West Africa, the Atlantic and French Congo.
 In the summer of 1903 Mir. Roger Easement. British consul. made in- vestigation of conditions in the Upper Congo. and a result of his investiga- tions was gent Lord Lansdovne, the report perhsDs the most damning in- dictment ever made against the sd- miuistrstion of a civilized goyern- ment" Lord Lansdowne urged an in- ternationsl inquiry. Leopold appoint- ed a commission Of his own. The commission. contrary to expectation. carried on mos; careful investigation. and has given report of most peculiar administration.