New-York tribune., 1906-12-20
AMERICA AND THE congo.

So much discussion is current and seems
likely TO be maintained for some time concern
ing the relations existing between the United
States and the Independent State of the Congo.
and the degree Of authority and responsibility
which the United States exercised in the origin
OF that state and which this country may
therefore be deemed entitled or required to ex-
erc1se at the present time in respect TO the adj
ministration of the affairs OF that state that
1t viii be profitable. and. indeed. is essential to
the formation Of just judgments, to bear clearly
in mind the salient features OF the course which
our government has pursued toward the Congo
since It's first opening TO intercourse with the
world.
It was in 1879 that as a result OF Stanley's
discoveries and explorations, the project Of civ
fixing the Congo Valley was first definitely
broached The International Association OF the
Congo was formed. with the King of the Bel
g1ans, acting as private individual, as chair
man, and it proceeded to found commercial es-
adjustments. TO occupy territory and to obtain
cessions OF sovereignty from native potentates.
When this came to the attention Of the United
States, the Secretary of State Mr.. Evarts, ex-
pressed the American attitude toward 1t by
saying that "the representatives of the worlds
commerce could admit the existence of no
asserted title (of any foreign country, at leasty
ito territory which should be made offensive
Ito the general and peaceful pursuits of that
commerce without the closest scrutiny and
investigation as to its fundamental merits"
Such scrutiny and investigation, therefore
would have been required had the Congo asso-
cat1on then adopted any such system as that
OF the present Congo State. But IL did not take
that course The associate professed that its
objects were philanthropic, and that It did not
aim at permanent political control, but at the
neutrality of the valley Wherefore a little
later President Arthur reported that it might
be advisable for the United States to cooperate
with other powers in promoting rights of trade
and residence in the Congo, free from interfer-
ence or political control OF any one nation
Accordingly, in 1884, when the Congo asso-
citation represented TO the United States that
1t had become de factO government by max
Ing treaties with legitimate sOvereigns for con-
cesSions OF territory which it was organizing
into free states, in which no import duties
on commerce would be imposed and that It
had adopted a distinctive flag the Secretary
OF State, Mr.. Frellnghuysen, on April % an
nounced that the United States would recog-
nize the flag of the association as that of
friendly government, and Congress, on July :,
made an appropriation for the maintenance
of a commercial agent in the States of the
Congo. The American example in thus recOg-
nizing the Congo flag was followed by Ger
many and Great Britain in 1854, and in 1885
by Italy, Holland, Spain, France. Russia, Portu-
gal, Austria Hungary, Sweden and Norway,
Denmark and Belgium, in the order given.
Early IN 1885 an international conference on
the subject was held az Berlin. in which the
United States on Germany's invitation, was
represented by two delegates, who attended ION
'the condition that their part should be merely
"deliberative. without imparting 20 the results
ANY binding character SO far as the United
States was concerned" That conference on
February % adopted a general act under which
the Congo association was permitted to erect
itself into the Independent State of the Congo
as an independent government The two Amer
lean delegates signed that act In precisely the
same manner as those of the other powers. thus
apparently. despite the conditions OF reserva-
ton formerly expressed. binding this country
to the resulh of the conference with the same
authority and responsibility as the other powers.