The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-12-26
MORAL SUPPORT OF THE
 UNITED STATES ASKED
PROMINENT MEN ADDRESS SFc- RETARY ROOT ON THE
 CONGO MATTER.

J' Pierpont Morgan, Dr. Lyman Abbot4
 and Others Assert "Flagrant Inhu-
 manity Exists"--Labor Tax So On
 pressive That Natives Have Little if
 Any FreedOm-Sentries of Cruel.
 Brutish Blacks Chosen From HostiI.
 Tribes Who Murder, PiIIage and Rape
 the People.
 New York, Dec. 25.-A letter signed by J. Pierpont Morgan, Dr. Lyman Abbott and other prominent citizens of this city, was addressed to Secretary of State Elihu Root to-day, directing his attention to conditions in the Con- go Free State, where, it is asserted fragrant inhumanity exists" and urg- ing him on behalf of the American people to use the moral support" of the United States government to cor rect the abuses.
 The communication reads:
 over year has passed since the report of the commissioners chosen, bv the chief executive and virtual owner of the Congo to investigate conditions in that state was published. In spite of their national desire to give all possible credit to their sovereigns. the commissioners felt constrained to re- port the existence of measures and practices of fragrant inhumanitv. Among these measures and practices are the following:
 1.-The exaction of labor tax Sd oppressive that many natives on whom 1t falls have little if any freedom.
 Appropriation of land to such an extent that the natives are practical- ly prisoners within their own terri tor2.
 S-The employment under the au- thority of the government of sentries of cruel, brutish blacks, chosen from hostile tribes, who murder pillage and rape the people for whose protection the government is avowedly establish ed.
 1.-The abuse of the natives by white representatives of officially rec ognized companies.
 "5-The binding of little children to years of labor at uncertain wages by contracts they do not understand and even more serious, maltreatment of children supposedly under the imme- diate care of the government
 "6-Great injustice in the adminis- tration of the courts, so that the na- tives dread the name of Bona, as the place where the judicial system is cen- tralized.
 "7-The sending out of punitive ex- petitions not for the purpose of es- tablishing peace and order, but for the purpose of terrifying the natives into paying tax which, as administered, even the commissioners regard as in- human.
 "Et is to be remembered that these are not charges brought against! the Congo government but findings of the commission appointed by the chief ex- ecutive of the government to investi- gate and report on the facts. Acting upon G,ess findings a second commis- sion, also appointed by the king, has recommended measures of reform. No steps have been taken to adopt them. There is no evidence that the Congo government is undertaking seriously to remedy these evils. The powers which created the Congo government have clearly right to call that govern ment to account. Inasmuch as the United States gave its moral support to the establishment of the Congo gov- ernment it is justified in removing it's moral support to any undertaking to secure conditions in the Congo that will not disgrace civilization. We wish to assure you that for any measure you may adopt in order to give the powers such moral support of the United States, you will have our earns est and urgent approval"
 The letter is signed: The Rev. Drs. Lyman Abbott, Henry Mottet, Wilford I. Robbins, George William Knox. Charles H. Parlhurst, John P. Peters. William R. Richards, Anson P. Atter- bury, the Rev. Percy S. Grant and William Jay Schieffelin, William 1T. Douglass, Charles A. Schieren. spen- cer Trask, George Haven Putnam. Everett P. Wheeler, Robert c. Ogden. J. Pierpont Morgan, D. Willis James. R Fulton Cutting, J. Cleveland Casey. and w. J. Havemeyer.
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