The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1906-12-27
ROOT ASKED TO ACT
ON CONGO ABUSES
PROMINENT NEW WORKERS SEND
LETTER TO SECRETARY.
.INHUMAN DEEDS LISTED
No Signs Of Reform by Leopold's Gov
ernment-MoraI Support of
United States for Cor
rection Urged.

4
by ]. Pierpont Morgan, DR.. Lyman
Abbott and other prominent citizens
OF New York, was addressed to Secre-
tary of State Elihu Root tuesday d.
recting his attention to conditions In
the Congo Free State, where, 1t is as
serted, fragrant inhumanity exists"
and urging him on behalf Of the Amer
lean people to use the moral support
of the United States government to
correct the abuses the Congo natives
are alleged to be suffering from.
The communication is as follows:
"Oyer a year has passed since the
report Of the commissioners chosen by
the chief executive and virtual owner
Of the Congo to investigate conditions
in that state was published. In spite
of their natural desire to give all pos,
sible credit to their sovereign, the
commissioners felt constrained to re.
port the existence of measures and
practices of fragrant inhumanity.
inhuman Practices Reported.
among these measures and prac.
tees are the following:
"Q)-The exaction of labor tax
so oppressive that many natives on
whom 1t falls have little if any free.
dom.
"(2)-Appropriation of land to such
an extent that the natives are prac.
tically prisoners within their own ter.
ritory.
"(3)-The employment under au.
thority of the government as sentries
of cruel, british blacks, chosen from
hostile tribes, who murder, pillage and
rape the people for whose protection
the government is avowedly estab-
lished.
"(4)-The abuse of the natives by
white Representatives of officially
recognized 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 i'm
mediate care of the government.
"(6)-Great injustice in the admin.
istration of the courts, so that the
natives dread the name of Bona, the
place where the judicial system is
centralized.
"GD-The sending out of punitive
expeditions, not for the purpose of es.
tablishing peace and order, but for the
purpose of terrifying the natives into
paying a tax, which, as administered,
even the commissioners regard as in.
human.
No Steps Toward Reform.
1T is to be remembered that these
are not charges brought against the
Congo government, but findings of the
commission which was appointed by
the chief executive Of the government
to investigate and report on the facts.
Acting upon these findings a second
commission, 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 under.
taking seriously to remedy these evils.
The powers which created the Congo
government have clearly wright to
call that government to account.
'Inasmuch as the United States
gave Its moral support to the estab-
lishment of the Congo government, it
Is justified in giving it's moral support
to any undertaking to secure condi-
tions in the Congo that will not dis
grace civilization. We wish to as
sure 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 earnest and
urgent approval"
The letter is signed by Rev. Messrs.
Lyman Abbott, Merry Mottet, MILFORD
L. Robbins, George William Knox
Charles H. Parkhurst, John P. Peters,
William r. Richards, Arson P. After.
bury and Percy s. Grant, and Messrs.
William Jay Schieffelin, William H.
Douglas, Charles A. Schieren, Spencer
Trask, George Haven Putnam, Everett
P. Wheeler, Robert c. Ogden, J. Pier.
pont Morgan, D. Willis James, R. Full.
ton Cutting, ]. Cleveland Cady and w.
]. Havemeyer.