The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-12-27
THE KONGO
ATROCITIES
Protest Against Leopold's
Rule in Africa.
ROOT TO URGE REFORMS
J. plerpont Morgan, Lyman Alb
bolt and Others to Send Pc.
lion 10 Washington.

WASHINGTON. bee. 2I.-An open
letter from J. ricrpont Morgan. Dr,
Lyman Abbott aud others addressed 10
Secretary Root urging him o. use the
moral support OF the United States In
the direction OF correcting abuses said
90 exist In the Kongo region WAS rc.
cel,cd at the state department aud will
be taken Into consideration along with
other similar communications on the
subject at once.
Secretary Root. In speaking ~ the
matter and OF the recent statement In
the Belgian parliament that the pur
pose OF Belgium In anneXlng the Kon
so Free State was In order TO enable
that country 10 deal with the subject
In n more effective way. said that all
this country could do was 90 dccorous
ly and politely urge Belgium 20 greater
activity.
The memorial reads a. follows:
over a year has passed since the re
port OF the commissioners chosen by
the chef executive aud virtual owner
of the Kongo TO investigate conditions
In that state was published. In spite
OF their natural desire TO give all pos
sible credit 10 their sovereign the com
mlssioners felt constrained 60 'eport
the existence OF measures aud prac
tees OF fragrant humanity. Among
these measures and practices are the
following:
"Flrst-The eXaction OF a labor tax 50
oppressive that many natives on whom
IL falls have little II any freedom.
acknowledgements OF land 10
such an extent that the natives are
practically prisoners within their own
territory.
"Thlrd.-The employment under the
authority OF the government as sen
tries OF cruel, british blacks chosen
from hostile tribes. who murder and
pillagc the people for whose protection
the government II ayowedly establish
ed.
"Fourth.-The abuse OF the natives
by white representatives OF officially
recognized companies.
"Fifth.-The binding OF little children
TO years OF labor at uncertain wages by
contracts they do not understand and
even more serious maltreatmcnt OF
children supposedly under the immc
date care of the government
"Sixth.-Great injustice in the ad
mlnistraton OF the courts, so that the
natives dread the name Of Bona, the
place where the judicial sys EN- is cen
trallZed.
"Seventh.-The sending out of punt
tive expeditions not for the purpose OF
establishing peace and order, but for
the purpose of terrifying the natives
into paying n tax which as admins
tered even the commissioners regard
as inhuman.
1T is TO be remembered that these
are not charges brought against the
Kongo government, but findings of the
commission appointed by King Leopold |
% investigate and report on the facts.
There is no evidence that the Kongo
government is undertaking seriously to
remedy these evils.
''Inasmuch as the United States gave !
its moral support to the establishment |
of the Kongo government il is justified |
in giving Its moral support to any I'M
dertaklng to secure conditions in the /
Kongo that will not disgrace cviliza-
ton.
I'VE 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 |
earnest and urgent approval"
The memorial Is signed by the Rev. !
Drs. Lyman Abbott, Henry Mottet,
MILFORD l.. Robbins, George William |
Knox, Charles II. Parkhurst, John +.
Peters, William II. Richards, Arson =.
Atterbury, the Rev. Percy s. Grant and
Messrs. william Jay Schieffeln, VIII
liam Fl. Douglas, Charles A. Schieren,
Spencer Trask, George Haven Putnam,
Everett p. Wheeler, Robert G. Ogden,
J. Pierpont Morgan ID. Willis James,
r. Fulton Cutting, J. Cleveland Cady
and w. j. IIavemeyer.