The Irish standard., 1907-02-09

assume the lead. In the first place.
if the atrocities in the Congo arc suf-
flclent to involve US into difficulty with
Belgium, the same atrocities are prac-
ticed in the French Congo and in Ger
man Africa, in the Portuguese possess
sions and in the Englisl, colonies. So
that, 1t We Interfere to save the Afri-
can black man from white oppression,
we will have large job OH our hands
In the second place, there is not a
single nation in Europe, outside Of
England and possible Turkey, that
would not object to American inter-
ference in the Congo.
Again, the United States has consid-
erabie OF a race question on its own
hands. 1t would present a rather in
consistent situation for us to be SO
solicitous about the negro under the
rule Of Leopold H., while we have 49,
100000 or more of them within the
United States, whose treatment is not
always of the best. We shudder and
hold indignation meetings over the
treatment OF the natives OF the Congo
and yet go right along lynching negroes
in this country.
We have even a closer parallel to
Congo conditions than our negro prob
lem. y few years ago the people in
the Philippines were thrust into our
hands by Providence, the statesmen
said. We started in at that time to
assinilate the millions Of brown men,
We took the FIlipinos for their own
good, so We said. AS matter of fact
we would not now have had the Phil
ippine Islands on our hands if it had
not been for the prospect of mine>
cheap lands for speculation, railroads
and other objects of exploitation The
treatment Of the Filipinos has been
marked by much the same course Of
treatment that is complained Of by the
Protestant missionaries in the Congo
! We ought not to forget the atrocities
permitted in the Philippines by Ameri.
can soldiers. The order of General
Smith ito kill and burn; to make the
interior OF Sarlar like bowling will.
derness; kill every native over ten
years DID," is a part of recent Alneri-
can history in the Philippine Islands.
What a picture Of consistency it is
for Americans to hold Indignation
meetings over the action of the Bel
gians in the Congo State. Some Of
the acts of Major Waller read very
much like the reports we are now hav-
ing about matters in the Congo.
Friends OF Major Waller, at the time,
attributed his barbarities to delirium,
caused by privation. He was tried bu,
was acquitted.
Professor Starr, of the Chicago Uni.
versity, who has spent a Tong time in
the Congo, has been writing letters IN
the Chicago Tribune, which gives a
fairly good idea of the real situation
in the Congo. He compares the ac-
tion of the American troops In the
Philippines with the action Of the Bel
gians in the Congo and the Americans
suffer distinctly by the comparison. He
says: when our hands are clean and
when we have given the F'ilipinos
their we'll deserved independence and
free government and left them to work
out their own salvation, then, and not
till then, should we intervene in tho
Congo Free State for reasons of llu-
manity.
why is depopulation worse In
Africa than in the Philippines? Why
should the President, who views tho
latter with complaisancy and, may
say, with commentator feel so keen
ly with reference to the former? A
special message Of cummendation was
promptly sent to an American leader
for his killing of hundreds of men,
women and children; depopulation on
a large scale and Of the same kind
as he reprobates when done by Leo
pold's soldiers. Our friends of the
Congo Reform Association are strange.
ly silent in regard to such letters OF
commendation; they are much grieved
because Lothaire was lionized but they
hurrah over the accommodating honors
| of Funston"
The truth of the matter is that the
horrible atrocities. so-called, of the
Congo, were stirred up by Protestant
missionaries, who naturally dislike
Catholic Belgium. The treatment Of
the inhabitants OF the Congo Free
State is reported by unbiased observ-
ers to be better than the treatment Of
similar people in the French, German
and English portions OF Africa. 1t is
a part of the old story OF trying to
elevate people by the sword.