The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-14
AN APPEAL
 TO PRESIDENT Stop 0utrages in Congo
 State. EDWARD ALSO PETITI0NED The Foreign Mission Board Urges
 Immediate Action. Say That Conditions In Property of King Leopold wm Not Wait On Any Parlsyins of Dip-
 7E iomatss

Philadelphia, Jan. i3.--At a meeting of the conference of the Foreign Mis- sions Board of the United States and Canada held in this city on Saturday 1t was unanimously agreed to forward to President Roosevelt. the United States Senate and King Edward. an ap- peal on behalf of the stricken people of the Congo State. The appeal follows:
 ITO the President and Senate of the United States, and His Majesty, King Edward the Seventh.
 ''The conference of the foreign mis- sion board of the United States and the Dominion of Canada would most re- spectfully and earnestly bring to you an appeal on behalf of the stricken people of the Congo State. We do this In the name of forty missionary orga- nizations whose worksis prosecuted in all sections of the world. and we are persuaded that the petition interprets stituency of upwards of 20.000.000 of Christian men and women.
 We are not forgetful that recogni- tion has been given by, both govern ments to international duty in rela- ton to this unhappy people. It Is a source of keen satisfaction to us that our governments are united in leader ship in work so closely affecting in ternational honor But we are remind ed by the recurrence of our annual meeting that weeks and months are passing by while the heavy burden of wrong continues to rest with crushing weight upon the Congo people and we recognize with profound regret that the first definite step toward just tnterna- tional action has not yet been taken.
 We speak with deep conviction con- corning this issue. because we are in- timately associated with many resi- dents of the Congo State by whom the conditions to which we refer have been disclosed. We are constrained to &C., cept their testimony; we know that the earth does not hold men of more sen sitive honor or self-sacrifcing devo- tion. But you will need not to be re- minded that other sfssEirohy than ours has been given tts ths character and credibility of these witnesses. A com mission selected by King Leopold him. self has said of them and of their fel- low missionaries in the Congo State that they constitute for the native the sole representative of equity and jus tice. Of their testimony. dreadful as 1t has been, the commission has declar- ed that they found 1t to be supported by multitude of witnesses, and 'es- tablished by mass of evidence and official reports.'
 ''Thr request which we. like the great conI y of petitioners of both govern ments outside the constituency. are urging, Is obviously fair to all inter- ests, since it asks only for such impar- tial action as shall give authoritative revelation of actual facts anu insure correction of such wrongs as shall be disclosed. We submit that the simple issue thus presented involves a primary test of national and international hon. or and that longer withholding of man. Hesitation of this measure of interna- tional concern for these wards of the nations will leave upon all powers re- sponsible for 1t lasting reproach.
 We would earnestly urge that no device of the ruler of the Congo State. whether of wholesale aspersion of mo- tive or of evasion of accountability through promotion of transfer of ter ritory to a government of which he is himself the head, shall be allowed to cloud the issue of international respon- sibility for Immediate ascertainment of conditions and correction of wrongs.
 The issue as you are we'll aware, Is not of motive but of fact, and the duty of guardianship binding the pow CTS to protection of people of the ter ritory of the Congo Basin Is indepen- dent of political relations. Moreover. we would respectfully urge our con- vlction that if the king Is a trustee he cannot transfer his trust except by international sanction. If the conven- ing of the international conference was independent in the opening of the Con- go territory 1t would seem that a con- ference for review of the issue in all its phases as indispensable for wise and just dealing now.
 Tn the name of humanity. of inter- national justice, of regard for the pri- nal rights of men, We would ask that you will use the full power reposed in governments by the supreme ruler in the interest of an immediate discharge by the nations of their responsibility of guardianship over the remnant of the humble people who generation ago without choice of their own were brought out of the isolation into rela- tions with the world of men and States