The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-02
SENATOR MORGAN
ARRA|GNS LEOPOLD
( Wants Thorough Investigation
y of Concessions King Has
Granted to Americans.
CHARGES CRUELTY TO
CONGO FREE STATE PEOPLE
Declares IT Duty of the United
States TO Protect These
Ignorant Negroes.

WASHINGTON, March 1.-Senator
Morgan reported favorably from the
Committee ON Foreign Relations today
his resolution calling on the President
for information as to any concessions
Americans may have received from
King Leopold for the gathering of
Of India rubber in the Congo Free
State.
Mr.. Morgan was given permission to
flo q statement on the subject and
asked that the resolution go to the
calendar. as he understood several Sen
ators desired to investigate the ques-
ton.
The Morgan statement recitcs how
capitalists of the civilized Nations are
pushing into the rubber forests with
all manner Of monopolistic arrange
ments for subJecting this great product
the gift OF nature-to their craving
for wealth
He arraigns King Leopold "for the
manner in which he has exploited the
Congo lands in accumulating wealth to
himself by imposing tasks Of personal
labor to the extreme of cruelty upon
the native population
Alleged Unchecked Avarice.
Mr. Morgan charges that concession
aires have been empowered by King
Leopold to exercise the same dis
tressing authority over the people over
which they have proceeded to enforce
without restraint and without the re-
sponsibiiities to public opinion which
should check their avaricc and greed IN
dealing with AN ignorant and subJu-
gated people.
Mr.. Morgan takes the position that
the United States by reason of its negro
{ lpopulatlon descendant from Congo par,
fentage. is especially obligated TO sup
port the movement to reserve TO the ma
tive population the wealth of Congo
products. He says that any concession
granted by King Leopold to wealthy
citizens of the United States is not
valid until confirmed by the signatory
powers to the Brussels act signed in
1890.
The Senator declares that if the
American company has not communl-
Gated IFS transactions to the Govern
ment of the United States, it is the
duty of this Government to make iu-
quiry AS 10 the extent of the conces-
sions and as to all the terms and condi-
tions of The grant. He says also that
it is the duty of this Government to
inquire INTO concession alleged TO
have been made by the Government of
Liberia of all its India rubber and ma
bogany lands to a British syndicate.
Mr., Morgan concluded with the fol
lowing declaration;
Duty of United States.
''It is the duty Of the United States
Government 10 see TO it that no barrier
or impediment is created by the act Of
Leopold or by any other authority TO
debar the eXiled Africans who have
been held in slavery in the United
States from the right 10 return TO their
native land and to hold IT, in company
with their kinspeople. and the free and
upobstructed opportunity TO enjoy the
JAveat advantages which are now of
fed 10 them and which the United
safes owes TO them Of repatriation in
their own country, without let or hin
drauce.
E'The native resources Of Central
Africa present vast stores Of treasure
to invite their aid III developing the
wealth Of that country, and it is time
that the United States should inter,
pose its Just powers, whatever they may
he, in aiding these exiles 10 establish
their sovereign rights in the country
that God has given them