The Washington herald., 1907-07-21

I doubtful whether there has ever been as
sembied a congress OF such importance,
composed Of men of so much command
I ing weight in their own countries as that
now in session in the Dutch capital. and
many years must necessarily elapse be-
fore another such gathering can be or
ganized. 1t is. therefore. matter for re-
gret that this unique opportunity should
be lost OF discussing ana settling many
controversies which have been carefully
eliminated from the programme. and that
the scope OF the activity OF the delegates
should have been restricted to it's mar
rowest limits. instead Of being broadened
IN such fashion as TO embrace all trou-
blesome issues.
Among the reasons for this attitude on
the part Of the various governments rep
resented in the convention at The Hague
is that each OF them has difficulties on
its hands in which they are anxious to
avoid foreign interference. Thus, while
tho interests OF humanity and civilization
would be served, King Leopold would
have everything to lose by a submission
Of the RtrOCiOus conditions prevailing in
the Congo Free State TO the consideration
T VI JIG L4c@S tst tDlAEktas VI EEktld4
years past the great powers Of Europe
and the United States have been contem-
plating the organization Of an interna-
tional congress for the purpose Of calling
Leopold 70 account. not only for bis mis-
government OF the Congo Valley. but
likewise for his failure TO fulfill any OF
those obligations which he accepted as
part and parcel Of the conditions under
which he was intrusted with the sover-
eighty Of that portion Of the dark CONT
nent by the powers In question. when
;hey met in convention about the matter
at Berlin in 1854 If England and other
Il the Congo treaty powers have refrain
ed until now from active Intervention in
the affair, it has been due to their re-
lHctance 10 saddle themselves with addi-
uonal colonial responsibilities. and to add
to their white mans burden" In Africa
Nor were they anxious 10 bring about the
possible downfall OF a dynasty which
they themselves had in the first place
imposed upon Belgium and afterward on
the Congo Free state. Moreover, while
distrusting LeopOld's pledges Of reform,
they have all along hoped that the Bel
gian government would itself assume con-
troll Of the Congo Valley as a Belgian
colony. subject TO the Brussels Parlia-
TIent, and thus emancipate this unhappy
corner OF the dark continent from the
despOuC and greedy sway OF the Belgian
King, who now reiggs there as an auto
crat more tyranniCai than any Oriental
potentate. A very large portion Of the
population Of Belgium is. however. averse
20 saddling the kingdom with the Free
State or TO acquire il under any condi-
tions whatsoever. and Leopold is taking
advantage Of this 10 delay matters:
whereas a speedy solution OF the entire
problem might have been found II the So
called Congo question could have been
brought before the congress at The
Hague. The governments there repre-
sented could. after due consideration.
have availed themselves Of the discussion
TO cancel the concession Of the Congo
Valley which they granted 10 Leopold in
1854 on the ground that he had violate
all the conditions Of the agreement then
made, and might have vested the sover-
eighty of the valley in the hands OF the
Belgian nation or Of some other power
which would have been ready to under
take the responsibility Of administering
the territory for the benefit of civilization
and Of the trade Of the world.
That the Congress Of Algeciras failed
to bring about any improvement in the
troubled state OF affairs in Morocco.
which are almost as bad as IN the Congo,
IS rendered apparent by every cable dis
patch that reaches this country from
Tangier. Barbarism. anarchy. and the
most appalling forms OF savagery are
much more rampant there to-day than
they were before the Algeciras palaver.
and slave markets. with all their at
tendant horrors. flourish under the very
back windows Of Europe. Foreign trade
and foreign property have suffered
cruelty. While foreign life has long ceased
TO be safe in the dominions of Sultan
Muiey Abdul Aziz. The situation IS such
there, indeed, that its continuance is a
matter of impossibility. and armed inter
vention on an extensive scale inevitable.
Ihis might have been arranged in a sat
istactory manner at the Congress Of The
Hague, in such a way as to avoid any
European complications. and the mere
fact that the great powers had agreed
upon energetic action in Morocco would
have gone far to quell the turbulence
and unrest provoked there by the spec
tacle which was offered to the Moorish
gaze at Algeciras. where Germany and
France almost came 10 war in their anx!-
ETY. 10 prevent one another from making
any armed interference. 1t is possible
that the powers In eliminating Moorish
questions from the programme AT The
Hague were prompted by a dread OF a
repetition OF the difficulties AZ Algecirss
where the convention narrowly escaped
fiasco, not only ridiculous. but like
wise perilous to the peace Of Europe. But
1t is more probable that, alarmed by the
disastrous results of their chickering's and
disputes at Algeciras, they would have
sunk tfeir differences and consented 10
pull together in Morocco sor the common
veal and in behalf of civilization,
No International congress has taken
place since 1870 without a determined
effort being made by the Vatican to bring
the question of the restoration Of the
temporal sovereignty Of the Pope over
Rome before the delegates. Leo XIII,
who, besides being a great churchman,
was an extremely clever statesman and
most skillful diplomat, almost succeeded
in securing a pontifcal representative at
the former Peace Congress at The
Hague, on the ground that the church
over which he ruled was one OF the most
powerful agents for the preservation OF
peace. But the Italian government, con-
vrfrrnT that ~ 81