Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-12-30
Of
SLAVE TRADE
D { n | { D
PORTUGUESE LEGATION
RESENTS BOER'S CHARGES
Refugees From South African
erritoy Taken By British
Accused of Designs to Es-
tabIiSh Republic.
IBy Morning journal special Leased wIre.I

liiy Morning Journai special Leased wire.l
Washington Dee. 29-The Portu-
guese legation tonight issued
menis recently made by Joubert Pi-
enaar, a former officer in the Boer
army. as to the existence Of slave
trade in Portuguese West Africa. The
statement is a denial Of the allega-
tions and SAYS in part:
"Joubert pienaar was a refugee in
Portugal during the closing stages OF
the Boer war. When peace was de-
clared. he i'm common with many
other Boers. settled in the south of
the Portuguese colony of Angola.
Ii soon became apparent that these
Beers. ousted from the Transvaal by
the British had plan on fuot to
seize part Of the Portuguese colony
ia West Africa, and to set up there
a new independent Buer republic.
This was in accordance with the
constant practice of treking further
aficld la order 10 establish new
state each time conditions became
unfayorabe In their old haunts for
their peculiar mode of existence.
II was further ascertained that
pienaar was the prime mover in this
conspiracy For this reason and for
no other he WAS expelled from Port
uguese territory
"pienaar's complaints as 10 the arr
hitlary Coufiscation OF his property
and cattle are merely the Vapourings
of his defeated ambitions
mo Information has, been received
AZ the legation as 20 the alleged NOR
tality among a batch OF five hundred
lahnrers semi to the island of Prin-
cipe. nf which only twelve survived
at the end of ten months, according To
Pieuaar's story. II Is possible that
SOME vessel taking natives TO the Is
land may have been wrecked on the
coast and that only twelve managed
80 gci ashore or ID may be that one
of the epidemics which have some
times wiped out whole villages I'm
euuator territory, broke out among
the men. 10 that extent the story
may be true Hut IL is simply alb
surd 0n the face of IL To say that any
such loss Of life could have occurred
normally or through preventable
causes Even setting aside all oonsi-
lerations Of humanity. no one would
Incur the heavy expense entailed In
laborers to the Islands
were they as a rule, exposed To be-
,omo unnt for work almost as soon
a. they arrived.
"'rhat little Is left undone on the Is
lands of ST. Thomc to insure the
health ana comfort Of the native la
burcra IS the opinion given to the
world by nearly an distinguished for
eigncrs who have lately visited the Is
land and among others by such men
as Michael Chevalier. Gravier,
Schultz. Spenglcr. Montet and by that
distinguished British official and ex-
nlorer. Sir Harry Johnston.
The mortality among the natives
not only on the islands. but all
through the length and breadth of
'quatorial Africa, where the labor
'rs come from, is very high: It Is even
ppallingly so when compared TO
hat Of more temperate zones. But
whether this arises from the natural
eatures Of the country or some pc
uliarly disability OF the races by
which II Is inhabited. IL * evident
hat an Improvement IN the condi-
ions can only be gradually attained.
ven. supposing that an Improvement
s possible The death rate among
he native laborers on the much
bused island of 81 Thome is no
Ilgher than that Of the natives work
lg in the mines of the Transvaal, Ia
comparatively good and temperate
Innate Even on the most unhealthy
lantatiOns of the island. death does
Ot exact 80 heavy a toll as Il does
n the Central African natives em-
loyed In those mines