New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-02
RELGIll ANp Tie CONGO.

II seems to be- expected that Belgium Will
annex the Congo. Entire willingness that she
should do so is manifested In other nations
Indeed there is a strong desire that she should
do so as a means Of assuring 10 the African
state p better admins ration than It has under
the personal rule of King Leopod-or perhaps
we should say Of assuring the world that II
has better administration than some OF It's
critics now declare. This general state Of mind
denotes however a significant change from
that which existed when the Congo State was
formed and a striking reversal of the under
standing which then dominant.
There can be no doubt that the original plan
was for the Congo State never to be Identified
with any other but to remain for oil time neu-
trail and independent 1t with that idea In
mind that the United States regarded the crea-
ton OF that state with benevolent favor. The
objects Of the society" said President Arthur.
IN speaking Of 1t. ARE philanhropic. II does
mot aim at permanent political control
1T may become advisable for us 10 cooperate
'in promoting the rights Of trade and residence
in the Congo Valley free from the Interior
"ence or political control Of any one nation"
Two years later the sovereign of the Congo
State officially declared that IN conformity
with the general act OF the conference AT Ber-
lin, the Independent State OF the Congo hereby
declares itself perpeually neutral"
Yet nearly seventeen years ago on the occa-
sion Of Belgium's lending the Congo $5,O0O,OOO,
1t agreed that ten years and six months
thereafter, to wit at the beginning OF 1901,
Belgium might, II she pleased, annex the hide
pendent (and 'perpetually neutralD State Of
the Congo, with all the property rights and
advantages attached to the sovereignty thereof;
and the Belgian Parliament Is now consider
ing the ways and means OF fulfilling that agree
ment and making that annexation actual and
effective OF course II Is not 60 be overlooked
that Belgium herself is In the same status as
the Congo, and is IAN independent and perpet-
ually neutral state" and 1t may be argued that
to annex one neutral state to another does not
impair nor alter its neutrality Yet practically
In the matter Of tariffs and political control
Belgium is no more neutral than any other
European state and her annexation of the
Congo will certainly bring the latter under the
political control OF one nation" which was pre-
csely the thing America aimed to prevent
The advantages of replacing the present ar
bitrary personal despOtism with responsible
representative government are. however so
manifest that probably not a single voice will
be raised against this radical reversal of the
status Of the Congo. If It is annexed by Bel
GUM, it will belong to that country. and that
country will be responsible for IT, We can
scarcely expect 1t 10 sustain To Belgium such
a relation as Canada, Cape Colony or even
Rhodesia. does to Great Britain or Algeria to
France. 1t is not sufficiently civilized for that
1t will have status more like that of British
Nigeria, or perhaps the French Congo or the
German CameroonS But even that will prob
ably be an improvement upon the present sys-
TEN.