The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-12

pointees has enforced them or suspended
them. There is ample and indisputable
proof that for years the merciless appli-
cation Of the system Of compulsory labor
on a great scale to the rubber industry,
from which the King derives great profits,
has caused a shocking waste Of human
life. Even the committee Of investiga-
ton appointed by the sovereign himself
reported after a visit to the rubber pro-
duoing regions Of the Congo State that
the charges of rapacity and cruelty were
to a painful extent sustained. and made a
number Of recommendations which il
adopted and honestly carried out would
have safeguarded the native victims OF
savagery and greed.
Only a few Of these recommendations,
however. met with nominal approval on
the part Of the King, and even those
which ostensibly were accepted have
VIGOROUSLY lacked enforcement. The
indignation provoked by the atrocities
perpetrated in the Congo State have
found vehement expression in the Belgian
Chamber Of Deputies, and the annexa-
ton Of that country TO Belgium has been
repeatedly proposed but hitherto has
been resisted infiexibly by tho King. II
he has now been persuaded to acquiesce
in the suggested transfer Of sovereignty
il is manifestly for two reasons: First,
that Great Britain and other signatories
Of tho convention by which the Congo
Free State was created are believed to
hA nm thn DA,nk sc IaaIa r,n~ thA titIa IF
King LEOPOLD III. to rule over that
country forfeited by misconduct; and
secondly, because the King has taken
precautions to assure TO himself the on
tinuous enjoyment of immense
from the rubber producing tracts, by
granting concessions Of the most promis-
ing of these to private corporations OF
terms favorable to himself, which on
cessions the Belgian Government will be
expected to ratify u a condition Of an
nexation.
We repeat. however, that any change
in the present situation of the Congo
State which would not he a change for
the better is scarcely conceivable. From
the when the country becomes
annexed TO Belgium the laws affecting il
will be made by the Belgian Parliament.
and their execution will be intrusted to
officials designated by the Ministry for
the time being, which will be responsible
{ the Chamber of Deputies and therefore
necessarily subjected to the supervision
and control OF a vigilant and intelli-
gent public opinion. There is reason
to believe that on some grounds such a
solution of the Congo problem would be
preferable to the incorporation of the
territory with the French dependency
which adjoins it IN the north, or to a
partition Of 1t among a number of Euro
pean Powers. High minded Belgians feel
that their national reputation for en-
lightenment, equity and humanity has
suffered from the iniquities known to
have been perpetrated by representa-
tives Of King LEOPOLD ii. in the Congo
State, and they would welcome an OPP
portunity for national rehabilitation.
II was in any event high time that the
worst blot on the record Of Europe's
recent relations with Africa should be
effaced, and that the s~candalous and in-
famous exploitation of the Congo State
by King LEOPOLD III. should be brought
to an end.