Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-04-15
OF
CONGO FREE STATE

Brussels April liking Leopold's
return is expected to MARI the begin
ming of new phase in tho struggle
between the monarch and parliament
over the question Of the annexation OF
the Congo Free State, by Belgium.
The king is unalterably opposed TO
annexation and for the time being
seems complete master OF the situation
His refusal to permit the Congo admin
istration OF which he is The absolute,
untrammeled monarch to furnish IN
formation concerning the finances OF
his African state TO the parliamentary
commission OF the country Of which he
Is the constitutional King. practically
cheolSmates the parliament,
Public opinion In Belgium Is divided
as to the advisabiltty of anuexlng the
Congo There Is II natural antlpathy
on the part OF many 10 Belgium emu
barking upon a colonial policy There
is a large body OF stockholders In the
cOncesslonary companies who are con-
tent TO receive big diViden and no
questions asked The commercial class
generally reaps indirectly large proflts
from the wealth coming out Of the Con
80 and the mass Of the people, daz-
sled by the prod gality of the monarch,
his manifold gifts. the ma gniflceut pub
lie structures, he is constantly building
are Indifferent OF on the side OF the
king. Nevertheless sentiment In favor
of annexation grows constantly
I'm parliament The majority is strong
ly convinced that the destirles OF the
immense black population OF the kings
African publications. comprising 100000
square miles demand that civil adj
ministratIon amenabla to public opln-
ION, and "A cabinet responsible 10 parlia-
fnent should be substituted for the ir-
responsible call az one nian-
Whether the stories OF atrocities and
awful exploitation of the helpless
blacks are exag gerated or not, the eN-
istence AT various times and places of
the most revolving abuses has been es-
tablished and the advocates OF annex
alton argue that IL Is impossible 10
prevent their recurrence as long as the
administration and exploitation Of this
vast territory and population arc con-
Quoted secretly with the aid OF half-
savag black native levies. But the Bel
GUM parliament cannot vote anpeNa-
alton in the dark and the king refuses
the information necessary to a. COM
plete understanding OF what the state
would be assuming II II took over the
Congo.
on the face OF things the Congo adj
nlinistra ton grows annually deeper in
outs landing bonds ting to $780,
600 900, not including 2T0000o0 francs
lean made by Belgium in return for
which Leopold made his WILL In favor 4
of the state. Notwithstanding the an
nual deficit OF the administration un-
told millions continue to pour out of
the Congo. The profits of the cunces-
sionary companies are enormous-one |
of them paid five times its capital stock
In a single year.
How much the kings revenue really |
Is has already been a matter OF specu.
lation- IL has been estimated from So |
700 600 to sl2, 900 900 II @ is supposed to get
half the profits OF the concessionary |
IL Is lhe relation OF the \
government of the Congo free state to |
the companies and to the 'lsing's do 1
maine priYe, their financial relation |
especially, which the Belgium parIla- Il
lnent seeks In vain, In the opinion OF /
the best Judges of the situation Leopold |
can continue to defer parliamentary ac-
ton and prevent annexation as long "a
there Is no outside interference. II an in
conference actually threat
ened with the possibility, II not proha-
billy, that IL would revoke the trustee
ship, given him by the powers at Ber-
lin IN 1885, the general belief Is he would
hastily yield and accept annexation.
ABOVE all the king seems apprehen- |
stVe OF English intervention In favor |
OF conference, The English inter-
est Is both sentimental and economic
Stories OF atrocities rivalling In brutal
ity the tales of the Portuguese slave
trade, which originally attracted the
OF humanity to the Congo
basin have aroused public sentiment.
bu1 ever since the tariff was imposed
In 1883 there has been a deep resent
ment In England because English
goods are practically barred from the
Congo
The other country most feared by
Leopold Is the United States and he
has made an especial EFFORT TO disas
sociate America from England In any
step the latter may contemplate. This
Is universally accepted here as tho
secret OF the Immense concessions
made by the king 10 an American syn
dictate. II is considered q shrewd po-
itlcal move not only for the purpose