Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-30
CHARGES ARE DENIED
PORTUGUESE LEGATION Re-
PLIES TO PIENAAR.
No More Cruelty Exercised in West
Africa Than in Other Re-
mote Countries.

The Portuguese legation last night re-
piled to the statements recently made by
Jaubert Pienaar. former officer In the
Boer army. as to the existence of the
slave trade in Portuguese West Africa.
The statement issued by the legation is as
follows:
Joubert Pienaar was refugee In Por-
tugal during the closing stages of the
Boer war. When peace was made he in
common with many other Beers. settled
in the south of the Portuguese colony OF
Angola. 1t soon became apparent that
these Beers. ousted from the Transvaal
by the British had a plan on foot TO seize,
part of the Portuguese colony In West
Africa and to set up there a new indie
pendent Boer republic. This was in ac-
cordance with their constant practice OF
trekking further afield In order to estab-
lish a new state each time conditions be-
came unfavorable in their old haunts for
their peculiar mode Of existence.
1t was further ascertained that Pienaar
was the prime mover in this conspiracy.
For this reason, and for no other. was
he expelled from Portuguese territory
Even in Pienaars own statements there is
Internal evidence of the accuracy OF these
reports. as he declares that. If the British
government does not assist him to get
boNh iho iduuS Hc Cdll get SUFFICIENT nelp
from his brother Beers in Angola to take
them back by force of arms.
Complaints of Confscation.
"Pienaar's complaints as to the arbi-
trary confscation Of his property and
cattle are merely the vaporings of his de-
feated ambitions. In the Portuguese-Afri-
can colonies there are laws and courts
which protect, as efficiently as In any
other civilized country, the rights of pri-
vate property.
1T Is evidently unnecessary to notice
seriously such ludicrous stories as the
thrusting by Portuguese officials of red
not irons through the arms and limbs of
the natives In order to get them to bring
IN an increased amount of rubber, es-
pecially when 1t is attempted to fost them
upon the public from such a prejudiced
source.
While 1t is Just within the limits Of
possibility that some isolated instance of
Wanton cruelty to the negroes may have
occurred in the wilder parts of the in
terror, as 1t might In any other country
similarly situated. it is absolutely certain
tnat no such case has been credably re-
ported to the government Should any
instance of the kind be reasonably SUBJ
Stimulated prompt punishment and redress
would follow as a matter of course for
In no country is public opinion more SEN
sitive to the miseries of human suffering
among the civilized nations of the world
to abolish slavery
incidentally It may be mentioned that
according to the Lisbon papers, the chief
official on the staff of the minister of the
colonies Is leaving Immediately for Angola
In order to investigate personally whether
there is even the slightest foundation in
fact for the stories which are being so in
dustriously bruted abroad by interested
parties.
Alleged Mortality of Laborers.
mo information has been received at
tne legation as to the alleged mortality
among batch Of 500 laborers sent to the
Island of Principe, of which only twelve
survived, at the end of ten months, ac-
cording to Pienaar's story. 1t is possible
that some vessel taking natives to the is
land may have been wrecked on the coast
and that only twelve managed to get
ashore; or. 1t may be that one Of the cpl
denies. which have sometimes wiped out
whole villages in equatorial Africa, broke
out among the men. TO that extent the
story may be true. But 1t il simply alb
surd on the face of it to say that any
such loss of life could have occurred nor
mally, or through preventable causes.
Even setting aside all considerations Of
humanity, no one would incur the heavy
expense entailed in transporting laborers
to the islands were they. as a rule, ex-
posed to become unfit for work almost as
soon as they arrived.
That little Is left undone on the Island
Of St. Thonie to insure the health and
comfort Of the native laborers, Is the opin-
ion given to the world by nearly all the
distinguished foreigners who have lately
visited the island and, among Others by
such men as Michael Chevalier. Cravier.
Schultz, Spengler. Montet, and by that
distinguished British official and ex-
plorer. Sir Harry Johnston.
The mortality among the natives, not
only on the islands, but all through the
length and breadth Of equatorial Africa.
where the laborers come from, is very
high: it is even appallingly so, when COM
pared to that of more temperate zones.
But whether this arises from the natural
feature of the country or from some pecul-
lar disability of the races by which 1t is
Inhabited. it is evident that an improve
ment in the conditions can only gradually
be achieved supposing an improvement
possible.
"The death rate among the native labor
ers on the much-abused Island of st.
Thons is no higher than that of the
native working in the mines of the Trans
vaal, in a comparatively good and tenn
perate climate. Even on the most I'M
healthy plantations of the island death
does not exact as heavy a toll as it does
on the central African natives employed
in those mines.
New Year Day Shoot.
Arrangements have been made for the