Omaha daily bee., 1907-04-01
PEANUT PATCH IN CONGO
Report that sypdioats Of Americans Has
Obtained Bic osnssss!sa.
IT CONTAINS SEVENTY THOUSAND ACRES
Resolution Of Senator Morgan win
Question Right of king Leopold
TO Barter Territory
Away.
frrom a stan Correspondent.l

From a stan Correspondent.)
WASHINGTON, March Si.-(special. y
Thomas F. Ryan. financially Of New
York, socially Of Washington, and bucolio-
ally Of Virginia, is credited with having
more irons in the fire OF investment than
any man in America.
A New York story has It that Mr.. Ryan
is about to begin the experiment OF grow
ing Jumbo peanuts on 10000 acres Of land
which he has acquired in the Congo Free
State, Africa. There has evidently been a
wrong impression somewhere. The land In
which Mr. Ryan is interested in the Congo
country is not wholly peanut land, or pros
pective peanut land. It Is his share In a
concession obtained from King Leopold Of
Belgium I'm which other concessionaries
are said to be Senator Aldrich, William
Rockefeller, J. Pierpont Morgan and z. II.
Hartman.
The interest Of these distinguished gem
tlemen is seriously questioned in a resolu-
ton now pending in the senate and re-
ferred to the committee on foreign af-
fairs It was introduced by Senator Nor
gan and calls upon the president for In
formation as to any concessions granted
in the Congo Free State to any American
citizen or company Of citizens by King
Leopold. When his resolution was offered
at the close OF the last session of congress,
Senator Morgan submitted a statement in
which he asserted that the Congo Free
State was practically held in trust for the
benefit OF the Africans, to be for them a
home and a haven. just as the civilized
nations of the world had agreed as to
LIBERIA that King Leopold had just as
much right to trade away the lands Of the
Congo Free State as he had to barter
away the lands OF Liberia, which had been
dedicated to all freemen of African descent
who desired to return to the land OF their
ancestors.
MOrEan's Resolution.
The resolution is the epitome of the ag-
tauon of phllontropic and Chisitian COM
munities for many years, the work OF
whose emlssaries, and through travellers
and explorers in Africa has brought to
public attention an appalling condition OF
affairs, the terrorzing Of a million Of ma
tives and keeping them in abject slavery
under the most horribly cruel practices, all
for mercenary purposes.
The Congo Free State is of all the world
the richest region for the production OF
rubber palm oil and ivory for marketing
of which capitalists in several European
countries. as we'll as of the United States
have obtained concessions from the Bel
gian monarch who is individually inter
ested to a larger extent than any other per.
son.
But It is given out that II is the pro-
motion OF peanut culture in which Mr.
Thomas F. Ryan is most concerned. Mr.
Ryan knows something about peanut
farming in Virginia, but he is credited
with saying that the Congo country beats
the world for COOLERS. The best paying
peanut grown in Virginia Is the so-called
Jumbo var1ety-a large rich peanut
aboundipR In oil and nutritious qualities.
1T brings the highest ,J.1oe @eS That /.
the grade Mr.. Ryan promises to grow In
the Congo Free State. He will probably
make It a by-product to his rubber. palm
oil and ivory production, IL the United
States government does not act upon Sen.
ator Morgan's resolution and discover thai
the title Of himself and his associates. de.
rived from Leopold. is void.
Question for Forest Service.
The forest service has submitted to the
attorney general the question OF the legality
of the practice Of so charging commercial
companies for the right Of conducting water
through the reserves for the development
OF power and other purposes as to cause
them TO contribute to the expense Of main.
tanning the reserves. The service has
heretofore exacted payment for pipe lines
taking water from the streams in the re-
! serves, but the right to do so has beer
! questioned, and It is now the purpose tc
/ secure the attorney generals view on the
! point. The forestry administration takes
the position that the commercial companies
should pay something for the service they
receive through the conservation Of tho
waters Of the streams on which they rely
/ and they find their only opportunity In the
charge for right-of-way. Practically al
the water used by them is conveyed
through pipe lines for the production Of
| electricity, and the demand IL constantly
increasing
Chile Fails TO Send Minister.
! Chiles failure TO send a minister Il
! Washington to replace Mr.. Walker Marti
| nez who did not return here after the Pan
American conference at Rio Janeiro las
| summer, has caused much comment. Thu
neglect OF the Chilean conference TO APP
propriate suficient money 10 maintain th'
legation has been given as a reason FOL
leaving the American mission in charge Of
Alberto Yoacham, secretary Of the lega
ton But It has just become known tina
the real cause was hidden deep In Latir
American politics Chile decided It woult
be a good idea TO have an ambassador II
washington, and steps were taken 20 dis
cover what the United States though
about the proposed elevation Of the Chilean
representative to Washington. The sug