Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-29
BELGIUM AND THE K0NG0 COLONY


in the annexation of the Kongo Free
State as a colony In the
Incidental principle of the ancient
device: 1T is an Ill wind
oe"ent. that blows nobody any
good" The exploitation of the Kongo COL
ony indeed will necesstate the building
of a merchant navy, and then, military
navy for its protection 1t may mean
the passing of little Belgium into the
greater Belgium, which has been the
dream of the king since the days when
he was yet the Duke of Brabant.
Addressing the Belgian senate. of which
he was a member, in March. 1861, the
Duke Of Brabant, speaking of the rail-
ways and canals constructed, said:
But if these magnificent constructions
suffice to bind together the districts OF
Belgium they fail to place in direct COM
munication our centers Of production with
the great markets of America. 1 would
that the stations of Antwerp and Ostend.
where the railways end, did not end
there, but on the contrary open thence 9
larger route to our national activity. !
the points of departure of numerous
steamers which. prolonging our railways
over the sea. bring to Belgium the COM
merce and carrying trade which escapes
US"
And the duke. become King Leopold II,
in a speech in the senate on the LIST OF
January, 1905. recalling what he had said
nearly half century before, said:
could not realize them all. 1t is with your
aid I count to do SO yet, for if the life
OF man is brief. that of nations is lndeti-
Mite A country is never small when IT
is bathed by the ocean. l pray that the
intelligence and activity which abounds in
our country will be employed in making
Belgium greater Belgium,
the particular interest which attaches
to the kongo annexation question is CEN
tered in the present discussion in the Bel
gian chamber and the amendments which
the government has proposed to the orig
inal proposition. The principle of parlia-
mentary control is now definitely conceded
and established. In the original project
the Belgian chambers had only a voice
in the loans proposed, for the colony bud
get. strictly speaking, was established by
the cabinet This essential concession will
facilitate eventually an accord between all
parties, all the more probable that 1t is
expressly stipulated that the Belgian court
of accounts will receive from the min
istry of colonies all necessary documents
for the absolute control of receipts and
expenses on account OF the colony.
Another important amendment is that
which treats of the composition of the
colonial council. In the
colonial first proposition this coun-
counc;, Gil was composed of mem
bers named by the king
and therefore not under the direct author
ity of parliament. The proposition of NJ
Schollaert gives the king the appoint
ment of six members of the colonial coun-
Gil. but as in other nominations these as
we'll as those appointed by parliament, are
under the control and responsibility OF
the ministry.
The new amendments also guarantee
the complete independence Of the magis.
tracy. Magistrates may not be revoked
by the king except on the proposition OF
the governor general Of the colony for
causes provided for by decree and in ac-
cord with the counsel of the supreme
court In case of instruction and for rea-
sons Of prompt establishment of order
the king may replace the civil by the
military regime.
The government proposes the establish
ment of permanent commission of sew
en- whose duty 1t will be to oversee and
protect the native. This commission
which is to be presided over by the at
torney general. is named by the king, who
is to receive an annual collective report
on the measures which should be adopted
in favor Of the native. The members of
the commission have the individual right
to denOunce abuses and irregularities
against the native.
The position OF parties in the Belgium
chamber Is a curious study and merits
brief mention.
The extreme left is absolutely opposed
in principle to annexation. and besides
claim that the actual conditions are In
admissible because annexation In any
case should be effected without <condi-
tons. The special fund of 6O,OOOOOO
francs to be created in order to meet the
costs is the object of very severe criti-
cisms. NJ. Felicien Gather. one of the
opponents of the policy of the independent
state. however. has written to the Gazette
to say that he finds it only just and
equitable that Belgium assume the obli-
cations of the domain of the crown, since
this domain is transferred to Belgium.
The radicals and socialists oppose be-
sides the annuity of three millions which
should be paid within f1f-
Leopold's teen years to King Loop
>. old. The constitution, they
claim. stipulates that the
civil list is fixed and cannot be modified
To this it Is answered that it Is not, prop
erly speaking, an increase of the civil list.
but a means of aiding and sustaining the
works of the king n the interests of the
colony, and in no sense a personal in
terest
The Catholic and liberal parties view the
proposition with favor. They are disposed.
however, to discuss the clause reserving
10000 hectares for experiments in coffee
culture and the obligation that Belgium
maintain the concessions to the Amer
lean Kongo Company and to the Forest
they declare their satisfaction that the
sum of 45.OOO,OOO francs, in lieu Of 60,OOO,-
900, has been set aside for the purpose of
executing important public works in the
colony AS for the special fund of 50.OOO,-
600 francs which Is to be paid by an
nuities to the king, it is quite we'll under
stood that this fund Is destined to be ap-
piled to a precise purpose in the colony.
The tax on labor 1t is known constitutes
one of the principal subjects of complaints
of the anti-kongoists. The commission
will propose certain reforms tending to
the development of the circulation of
pay their taxes in money and not as here
tofore by labor This subject has been
exploited by the anti-Kongoists. who have
trusted to it's success by the ignorance OF
the public which. notwithstanding all that
has been said on that head by all trav-
elers-the refusal of the savage negro to
accept money-the public refuses to be-
lieve, at least affects to do SO.
Mr.. Savage Lander. the well-known
English traveller, in his recent book
ACROSS Widest Africa" on the question
of rubber and money. says:
Each mans name was registered SO
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