The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-21
LEOPOLD HAS LOST
 CONGO INTERESTS Annexation of Territory Settled
 In Belgium KING YIELDED MANY TIMES Belgian Chamber of Deputies Set Out To Force King Leopold To Give
 Up His Territory With
 Its Attractions.
KING YIELDED MANY TIMES

Brussels, August 20.-After several months of bitter struggle the chamber ef deputies today adopted the Congo annexation treaty by S3 votes to 55 and altho ough today's action probably will insure the solution of the great Congo problem, there still remains open the important question of Bel gium's financial responsibility. This action on the part of the cham- Der had not been expected and at the last moment nearly caused the col lapse of the cabinet. During the first reading recently of the colonial bill, which provides for the administration of the Congo independent state, and which, with the treaty, was adopted today, Herr Woeste, leader of the right, secured the adoption of an amendment relieving Belgium of the responsibility of guaranteeing the payment of the in terest on the Congo debt, but yester- day the government made a determined effort to secure the restoration of the stipulation that Belgium would make advances to Congo in case of necessity. The government was defeated in this, however, and it was generally believed that the ministers would be forced to resign.
 At the conclusion of long meeting of King Leopold and his cabinet 1t was announced that the ministry would not resign, the government temporarily ac- cepting the chambers action on tn 8 financial question. It was pointed our, however, that a direct contradiction ex- ists between the treaty and the col onial bill as voted, the treaty shoulder ing the financial responsibility while the bill rejects it.
 It is understood that the govern ment will make an effort in the senate to amend the bill so as to reconcile the provisions of the two. Among the important notifications of the original articles of the bill are the abolition or forced labor and the prohibition Of members of the Belgium parliament from exploiting Congo concessions.
 Passage Assured.
 The passage of the Congo treaty by the Chamber of Deputies means that the annexation of the state to Belgium IS now practically assured, as the Senate and King Leopold are ready to indorse the bill. The personal rule of King Leo- rold in Africa is now drawing to a close in the future he will have nothing to do with the state, which is to be admin istered by Belgium-and the hope is wide spread that there will now be an end to the atrocities and maladministration in this part of the world, which for years past has been a subject of investigation and bitter complaint by humanitarians all over the world. Governments became deeply interested In bringing about the introduction of reforms in the Congo, and it became known last year that Great Britain and the United States had about decided to interfere in the Congo admin istration unless the situation there inn proved.
 The members of the cabinet and King Leopold held a long conference this aft ernoon after which 1t was officially given out that in order to avoid the collapse of the annexation movement the govern ment had decided, in a spirit of concilia- ton, to accept the action of the cham Der in regard to Congo finances. The members of the ministry will, therefore. retain their portfolios.
 Confusion Cleared Up.
 The situation regarding the annexation of the Congo independent state was Toe hxr the action of King Leopold in withdraw ing the control of the crown domain, the richest part of the Congo, from the reg ular Congo administration in order to prevent the passing of the domain to Belgium, should annexation be consum- mated. This action was bitterly resented by the friends of annexation in parlia- ment as a usurpatlon of Belgiums na- tional heritage, and the opposition became so great that in February of this year King Leopold changed his attitude on this matter and agreed to abandon the crown domain and the crown foundation to Bel gium, stipulating that Belgium should not only assume all the Congo obligations, amounting to $21 COG, 000 but undertake also to continue the Kings usufruct in the Congo's revenues during his lifetime. Belgium was required specifically to re- spect the concessions granted to two American companies in 1906 in which Thomas F. Ryan Is interested. These stipulations were embodied in the final draft of the treaty.
 Under the terms of the treaty the Con- gos revenues are charged with the fol- lowing annual allowances:
 IWenty-four thousand dollars to Prince Albert son of the Count of Flanders, brother of King Leopold; $15.O0O to Prin- 1 cess Clementine, the kings third daugh- ter, and as an especial token of grati- tude to the king, the sum of $1O,OOO, 900 in | 10 annual installments for his use in l constructing hospitals and schools and I forwarding scientific work in Africa ! furthermore, Belgium must expend $9 ,00O, ] ooo in work, for which contracts already 1 have been made
 1 In addition, King Leopold retains 40.0OC acres of land for coffee and cocoa grow Ing experiments, and during his lifetime he is to enjoy his interests in the Congo i coneessionary companies and the property In Belgium and France, which he pur- l chased out of the funds of the Congo | foundation. Upon the death of the king all this property will revert to Bel l gium.
 l
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