New-York tribune., 1908-02-25
COOPERATION In CONGO
BRITAIN AND AMERICA.
Lord Fit1maurice Defines Position
of Government.

London. Feb 24.-In the course of the debate
in the House Of Lords to-day the Congo sit
uation Lord Fitzmaurice under secretary, rep
resenting the Foreign Office, pleaded for little
more time fer action the part of the Belgian
government He pointed out the enormous diff
culties both international and Belgian, which
hindered q speedy accomplishment of the re-
forms in the Congo desired by everybody. The
negotiations between the Belgian parliament and
King Leopold had reached crisis, and it
required time to adjust the delicate points of
difference The British government. the speaker
said would not regard as satisfactory anything
short OF a complete vindication of both the
treaty obligations and the claims of humanity
Lcrd Fitzmaurice said he thought the appeals
rrAde for this country had received a marked
response from the United States-a fact which
disposed OF the charge that Great Britain
animated by territorial and commercial ideas.
He added:
Of the highest Importance, not merely because
Of the influence and power Of the United States,
great this Is. but because the United States
could not under any conceivable circumstances
he charged with what Great Britain unfortC-
nately has been charged abroad-namey. purely
selfish ambition The United States have no
ambitions in Africa They among the very
nrst to recognize the existence of the lnterna-
1onal Association of the Congo, out OF whlch
the Congo Free State grew. and therefore If the
United States came forward and co-operated
: they cooperating with Great Britain
that a OF first rate Importance.
We have been in consultation with the gov
erIlrnent of the United States Our minister and
theirs have been in communication with each
other in Brussels. and nothing could be more
valuable TO the cause of Congo reform or agree
able than that this cooperation should
continue and he extended further. One Ques-
ZION in which the people of the United States
and ourselves particularly interested is the
refusal Of the Congo State to carry out its
treaty obligations with regard TO the granting
Of the rights for the chapels. churches and
schools Of the various missions had hoped
TO he able to say something satisfactory on this
question this evening. but 1 am sorry TO have TO
tell the House that during the last few hours
have received information from Brussels show
ing the attitude Of the Congo State to be even
more unsatisfactory on this question than it
d year ago / only promise the House
that the Foreign Office Will not lose sight Of
this question and that it will continue to press it
Lord Fitzmaurice said the British government
regarded the situation with anxiety and that
these debates could not go on forever. but he
hoped that the Belgian parliament would act
UP 10 its own high traditions.
He then paid tribute to the efforts of VI.
Beernaert. when Premier. reform the Congo.
but. he added. these efforts We're all reduced TO
absolute nulliJy by Influences and powers entire
y outside the Belgian government. parliament
and the people. and the result has been as great
q rlesation Of international and treaty rights.
great a defiance of public law and as great a
sacrifice OF the interests or humanity as arSt
the modern world ever has heard Of"
In announcing the early publication Of White
Book on the Congo, Lord Fitzmaurice said
This book will include the first outward and
visible sign of the cooperation between our
selves and the United States-a very interesting
extract from the report Of an American Consul
which bv permission We were allowed to in
corporate
The report which Lord Fitzmaurce referred
is that OF James A Smith. the American Consul
Lob
imposed upon the natives by the food taxes
The conditions Of rubber collecting and the
cheating practised on them in the delivery Of
rubber by false weighing The report shows
that the women in the villages Of the Leopold
VILE district practically hare ceased TO bear
children owing to the ineessant work made
necessary for the payment Of the food taxes