The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-11-15


 which does everything possible to de-
 lay the coming of the new regime in
 order to keep the tide of profits flow
 ing. 1t would take a long story to
 tell what think these reforms should be, but they center mainly about the policy Of granting small homesteads about changing the methods of taxing the natives SO as to avoid compulsory labor and inequality in taxation as
 veil as the need of completely divorc-
 ing the military and commercial activ- ities of the government Tn fact the government ought both to retire en-
 tirely from commerce and to sell It's in- terest in the commercial companies. so as to restrict its interests to purely administrative functions. Nearly all
 the trouble in the Congo has arisen out
 of this direct and indirect participa- ton of the government in commerce.
 The four principal elements In the I relations between the Congo Free state and the other powers are these: The desire of Great Britain for Q continu- ous strip of territory connecting her northern and southern African pos | sessions. the desire of France for an outlet on the Nile. the desire of Ger \ many to obstruct the designs of both | her great rivals. and the passage of | resolution by the United States Senate | last year authorizing the President to CO operate with Great Britain and the other European powers in putting @
 stop to the Congo atrocities. so call I ed.
 Cecil Rhodes sent an expedition about 1892 from the south to get q hold on the territory next to Lake | Tauganiyka. known as Katanga. rich in copper and gold and along which 1 he. planned to build a section of his | Cape to Cairo Railway" But King Leopold dispatched Belgian l expedition to the same region. | The Belgians got there first, raised 1 the flag of the Congo State and made l a treaty with the chiefs, who submitted
 all the country to the sovereignty of Leopold. Rhodes was keenly disap- pointed at the failure of his alfred | line and subsequently tried to set the | King to sell or lease a strip of terri- l tory to him. This was refused. AS | Germany controls the other side ot 1 the lake and also has 8 small bite of | territory north of the lake joining the Congo possessions. British territorial l unity was effectually blocked. | sThe desire of France for an outlet I on the Nile arises from the fact of her large interests northwest of the Congo | and in the region of the upper waters l of the ubangi tributary of the Congo. | which Is more easily reached by the Nile than by the Congo. When Major | Marchaud was sent to that region some | ten years ago a storm of protest arose | in England. and Kitchener stopped | him. But now that there Is an alii- ance between England and France ana ! the whole situation is changed, there l Saeatta fslSk ftFfia nrnnxfffOn on the part of Great Britain to letting France into Lake Albert Nyanza If ! King Leopold would consent. The | latter owns the territory between | France and Lake Albert At one time | France was a warm supporter of King | Leopold and was his main reliance ! against European intervention with ! his plans for securing the whole Congo I Valley for Belgium. But this has
 changed now and France would prob ably exhibit little opposition to. any
 scheme of division if she were given | the slice she wants.
 "3ermany has been and stiil Is the | real power behind King. Leopold, That
 ls more because of the jealousy of l of Belgium. It is said that the kaiser l has moro than once cast longing eyes | on the magnificent port of Antwerp,
 really better outlet for much German Fsa,, | just as England and France have main | tained the neutrality of Belgium m | Europe, so Germany is maintaining the | is far from certain, however. that she | would continue her opposition if | dfYIsion could be effected in such a | way as to give her a substantial share
 and also satisfy the other powers | King Leopold has astuteiy counted I -l- .agf- fh | powers to get the country safely an | nexed to Belgium and SO far he ha ] succeeded. At the same time. al
 though most of the sentiment in Eng land was formerly in favor 9f gtviHs | ReiKitffn a chance to hold the country l under parliamentary regime, there is growing a strong feeling that this will
 lose the only chance to get what is
 believed to be sooner or later ahso'
 lutely necessary to her permanen'
 prestige in Africa. To have an all
 British north and south line would be
 of enormous advantage to the whole
 future. of South Africa as well as ,o'
 British interests in Egypt and th'
 Nile Valley.
 .sr4ere is where America comes in
 It is possible that the President ha'
 been somewhat at a loss to get at th'
 real truth about the Congo. owing te
 differences of opinion among traveler' ! and residents there, and that he woulC
 like to get at the facts for himself
 so as to be able to advise his sue
 cessor and to inform American public
 opinion. For this reason his visit t Africa will be of great benefit, fo
 If will at least help to definitely set
 tie that vexed question. lend stabilit!
 to vested interests there and make !
 possible for business to go on In th' | 6rAaA Ff nnlfNtCA
 changes constantly impending"
 | William E. Curtis.