The Detroit times., 1909-12-22
LEOPOLD KNEW OF
CONGO ATROCITIES
Or. JOS. CLARKE.
Documentary Evidence and Photo
graphs Revealing Horrible Cruel
ties Were Placed Before Him.
DIR. JOS. CLARKE.

IT rs absurd and untrue for any
Vell-informed. fair-minded person to.
say that the late King Leopold. OF Bel
GUM. did not know OF the atroCiT.as
practlccd upon the natives in ,A4
Congo Free state, said DR. Joseph
Clarke, the Baptist missionary who
has labored in the Congo for nearly
30 years. and Is in Detroit at present.
the guest OF Miss Hattie NJ Hodge,
No. 20 Washington-ave. He knew
perfectly we'll and did nothing 20 stop
them. ! know that documentary evi.
dence setting forth In sworn affidavits
the cruelties going on there and
photographs OF toe mCtila.ed bodies.
dead and alive, OF the wretched ma
tives were seen by him time and again
His only reply was these are the birth
pangs of nation His own court OF
inquiry sent 20 the Congo hve years
ago aud composed OF three well.known
Belgian jurists was the result OF the
tremendous pressure brought 10 bear
upon him by the indignation OF the
whole world. !, myself was brought
before that court at regular intervals
during its long inquiry. and in one pub.
lished report OF its findings. which can
be- found in any public library, the
testimony I gave may be read
Not one OF the statement made
by me or by any other missionary
were ever discredited We were
much surprised that the court
should have made so fair n
statement in its findings in face
OF the fact that King Leopold wanted
the most favorable verdict 10 himself
that could be returned. Il is strange
fact that the United States was the
first country to recognize the flag OF
the Association Internationale as rep
resenting a friendly power. but such
was done In 1854. Leopold appealed
10 America as the only ouside power
whose action in this matter would
hold. and without making the close
inquiry which should have been done
the officials IN Washington sent word
TO Americas ambassadors and conSuls
throughout the world that the Congo
Free state must be recognized as a
friendly power The Association In
ternationale was composed OF King
Leopold. Henry NJ. Stanley and an
American named Sanford, but very
soon Stanley and Sanford were
dropped and Leopold was the whole
association. just as be Ia the largest
stockholder in every company that has
ever been permitted 20 operate IN the
Congo Why, his own private prop
erty in the state was nine times
larger than the whole OF Belgium and
IS the richest In the Congo, millions
OF dollars going into his private purse
from IT,.
The statement that Leopold had
done so much for the betterment Of
the natives. made by Theophile Fran
co.'s. Belgian consul in Detroit, was
drawn 10 Or. Clarke's attention; also
that England has been at the bottom
Of the exposure OF alleged Congo cruel
ties
1T is ridiculous to make such an
accusation against England or any
other country. the facts have como
from men OF every nationality who
have lived in the Congo Free state for
wears and are intimately acquainted
with the actual conditions" said Dr.
Clarke. King Leopold, or the Bel
eian government has never done any
thing for the natives Every human
Ting influence that have ever been
provided for them has been estab-
lished by the missions On the con
trary the government has used every
means in its power 10 prevent the mis-
slonaries establishing schools and hos
pitals and other elements of civiliza
ton. We are not permitted 10 carry
or our work except in the territory
in which we are now established"
Or. Clarke SAYS the natives are re-
markably intelligent and learn very
quickly. He SAYS that the new king
OF the Belgians can do much toward
reform II he will throw the weigh OF
Lis ou-p nersonalitv I'm that direction