The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-11-20
DON'T DRINK
 SLAVE COCOA
\ Hundred Years After Lincoln's Birth America Is Called Upon to Help Abolish Slavery in Portugal
Arthur P. Kellogg.

Arthur P. Kellogg
 (Exclusive Service The Survey Press Bureau.)
 In this centenary year of Lincoln's birth. America is called upon to help abolish slavery. The methods pro- kernel of the whole abolition plan is to organize public sentiment against the use of siave-made goods
 As a result of MT. Nevinson's trav- els made known here through a series ! of articles in Harper's Magazine and later in book form. it has been under stood well that the Portuguese islands of San Thome and Principe the Gulf of Guinea use slave labor to the practical exclusion of all other. MT. Nevinson's reports brought home sharply that the capture of these slaves in Africa meant midnight raids on villages. chain gangs. flogging-all the familiar old cruelties of the earli- est slave traffic repeated in the twen- tieth century This has continued in spite of the presentations of foreign governments ana of prohibitory laws passed in Portugal. for the slaves are which although leaving them. nomi- nally free. makes them and their chill drcn slaves forever. It all seemed very far away and probably to most American readers a mere bit of bar bas'ism dragging temporarily over the edge of modern times.
 But the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Projection Society of London has made clear that San 1Thome- and Prin- cipe use slave labor not merely for the growing of their own food. but in cul- ttvating cocoa which is sold in every market in the world. and thus brought out sharply the responsibilities of the civilized world. With the co-opera- tion of the large chocolate manufac- turerR, most of whom are of Quaker oriain. the society has been able to close the English markets to the slave grown cocoa A similar effort in Ger many has led to an agreement among the leading German manufacturers to refuse to purchase any slave-grown goods But the net result so far has been merely a. change of market-the cocoa formerly landed in England and Germany is now shipped to America When 1t is remembered that the United States is the largest cocoa consuming country in the world importing an- a. very large amount of this. probably one-half. comes from these islands. the importance of our part in the aboli- ton movement may be realized Port ugal has tried to abolish slavery in its colonies. but thus far the effort has proved ineffective. and 1t is believed that little can be accomplished so long as the African planters find our ports open.
 To meet this situation, the anti slavery society has sent MT. and Mrs. Joseph Burtt to America to awaken public sentiment. MT. Burtt made an investigation personally in the is- lands. the results of which were pre- sented to the English chocolate manu- lecturers with telling effect During the short time he has been in America he has enlisted the interest and sup port of some of the largest manufac- turers. among them Baker. Lowney. Maillard and Huyler. All these firms it is stated. do not use cocoa of the grade imported from San Thome. It appears probable. therefore. that the propaganda among manufacturers will have to reach unnumbered small con- cerns throughout the United States. The task is a tremendous one. but MT. and Mrs. Burtt are proceeding quietly about 1t.
 In the meantime. the National Con- sumers' League has passed a resolu- ton commenting them and urging its members to refuse to buy chocolate made from slave-Erown cocoa The details of the movement So far as it affects consumers have yet to be work ed out-how purchasers may be noti- fed of which is siaVe-and which free grown cocoa. and the like.