The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-12-23

embracing IN the venture which
brought about the existence of the
Congo Free State. Belgium has long
been largely ovcrpopuiated and the
king thought he saw an outlet for
emigration IN central Africa He ex-
lausted every effort in trying to in
duce his government 10 take up tile
project as a coloniziug plan bu, vas
unsuccessful. and finally took the
whole burden upon himself. investing
his own large fortune and borrowing
millions more in developing his idea.
He actually Impoverished himself in
his effort to do what he thought was
best for his own people. He continu
ally asked the Belgian government to
take over the project years after 1t
was begun. but he was still unsuc-
cessful. Then the returns from tire
Congo began pouring in in golden
streams and the Belgian government
began to awake to the fact that it
allowed Il glorious opportunity 10 pass
by. England. too. became jealous of
the work that Leopold had accom-
plished and Immediately began a sys-
tematic campaign of abuse. That
Leopold has lived up.to his agreement
made with the powers there can be no
doubt. and there has never been any
real dispute ON this point.
Methods Of England.
Never until the venture began to
lS-fSN ia, Is.v.,
worry herself with alleged atrocities
in the Congo Free State. Then the
world was flooded with reports of
every kind of the most revolving char
acter and Leopold was pictured as
hearii.ss monster aud Il deep dyed ty-
rant whose power should be broken
at all hazards. Sc-call,d nissianar-
les sent out from England sent back
reports OF countless atrocities COM
mittcd by the Belgians. nine tcnths of
which We're absolutely false and the
rest grossly exaggerated.
t~. Illuminating Incident.
As an instance of the false reports
that were sent out, Mr.. Ewing while
acting as minister. frequently re-
ceived large bundles OF letters from
the state department. which had been
written by the missionaries to the
secretaries of the various missionary
societies i'm this country and by them
forwarded to the state department for
attention. These letters were filled
with charges Of cruelty by the Bel
gians and most of the letters bore evil
dences of untruth upon their face.
One in particular. after a series of
charges against Leopold. stated that
the missionary party had gone lp q
certain river and had converted ten
entire tribes in ten days. A few
months later Mr.. Ewing was shown a
letter from the same writer to the
secretary of the Congo Free State in
Brussels in which lie stated that he
had nothing but the highest praise for
| the proceedings of the Bclgians i'm the
Congo. but that lie could not say as
much for some of the other nations
Mr.. Ewing was mystificd and asked
the reason for the change OF heart
II developed thai the missionary had
accepted position at s. day in the
service of the Belgians. Copies of the
two letters were forwarded to the
state department In Washington and
the American minister received no
more missives containing charges
against Leopold in the Congo district.
!. The plan pursued By those in the
employ of Leopold to subtugate the
interior Of Africa has been to push
gradually toward the interior while
keeping a base OF supplies at points
passed over i'm the onward march. 4
handful of Bclgians are thus sur
rounded at all times by countless say
ages. many of them eannibals. One o.
the Belgtans. IL young man of excel
lent attachments whom Mr.. Ewing
came afterward to know well. came
upon missionary about 800 miles
from the coast selling firearms and
Ammunition to the natives. which, OF
course, would be used against the Bal
gians. The missionary was hanged to
the nearest tree and England inme-
diately began to cry loudly for repair
alton. The accused WAS tried hr 4
board at the coast town and WAS ac-
quilted. whereupon England insisted
that the board had been composed en-
tirely of Beisians. and insisted that
the man should be tried at Brussels
by an international board consisting
of representatives OF the powers. Mr..
Ewing attended this high trial from
beginning to end. and when the evil
dence was in. even the commissioner
from England was forced to admi,
that the man should go free. He was
riven his liberty and WAS married on
the same day.
Rule Has Been Firm.
That the rule in the Congo Free
State has been firm there can be no
doubt. but there can be as little aues-
tion that. considering the character of
the natives. measures have been us
lenient as Is consistent with good dis
cipline. Dnauestionably there have
been instances where mercy might
well have been granted. but on the