Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1909-12-17

fonso, Emperor Francis Joseph, King
Victor Emmanuel and Queen Helene,
President Fallieres of France and Pope
Plus X. The pontiff has ordered a re-
QUEEN mass for the repose of Leopold's
soul.
Hundreds Of other messages of SYM
pathy and regret have reached the pal
ace. The sit ings of the courts rave
been suspended until the new King
shall have received the rown. Baron
Gofinet has entrusted the Kings will
to the custody of the courts.
In the annals of Europe Leopold H.,
King of the Belgians. will be remem-
bered as the only monarch of recent
times who openly and deliberately set
himself to make money out of his posi-
ton. His friends declared with pride
that he wa fit to be his own finance
minister; his critics saw in his Congo
Free State administration the most
cold-blooded exploitation Of uncivilized
races undertaken since the days of
Cortes and Pizarro. In addition, his
private life and family relations nave
been a scandal to Europe. His treat
ment of his two elder daughters has
been notorious; 1t has been suspected
that he s~quandered the fortune of his
sister, the ex-Empress of Mexico. and
stinted his youngest daughter in the
necessaries of her position, and his
friendliness with the Baroness
Vaughan, the daughter of a janitor,
amazed even the b~oulevardiers of Paris
by their boldness.
Yet for twenty years after he became
King the little that was known of Leo
pold was favorable. He was the son
of Leopold l., the ruler whose influence
over Queen Victoria of Great Britain
was so. valued by her and so beneficial
to her people. Born in 1885, he was
brought up strictly enough, and found
his principal relaxation in travel. Be-
fore he was twenty-one he had visited
a large part of Asia Minor, and after
his marriage with the Archduchess
Marie Henriette of Austria in 1853. he
Travelled to the Holy Land, to India and
China. He was about to set off TO.
Japan, which at that time had only re-
Gently been opened to Europeans, when
the death of his father, in 1865, forced
him to asSum the burdens of a King
The Congo Free State is a result of
the interest Leopold always look in the
eAPioralipi ana the opening up of
Aliica, anu ol the Jealousy Oh the great
Iu,opeah powers u eaeh other. AS
10y az io'o ene KING Oh the Beigians
coheoAeu a|conierence OF explorers and
y ulscuss the development
oi Alrica. Inc Associa-
lioh lor me exploration ana Clvhiza-
tioh ol AirisA was founded n IN con-
sequence OF the pre~occupation or the
european lowers IN the eastern ques-
lloh a. enat time IL secured an I'M
portant priority IN tne Congo region.
10 MI up the RANKS OF T. Congo
ores anu 70 gee men Tor the Pubic
works torced iapor mas been used. A
lew COTTON eioths or coiored
chiefs are oHered 10 the cniels IN re-
urn ior men. II they IAN TO supply
the.. their are often burned
soldiers raised under such conditions
ana heiu m praetical slavery ave beer
armed with the pest OF rifles n am
munition ana have been allowed tc
tyrannIze over their fellow country
men. On n slightest p~rovocation they
have been let loose to raj, pillage. mu
.liate and XII. Iheir officers have hat
little cOntfOl over them, and sometimes