The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-12-30

Discussion In Belgian Chamber
Charges Against Mlssionaries-The
"Patria' In Brussels-lntoIerance II,
Redistribution for Archbishop
lisIey Of Birmingham-Ant Catholic
Activity Of Wesleyan Methodists-
Irish Sanctuary Of italy.
The Belgian Chamber was engaged
last week on the Congo question con-
sequent on the Interpolation of M.
Vandervelde, the Socialist leader, who
brought the most astounding charges
against the Catholic missionaries and
the administration. He was sup
ported by two other Socialists, MN.
Roger and Wauters, who demanded a
public enquiry into the condition of
the Congo natives, and proposed to
bring in bill to that effect The
charges are very numerous, one being
that the missions in several instances
keep alcoholic liquors and distillery
appliances, which are forbidden. An
other charge is that in order to coYer
up grave delinquencies on the part of
missionary, M. Rankin, the Minister
for the Colonies, interfered with the
due administration Of justice. Then,
it is declared that missionary who
murdered native chief was not only
acquitted, but allowed to return to his
mission station though the cause of
acquittal was that he was not in his
right mind. Furthermore, these
worthy Socialists have discovered
that numbers of the children in the
Jesuit Farm Chapels on the Kwango
were stolen by catechists and are de-
tanned in the enclosure against the
wish of their relatives, while the
Jesuits are accused of resorting to
corporal punishment, such as chains
and iogging. The officials are said
to employ forced labor and to violate
the arrangements regarding the col
lection of ivory.
Socialist Charges Disproved.
M. Rankin met this terrible indict-
ment with a calm composure before a
crowded Chamber. Quietly and with
telling force he demolished one after
another the attacks of the Socialists
which he characterized as unpatriotic
and calculated to arouse further ran
cor against Belgium abroad. He
showed that the missions accused of
keeping spirits had no distillery plant
and did not sell their store to the
natives. All they had was for the con-
sumption of the white people in the
station and was mainly kept for
medicinal purposes. The terrible in
cident of the interference with JUS
tice and also the so-called murder he
dwelt upon, denying that he interfered
in the first case, where the judges
themselves stopped the proceedings,
and giving a detailed history OF the
second case, which showed that a mis-.
sionary while alone on station and
suffering from sleeping sickness had
been attacked by a native and in the
fight for his life, dazed by his terrible
malady, had showed, as in the case
with delirious people, unusual strength
with the result that he did uninten-
tionally kill the man who had come to
murder him. In impassioned words
which called forth vehement applause
from the Right, M. Rankin paid a
magnificent tribute to the Jesuits and
refuted the charge of slavery preferred
against them with regard to the chill
dren whom they have baptized and
are educating in what are called the
farm chapels. He pointed out also
that these charges brought by men
who despise religion are always lew
eled against the Catholic missionaries
and never against the Protestant who,
the Socialists evidently feel, scarcely
count in the struggle for and against
Christianity. The following day M.
Woeste, the leaders of the Catholic
party, took up the debate and strongly
indicted the Socialists. Finally, after
the two deputies had spoken, the
Chamber agreed to receive informa-
| ton on the first two counts, that of
alcohol in the mission stations and
the Interpolation in the case of Lieu
tenant Van der Becelear; the rest
they rejected. The Catholics look
forward with perfect confidence to the
publicity given to these charges,
which they feel have only been taken
up that the exposure of their false
hood may be the more complete in
the eyes of Europe and prevent any
misinterpretation by the enemies Of
Belgium abroad who might otherwise
say that no fair discussion of the
matters alleged was allowed.
The "Patria" in Brussels.
Though the Socialists have recently
opened university or college aft.
lated to that of the Liberals, they are
mot so strong even in the capital OF
Belgium as they would have the out,
side world believe from the last cleo
tions. The Catholic organization in
i hoc iT,c< npnnaI 80 rnrx,