The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-07-13
$4,000 INDIANS DIED
IN GATHERING RUBBER
Slave Driving Collectors Turned
Forests Into Graveyards
for IL Years.
PERI TAKES no ACTION
second Report by Sir Roger
Easement shows Appeals
Have Been Ignored.
Srec,dl rdbie Despatch 10 THv Sr>.

LoNpoN, July PA sensational sec
Easement. the British Consul General
al Rio Janeiro, who was sent by the
British Government to the Amazon to
investigate stories Of outrages on ma
tiyes in the rubber district, came out
to-day in the shape OF a supplementary
report to the Foreign Office. which
shows that there has been practically
a total failure on the part Of the
Peruvian Government to respond to
the demand for reform of the rubber
atrocities in the Putumayo district.
\ mass VI official correspondence.
which also was fled. completes the
story and indicates generally the cordial
cooperation Of the State Department
at Washington with the British For
srn ONCE to secure remedy for
the abuses.
The second Easement report indi-
Gates that Peru not only did nothing.
but seemed to have no intention Of
taking any action. All the measures
taken by that Government were dila-
tory and feeble and wholly ineffective.
III rev ISltluk tuc NOuutIy Ill N'StopVi,
1911, Sir Roger Easement says he found
the abuses OF which the first diplomatic
protests were filed in 1910 still prevail
ing. He says the crimes Of Putumayo.
horrible as they are. have their coun-
Ierparts In other remote regions in the
same lawless forest. He found men
who were indicated as the worst crimi-
nails and who were supposed to be
70 pnH x,yifh rrN.in0 O1 xynrlx
or when described as fugltives from
Justice they actually were carrying of
numbers Of captive Indians for sale or
for slave labor In other regions.
None Of the reforms promised by
reru. according to Sir Rogers report,
has been carried out. The civilized
methods Of the plantation have been
abandoned and the old rubber collect
ing methods resumed The returns
show that the 10000 tons Of rubber
collected In twelve years produced from
$4,000 to $7.500.000 and entailed the
death OF 10000 Indians. whose bones
are scattered through the forest and
have made certain places resemble bat
tefields.
The responsibility for this. according
10 Sir Roger. Is strictly British. as the
whole output OF the region Is placed on
The English market and conveyed from
lQuitos in British bottoms. Some en-
poyers are British subjects and the
commercial future Of the district Is de-
PENDENT on British capital.
The correspondence shows that the
remonstrances with Peru began in jan
Lary, 1910. Then Sir Roger Easement
presented a preliminary memorandum
N the Foreign Office denouncing the
atrocities in the strongest language and
giving a list Of offenders and specific
crimes.
ON January l6. 1911, Sir Edward Grey
the British Foreign Minister. sent a
telegram to Lima. the capital Of Peru
demanding reforms under penalty OF ex-
posing the atrocities to the world. Peru
was dilatory in replying and then ap-
pointed a commission OF Investigation
Next an urgent demand was made fol
the arrest Of the criminals who were
prominent In IQuitos lest they should
escape. This demand was repeated fire.
cuently. The Peruvian Government re.
plied weakly that the guilty employees
had been dismissed from the service OF
The company. Later on Peru stated
tina, Brazil had refused to extraditt
some of the guilty parties who had fec
70 that country.
In July Sir Edward Grey. after so
Letting the cooperation OF the Cnitee
states pressed Peru harder not only tt
punish the criminals, but to enact legis
alton making slavery a criminal OF
fence. The President OF Peru was re
minded OF his treaty obligations to Grea
Sritain and was also urged to establish
religious mission in the Putumayt
district, with headquarters in 1quitos
with Government backing and sub
santial subsidy.
Just about this time the United State
stepped in and brought pressure to bea
On Peru. On June 25, 1911. DR.. Paredes
the head OF the Peruvian investigation
commission. confirmed all the atrocit!
stories. Two hundred and fifteen arres
warrants were issued. but there wer
only four arrests. All the others ha
naturally used the six months delay T.
}anlsh
On July 2S the British Minister a
Lima reported that an honest Judge a
lima had been deposed In favor OF =
more convenient man." and that IN
chef prisoner had been allowed TO es
cape So the protests and delays go O
in the correspondence to the end OF 1911
Sir Roger Easement In the meantime re
porting continued denominations as lnoi
Gated above.
The nited States at this period wa
ecttvely urging Peru to realize the re
forms. Strong representations made
February 1912, met with general pre-
f'ssions ~ good Intentions by the Pres
dent of Peru, but the Government {
that country sought new delay by ar