Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-02-08
Horrors Suffered by Inhabi-
taols of Putumayo District
Told Of by United States
State Department Agent,
CHURCH ONLY HOPE
FOR AMELl0RATI0N
Rubber Supply Comes From
Section Remote From CivIIi-
zation and English Company
Has Absolute Control,

Has Absolute Control,
lny Morning Journal Speclnl Leased wlre.l
Washington, Feb. with the trans
mission 10 congress today hy presi-
dent Taft of special state depart
ment report compiled BY American
Consul stewart J. Fuller at Ianitoa.
Peru, on the Anglo saxon explolta-
ton of South American Indians. In
the putumayo districts of Peru. con-
illusions on the same subject hy Fred
erico Alfonso Pezct. Peruvian minis
ter 20 the United states were made
public by the state department. The
latter statement shows that the PEE
ruvian government has been aware Of
every step taken hy American Consul
Stewart J. Fuller, and the minister
gives assurance that already steps
have been taken by his government
for the Improvement of conditions of
the putumayo.
Although IL was feared al frst that
Consul Fullers efforts had been rem
dered valueloss in many respects by
the espionage OF agents of British
rubber company, state department Of
icials now are hopeful that the abuses
Of which the native Indians have long
been suffering victims, eventually will
be terminated.
Ia bringing the putumayo under
the protection Of Peruvian Inv and
the administration of justice, the min
ister points out That his government
will rely largely upon the cooperation
OF The Roman Catholic hierarchy.
Minister Pczct declares that the
moral uplift OF the Abofigines has re-
celyed very special attention, and that
the administration has decided to
erect bishopric at lquitos aud ea-
tahlish iive missions throughout the
(distrlct With the priests from these
missions living among them and IN
struetlng theu senior Pezet Is eunfI-
dent the Indians VIII be effeetualiy
protected from any new attempts to
maltrcat or brutallze them
lie says the government at Lima
viii keep in touch with the Putumayo
country by wireless and that flo ,
fiifh w hWNRNNiM Will IAttWl AH1
sreams ia the district TO obvate a re-
turn Of tho ola outrages.
Nothing win be- neglected" he
continued. (which can be done to pro-
teet the native races from the bru-
talities which have occurred in the
past Several parties indicted for
crimes against the aborignes will be
brought 10 Justice and such OF tho
criminals as have He'd the country Will
be brought hack as soon as proper
extradltions can be maintained"
scnor Pezet declared that President
Billnghurst Is determined to punish
the cuprits Il Is shown in Consul
Fuller's report that the helpless peO-
pie OF the putumayo district were VIC
Tins Of a medieval system OF bar
barous oppression welded by the Pc
ruvian Amazon company as English
concern. which works the rubber
fields IN the upper Amazon country.
II is asserted that when the In
dians failed TO bring IN a toll of rub
bor sufficient to satisfy the overseers
1f the company, nogging, mutilation
and sometimes death followed. Debt
Is declared TO have been the chain
with which the Indians were fettered.
By being encouraged to buy more
imported goods than they ever could
nope to pay for they have been re-
lueed to what Consul Fuller found
fas virtual slavery. Little hope for
he relief of the long suffering Indians
5 held out in The FULLER report for tho
'egion Is remote from the seat of Pc
'urian government and Mr.. Fuller
inds that the trayesty on justice
which exists IA the rubber section ID
ntirely in the hands Of the rubber
'ompanys section chiefs.
The Andes form an almost impas-
ble barrier to the westward of tho
district, while, to reach tho outside
world through the Atlantic ocean,
liver craft must traverse almost tho
ntire $500 miles of the Amazon.
are unknown, and no high
iays exist worthy Of the name. IN
his faraway corner, with no means of
ppeal or redress, the Indians were
eld at the mercy of the oompanys
Nelseers. Several of the overseera
re declared TO have admitted that
ney had put Indians and even white
tborers in stocks for minor offenses.
Many Of the Indians whom Mr.. Full
y saw, bore scars or tiogglngs and
ther maltreatment The temptation
J abuse is imminent and strong. es-
ecially since the white STAFF is offered
bonus for vigilance. Mr.. Fuller
saches the conclusion that consider
Y the remoteness Of the country
nd tho poor quality OF the rubber. it
unlikely that the enterprise would
~ without hard treatment OF the IN
ans.
Although large numbers Of the 1n-
ans have been killed and some have
ieaped into the South American iune
e, the output Of rubber has inereas>
|, With goyernmental machinery abs