The Delta independent., 1915-05-21
Belgian Atroeity Before this War

In the April number of the Sud
Deutsche Monatshefte." Josef Hof-
miller discusses Belgian Culture" in
the Congo. basing his article to a
great extent on f. d. Morel's king
Leopold's Rule in Africa Iondon.
1910. Twelve years ago the world
resounded with accusations raised
against Leopold's misrule in the Con-
go by Mr.. Vandervelde, who then was
Socialist Deputy, and who is now a
Minister of State. At present a PAM
phlet is being circulated in London
containing the following passage:
We have forgotten that the Bel
gians were the most cruel, the vilest
the most cowardly ours of Europe, and
. that we English said so and denounced
the Belgians until the whole world
loathed them. Their degradation re-
heard OF blood-soaked rubber, of ne
groes whose hands and feet had been
cut off; of murder and lust. Today
we hear of nothing but brave little
Belgians-heroes and martyrs
In view of the attempt to white
wash the Belgians as innocent lambs,
and to brand the Germans as wolves,
II is well to see how Belgian rule in
the Congo has developed After the
Berlin Conference in 1854 King Leo
pold became ruler of the Congo state
Rumors came across the sea that the
fights in the Congo state were more
sanguinary than ever. that even canni-
balls were used against negroes and
half-Arabs, and that tribute was paid
in slaves and ivory. There was a
rumor that the Colonial troops had
been doubled. that Maxim guns and
cannons had been imported. The
British patron became suspicious. es-
pecially as the tolls on rubber and
ivory were very high.
The philanthropic prince who
wanted to show how Africa was to be
don and Manchester at the same rate
as the expenses of his Congo enter
prises rose. Sir Roger Easement. who
was British consul at Bona. exposed
the wretched Vaccinations which
made il possible to cheat the Congo
nation out of thirty millions dollars
for rubber within four years, Be
hind every rubber worker a soldier
was standing with a loaded repeating
rifle. Near the Mamboyo River the
government furnished 5000 cartridges
in six weeks.
ITO avoid waste of ammunition. the
soldiers were enjoined to deliver the
right hand of native for each car
fridge used. They did even more
and killed children with their rifle
butts. The native Colonial troops had
to procure ivory and rubber without
payment, to flog women. to murder
babies at their mothers breasts. to
take from negroes their sheep and
goats, to steal their land and burn
their villages. All this was proved
successfully by Murphy. a missionary:
by Glave. scientific traveller. and by
Sjoeblom. Swedish missionary
Witnesses counted 160 hands out cf
a single fight; they had been dried
on small ovens and rubber piled over
them. Natives had been mutilated
without distinction of age or sex.
Even Conan Doyle. the Belgophile.
felt induced to write book on the
Congo Crime Between December.
1908, and December. 1909. the English
Congo League submitted to the British
Foreign Office no less than fourteen
memorials on Belgian atrocities in the
Congo. Then suddenly all the books
and pamphlets disappeared and the
Congo League dissolved. What had
happened?
"Hofmiller thus answers that ques-
ton. The English planned to attack
Germany and the Belgians agreed to
that plan and promised their cooper
alton. The negotiations were started
In 1906 by Col. Barnardiston, who then
was British military attache in Brus.
sells. England at once accepted what
II had rejected in 1885, Belgian's tax.
ing over the Congo State. In Belgium
the army was increased. the fortresses
were strengthened. and the Belgian
theatre Of war was systematically
mapped by the British General
Staff. Cologne Gazette.