Evening journal., 1922-07-06
BELGIAN congo,
RAINBOW END
Now Believed TO Contain
Worlds Traditional "Pot
of Cold
SYNDICATE SEEKS
NEW GOLCONDA

a country nearly four times the
size of Texas which was founded by
a. committee, provided pocket money
for a king. now is to be mined by
a syndicate-such is Belgian Congo
, whittier a group OF New York bust
y less men are reported TO have gone
in search of a stream where golden
pebbles may be scouped up by the
: h mdful.
Since Leopold II turned wistful
eyes toward the black gold or
ribber, of the Congo country and
Henry NJ Stanley proved that white
men could survive there, this land
OF the rainbow's end has frequently
neld public attention. says a bulle-
tin from the Washington head
quarters of the National Geographic
6ociety.
Once before rumors OF gold, to-
gether with rumors of cruelty to
ratives. sent the name Congo echo
ing around the world. The United
States Senate discussed Congo Free
State, as the country then was
known. and alleged atrocities were
deplored in churches and in meet
ings all over the United States.
..iIn the year America was cele-
brating her Independence Centen-
NAL Belgiums young king helped
form a society. along with other
European governments and geogra-
pliers, to explore Africa. After
Stanley's expedition of the follows
IL year a committee of this society,
continuing the work, developed into
" international Association of the
2 ongo. This body sought 10 unite
various territories in Central Africa
into a single state and obtain recog-
milton as a political entity. The Uni
ted States was the first to accord
this recognition, whereupon the
{ ,ngo Free State was born, in 1884.
Actually the new political division
tEe largest in Africa except the
French Sahara, was neither a state
nor free. II was an association for
its governance which was recog-
nized; and Leopold II. personally.
not in his capacity of King Of the
9elgians, was its ruler. Leopold be-
aueathed the territory 10 his coun-
try in his will.
Before Leopold's death the con-
troversy over harsh treatment Of the
natives who were pressed into ser !
vice as rubber gatherers became a |
topic of discussion all over the civ
ilized world. Missionaries and for /
eign consuls complained Of the 7
outrages The system by which {
taxes were payable only in rubber.
and the practice Of holding women /
as hostages when such payment was
not made. was liable TO abuse.
Roger Easement Protests.
One especially severe criticism was /
signed by Consul Easement at Bona .
later Sir Roger Easement, who
was hanged for conspiring against
the British in Ireland. BelgiaDs
averred that the agitation about
those abuses followed suspiciously .
close upon reports OF the discovery
OF gold. While Leopold denied the
right OF foreign powers to inter
fere in his rule OF the Congo he in
stituted reforms. Continued asser-
ton that measures OF relief were not
applied led to the cession OF Congo
Free State to Belgium in 1910.
Belgian Congo is a bowl-like pla-
teau criss-crossed by rivers, polka
dotted by marshes, ribbed with rock.
and blanketed throughout with the
equatorial forest. The veritable
jungle of this humid wilderness sur
passes any meaning the temperate
zone dweller attaches to the word
forest"
Into these primeval forests, Liv-
ingstone wrote, the sun, though