Evening star., 1942-07-26
BeIeion Congo
Fights On
Bu Frederic J. Hnskin.

one strong arm OF the United Nations
is the Belgian Congo. The part this
largest of all Belgian colonies is playing
In all-out war against the Axis is con-
spicuous In supplying ships, materials
and men.
When Belgium was invaded on May
10. 1910, there was no surrender OF the
Belgian Congo. The words. "the war Is
to 90 on" came over the radio from
Leopoldville, its capital, soon after the
surrender and that dictum has been
most fervently followed. The Consos
whole effort is to contribute most ef-
fectively to the common Allied victory.
How quickly the Belgian Congo mo-
bilized every possible effort to carry on
it's "the war is to 60 on" slogan Is found
in the acts Of the colony's Governor Gen.
eral. Immediately after the homeland
surrendered, this official ordered the In
ternment of every male German national
of military age, and placed all other
German subjects under supervision. At
the same time all German assets In the
Congo were frozen and officials appointed
for their administration. Following these
acts, persons other than citizens OF
friendly countries were prohibited from
travel in the colony without a permit.
and unauthorized public meetings were
forbidden.
These steps were taken quickly and
| without difficulty, but officials took fur
tically all corporations, Belgian and
otherwise, operating in the Congo were
| placed under local control This in
| wolves the supervision of investments
totaling some $500 100000 in private
capital and affects approximately 1000
commercial, industrial and agricultural
enterprises. The step was necessary in
order that no aid of any kind could be
extended to the enemy.
| When Belgium entered the war it
| placed the vast resources Of the Belgian
| Congo at the disposal Of the Allies.
Moreover, a number of the best Belgian
ships which regularly travel between
| Antwerp and the Congo were directed
| to carry products of the colony to French
| and British ports. This was changed.
| of course, when Antwerp fell, and so
Bordeaux was chosen as the point Of dis
| tribution. Then, when the French
signed an armistice with Germany, sup
| plies were sent directly to Britain. Later
important raw materials started In q
steady stream to the United States and
other members of the United Nations.
Something OF the importance Of these
shipments to this country is indicated
| by the import record. Going back to
1898, the United States imported only
| s1,555,O00 worth of supplies from this
| far-of region. In 1889 there was a
slight increase, but in 1910 the amount
reached the high figure of $24,So9. 900
and in 1941 imports rose to $34, ,270y 900.
The 1912 record will likely double that
mark. Materials from the Congo 60 di-
| rectly to plants in this country that are
turning out supplies for the fighting
forces of the United Nations. .s
Efforts OF the Belgian Congo, how
ever, to help win the war are not confined
to supplying steady stream of raw ma
terials to Great Britain, the United
| States and other Allied countries. At the
very outbreak of the war military forces
of the Congo were modified. At first
enlistment was on voluntary basis and
the white voluntary territorial guards
were requested to hold themselves IN
readiness. A few weeks later all Bel
gians between the ages of II and 36, not
previously enrolled in the army, were
drafted into training courses. On the
| far-fiung battle fronts in Africa and
| elsewhere forces of the Congo are now
| fighting the Axis
There is an enviable record Of military
effort to the credit of the Congo's armed
forces. In the First World War. after
| Germany had attacked the colony from
her adjoining possessions in violation OF
the treaties that guaranteed its neu-
trality, Congo armies successfully car
ried the fight into enemy territory,
native troops displaying conspicuous
| bravery, hardness and loyalty under the
| leadership of their white officers. Today
| Congo fighting forces are showing that
| they are made of the same metal.
The Belgian Congo is large territory.
equal In size to the States Of Texas.
New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada.
Oregon and Montana combined. Within
its borders is the great Congo River
flowing for more than 5000 miles, afford
ing water for the desert regions. pro-
viding shipping facilities, and supplying
moisture for thousands OF acres OF pas
tureland on which are found millions OF
wild and domestic beasts
The vast Congo is best known in his
tory as the place of the early missionary
efforts of George Grenfell and where
Henry M. Stanley, under the auspices
of the New York Herald, found David
Livingstone. Scottish explorer and mis-
sionary, after he apparently had been
lost for three years. The most avid
reader of Stanley's reports was Leopold
II. Later he read Livingstone's heart
rending stories Of African slavery and
made up his mind to assume the task
of stamping out slavery there and plac-
ing the land under Belgian control.
Several nations Immediately set up
claims, but after overcoming various
difficulties and carving on numerous
negotiations, an international confer
ence at Berlin in 1885 recognized the
Congo Free State under the sovereignty
of the pioneering Leopold. Later the
political title, Congo Free State. was
dropped and since then the region has
been officially known as the Belgian