The Warwickshire Herald. — 1895-10-17 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

AFFAIRS ON THE CONG STORIES OF BELGIAN CRUELTY.  A Press representative has had an interview with a missionary who has returned to England from the Upper Congo, where ho has been working for 14 years. In declining to allow the publication of his name or of his station, he said: "The whole truth regarding the situation on the Congo can never be made public by anyone who has to return there. The State officers are so far from any central control that if they heard that the missionaries, for instance, had said anything they would retaliate by attacking the natives round the stations, even if the white men were not themselves hurt." Asked for any further information on the Stokes affair, the missionary said: "I know nothing personally of that incident. I heard of it on my way down the river—that is all. I do know Captain Lothaire, however, and therefore was not surprised. He, in common with a few other State officers whom I could name, are held in special awe by the natives. The people on the Lulangs river call him .Lofembe,' meaning 'mist,' by reason of the uncertainty of his movements. I must say that Lothaire is by no means the worst of the Congo officers,as there are many in the State service who have A STILL WORSE REPUTATION among the natives. The following is a specimen of Captain Lothaire's actions. Some four years ago he arrived with some black troops at a point opposite the mission station of Lulongo. Finding the natives bad fled on hearing of his approach, he pitched his camp on an island facing the station, and sent over to the missionary asking him to use his influence to get the natives back, and promising a three days' truce in order to hold a palaver. The missionary, su; posing he was dealing with an officer and a gentleman, induced the natives to come into the station. As soon as they did so Lothaire and his men opened fire on them, and killed a number. Naturally the natives attributed this treachery to the missionaries. Later, when Lothaire sent word to another mission station that he was about to visit it,  THE MISSIONAUY WARNED THE NATIVES around the station not to return if they were sent for. One important thing connected with the Stokes affair seems to have been overlooked. It is that Stokes had been robbed of a caravan worth £4,000, and it is quite likely that many of the arms found by the State officers on the natives formed part of the booty. This being so, it. is scarcely probable that the per.ple would admit having stolen them, but would he iintsli more likely to declare that they had got them from the British trader. This might happen in the case of any trading or mission station being looted by the natives, as materials for purposes of shooting game as well as for defence are always kept in readiness, including, perhaps, a thousand cartridges. If these were found on the natives, the State officials might as readily declare that they had got them from the British. This does not affect the action of Captain Lothaire one way or the other, but, in my opinion, it throws an important side light on the affair. We missionaries, who have known the Congo long before there was a Free State, see how it is being ruined by the existing condition of affairs. One can march for long distances over a country once dotted with prosperous villages, where now none are to be seen. The NATIVES ARE FLEEING  from the banks of the Belgian Congo, and are flocking to French Congo, where they are well treated. Flourishing towns on the Belgian Congo, such as Lokolela and many others, are deserted, both on the Congo river and on the Mobange, and this is all brought about by the cruelty and rapacity of the State officers. Is it any wonder that the natives are leaving the country when, in the event of rubber or ivory not being forthcoming, orders arc given for so many people to be murdered, and the hands of the victims—even those of little children—are taken in baskets to the officers that there may be no doubt that the orders are carried out ? If the history of the Congo were written it would arouse the indignation of Europe.