The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1907-10-05 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

HARROWING STORIES.  The Rev. John H. Harris supported the resolution in an earnest speech, in which he deeply moved the audience by his narration of Congo horrors which had come within his personal knowledge. He e.aid he was amazed at the indifference that still obtained in many parts of the country on this Congo question, and he was convinced that the reason lay in the fact that so few had yet grasped its true inwardness. If the people only understood the present Congo system, the whole of England would rise. How many had read "lung Leopold's Rule in Africa"? Proceeding to describe the tiy6tern, Mr. Harris said armed natives were employed in ilealing with the natives who gathered the rubber, lie pictured a white man's station by the river, and the natives bringing in their quantities of rubber from the forests. A man who had the full required quantity got nothing, but was simply allowed to go off for his next supply. Those whose quantity fell short were detained, and afterwards were flogged mercilessly. Mr. Harris indicated the harrowing character of this flogging. The Congo law prescribed that "No native shall be given in one day more than 25 strokes with the whip. If he begins to bleed, or faints away, the strokes must cease inunediately." So the law sanctioned the flogging. Another method was the "hostage" method, under which a native was detained until the white man was satisfied with the quantity of rubber or ivory brought to him. Those go detained were put to work, and were taken roped together by the neck —old men and women, young women and mothers, and women about to become mothers. One of his (Mr. Harris's) cotIleagues, saw on one occasion a woman in that chain gang working while she carried on one arm an infant only three hours old (sensation). In many of those hostage houses mothers died. Mr. Harris next read a list (with names) of about twenty natives who, in his own direct experience, were either murdered or maimed, with BARBAROUS CRUELTY,  in one village, on one morning, for being short of rubber. In another village he visited he was shown the blood where many people had just been murdered, including one poor girl, who W 36 cut in half from the shoulder through because her brother failed to get suffiicent rubber (sensation). Other incidents equally shocking were told —some, he said, could not be narrated— they were unbelievable. Then Mr. Harri 6 went on to say that the white men engaged in the rubber trade excused the atrocities on the ground that their inatructions compelled them to get a certain quantity of rubber, and to employ force. "Either they must carry out King Leopold's system, or they mast commit suicide," eaid the speaker. The responsibility lay upon the man who invented that system (applause). The whole heart of Africa was being eco. ,nomically ruined by King Leopold, and ex. termination of the people was going on. In conclusion, the speaker said he firmly believed that if Sir Edward Grey would say, "This Congo iniquity would cease," the country would unanimously support him (loud applause), but the Government looked for clear assurance on that point (applause). The resolution was then carried unanimously. Mr. J. H. Ziegler, in moving a vote of thanks to the Mayor, and that copies of the resolution be sent to the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary, intimated that he should at once join the Congo Reform AEso?iation.— Mr. Bigland .seconded, and the Mayor having replied, the meeting ended.