KONGO INVESTIGATION OF AFFAIRS IN THE KONGO.' [Continued from Foreign Relations, 1907, p. 791.] The Secretary of State to Minister Wilson. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT of State, Washington, January 9, 1908. What has recently occurred regarding Kongo cession? Upon recent reports of continued oppression of natives of the Kongo, this Government is much indisposed to delay urgent representations in the sense of my letter to Ambassador Reid dated November 4,2 transmitted to you November 6. Cable report promptly. Minister Wilson to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] ROOT. AMERICAN LEGATION, Brussels, January 10, 1908. Your telegram January 9 just received. The death of Prime Minister de Trooz has very much altered the situation relative to the annexation of the Kongo. I am informed that Minister Schollaert, on taking office, insisted on such changes in the treaty of annexation as would lead to the absolute suppression of the so-called Domain of the Crown, which is the source of the greatest complaint, and the free and unrestricted exercise of Belgian sovereignty in every part of the Kongo. The new minister has just taken office this day, and all questions of policy are supposed to be in a state of transition. Immediately on receipt of the department's telegram I submitted to the British minister, Sir Arthur Hardinge, a copy. He emphatically expressed the opinion that any action at the present time of transition would be unfair and ill considered. He stated also that he had as yet no definite instructions to act; that his instructions did not contemplate an urgent representation, but simply a private and informal hint. As the spirit of the department's prior instructions, as well as the fact that we are not signatory to the Berlin act, would indicate that 1 In connection with this subject reference is made to Senate Document No. 147, Sixty-first Congress, first session, entitled "Affairs in the Kongo," and to the British Government's publications on "Africa" mentioned therein. See Foreign Relations, 1907, p. 812. in concerted action with the British minister my rôle should be one of support and in some sense secondary, I am obliged to ask whether the department now desires me to make an immediate and independent representation based on its instructions to American Ambassador Reid and its telegram of December 16. WILSON. No. 279.] Minister Wilson to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN LEGATION, Brussels, January 15, 1908. SIR: I have the honor to report that at the session of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives yesterday the new premier, Mr. Schollaert, made the following declaration of the policy of the Government in regard to Kongo matters: The sad occurrence which has rendered necessary a modification in the composition of the Cabinet has in no respect modified the programme of the Government. We refer to the communication made to the Chambers by the late regretted Mr. de Trooz at the moment when he assumed the direction of affairs. Since then an important fact has arisen on which a declaration appears to us to be necessary. The Government had announced the production of a scheme "for the taking over by Belgium of the African colony." At the same time it intrusted plenipotentiaries with the "duty of preparing, in conjunction with the plenipotentiaries of the Free State, the agreement which should effect the transfer of the Kongo to Belgium and of deciding the means of execution." The instructions given to these plenipotentiaries were to arrange this agreement "on the lines of that of 1895, the text and annexes of which are to be brought into relation with the actual situation." The plenipotentiaries labored with equal conscientiousness and activity and were soon in a position to present to the Government a complete report on the actual situation of our future colony. A treaty of annexation was then concluded, under date of November 28, 1907, between Belgium, represented by all the members of the Government, and the Kongo Free State, represented by its secretaries-general. And at the sitting of December 3 you were put in possession of the bill approving the treaty of annexation. I conformity with a previous decision, you ordered the examination of this proposal to be referred to the commission of seventeen, which was already engaged in examining the colonial bill. Without in any way wishing to anticipate the results of the labors of the commission, we are in a position to state that the attentive study of the documents and annexes attached to the proposal has confirmed, and perhaps gone beyond, the opinions previously formed on the state of material prosperity of our future colony and its future. It is possible that further light may be thrown on certain points, but it would be unfair to contest the merit of a work which has hardly existed a quarter of a century and which finds itself in the first rank among similar enterprises. It is our duty also to state, and we do so with patriotic pride, that the immense majority of the Belgian nation desires to take over the Kongo State. It feels that the moment for taking a definite resolution has arrived. The time has come for Belgium to decide. Now, the opening of the Kongo to civilization is the work of her King. It is for her sake and with the help of the Belgians that he has occupied the country. The idea that the Kongo must be ours is so clear that for most people the great African colony has no other name than that of the Belgian Kongo. Finally, it is our duty to state, and we do so with perfect openness, that the tenor of the treaty has provoked certain apprehensions in many minds, even among citizens devoted to a colonial policy and admirers of the work of the Sovereign of the Free State. The attentive study of the question will show to what extent the objections which have been raised are well founded, and whether they can not be satisfied by some change in the plan. You do not expect us to improvise a solution at this moment. For it must not be forgotten that the object of the discussion is an agreement which requires the consent of two contracting parties. Our most ardent desire is that in the examination of this great and patriotic question our only thought should be the welfare and prosperity of the mother country, of the native populations, and of the colony. At this solemn moment let us forget our differences of opinion; let us work together without distinction of party. We appeal for the assistance of all for this great work which we are about to undertake for the expansion and future of our country-the work of the entire nation. At the conclusion of the reading of the declaration, Mr. Hymans, leader of the Liberals, stated that the attitude of the Left toward the treaty had not changed in any wise, but that it would enter into a free and fair discussion for the purpose of assisting the Government in finding a solution in accord with the interests of Belgium. Mr. Vandervelde, leader of the Socialist Party, spoke in a similar tenor, with the reservation, however, that the Socialist Party were opposed to annexation of the Kongo to Belgium in any form. It will be noted that Mr. Schollaert has not committed himself to any definite program. His declaration may be said to be moderate in tone, conciliatory, but not indicative of any radical departure from the policy of his predecessor. Undoubtedly interpellations for the purpose of ascertaining the definite program of the Government will be made in the Chamber very soon. The replies thereto, and the discussions which must inevitably follow, will most likely reveal the exact purposes of the Government and define its attitude in Kongo matters. I am now informed that Sir Edward Grey has instructed Sir Arthur H. Hardinge to make to the Belgian Government the communication already arranged with the United States minister at Brussels, as stated in Mr. Reid's No. 216,' as soon as the latter is ready to do so. This will enable Sir Arthur H. Hardinge to act at once as soon as you see fit to instruct the United States minister at Brussels. Sir Edward Grey assures me that he is very glad to be in accord with you in this matter. In fact, he has always been so, though he left the time and opportunity to the discretion of the British minister at Brussels, whose delay no doubt may be explained by local conditions, such as the change of government, death of the prime minister, and the attitude of the present government, which, apparently, is more favorable to our mutual views. 1 Not printed. CARTER. Minister Wilson to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Brussels, January 23, 1908. Visited Belgian minister for foreign affairs in company with Sir Arthur H. Hardinge and made representation in accordance with our several instructions. I introduced the subject of our visit by saying that public opinion in the United States was deeply concerned over conditions in the Kongo region, alleged to be in violation of the act of Brussels, 1890, and that my Government was very solicitous at this moment of the possible taking over of the Kongo by Belgium; that important reforms should be instituted, especially in the carrying into effect of article 2 of the Brussels act. I said, moreover, that we are not concerned with the commercial or territorial aspects of the Kongo question, but that we reserved our right of approval of annexation until assured that the same would provide for the carrying into effect of the humanitarian provisions of the Berlin act, as reenforced and emphasized in the Brussels act of 1890. In conclusion, I expressed the hope that the treaty of annexation might [provide?] such safeguards for the execution of the Brussels act as would be satisfactory to international opinion and public opinion in the United States. Sir Arthur H. Hardinge defined his Government's position at much greater length, but the substance of what he said was that the British Government, while not desirous of influencing the attitude of the Belgian Parliament, found it incumbent nevertheless to make known the fact that it reserved its right as a signatory to the Berlin act, in view of the possibility of the annexation of the Kongo not being carried out in conformity with its spirit. Belgian minister for foreign affairs made no comment whatsoever upon the observations we offered, confining himself to simple questions, having for their object an exact knowledge of the two Governments' attitude. WILSON. Minister Wilson to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Brussels, January 30, 1908. Belgian minister for foreign affairs has handed me a memorandum for copy and return in regard to our interview of January 23. It intimates that the annexation of Kongo is not an international question. Recites that the treaty now pending declares that Belgium in accepting cession assumes treaty obligations of Kongo State and that Belgian Government will execute same in same spirit and letter as observed in its own existing treaties with other powers. Touching acts of Berlin and Brussels on the conventional basin of the Kongo, states that the fact of Belgium being a contracting party therein is a sure guaranty of intentions of Belgian Government. Concludes, expressing the friendly and amicable, as well as private, character of the memorandum. Minister Wilson to the Secretary of State. [Extract.] WILSON. No. 290.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Brussels, January 31, 1908. SIR: I have the honor to confirm my cablegram of January 30. As therein stated, Mr. Davignon, the Belgian minister for foreign affairs, called at the legation on the 29th and left with me for copy and return a memorandum, copy and translation of which are inclosed, relative to the interview which thte British minister, Sir Arthur Hardinge, and I had with him on January 23. The department will note that the memorandum is addressed more particularly to the representations made by the British minister than to those which, under instructions from the department, I briefly submitted. This is accounted for by two circumstances: First, as a natural resultant of my indication to Mr. Davignon, as reported in my No. 285,1 that on account of our purely humanitarian interests in the Kongo question and the greater and more complicated interests of Great Britain, I preferred to have my British colleague present our case in extenso, and confined my own remarks to a brief but literal representation of the department's views; second, to the fact that Sir Arthur Hardinge, subsequently to our interview, permitted the secretary of Mr. Davignon to take a copy of his written. statement, thus making the same the basis of the discussion. I was not asked for a memorandum of my brief observations and I suppose that Mr. Davignon-perhaps properly-assumed that in voluntarily surrendering the principal rôle to my colleague I had also assigned to him the right to receive a direct reply. The essential point, however, of my representation is noted in Mr. Davignon's memorandum, and there is no doubt whatsoever that our position was clearly expressed and clearly understood. In the meantime I shall carefully watch the course of events here and report the same to the department. I have the honor, etc., HENRY LANE WILSON. [Inclosure.-Translation.] [See Belgian Gray Book, 1908.] Nota Pro Memoria, January 29, 1908. Sir A. Hardinge, in accord with his colleague of the United States, has brought to our knowledge that the annexation of the Kongo to Belgium was considered by their Governments as the best solution under the circumstances. 1 Not printed. |