ARTICLE 5. Neither of the arbitrators shall be a citizen of either of the nations signing the present convention, nor be domiciled within their territories, nor be concerned in the questions forming the subject of arbitration. ARTICLE 6. The agreement provided for by Article 31 of the convention of July 29, 1899, shall fix a period during which the exchange between the parties of the memoranda and documents relating to the subject of litigation shall take place. This exchange shall be terminated in all cases before the beginning of the sessions of the arbitral tribunal. ARTICLE 7. The agreement shall fix the sum which the high contracting parties shall place at once at the disposal of the Permanent Bureau of the Court of Arbitration in order to cover the expenses of procedure, in accordance with Article 57 of the convention of July 29, 1899. ARTICLE 8. The arbitral sentence shall specify the periods within which it is to be executed if there is occasion for it. ARTICLE 9. The present convention is concluded for a period of ten years. It shall take effect one month after the exchange of ratifications. In case neither of the high contracting parties shall have made known six months before the end of the said period its intention of terminating it the convention shall remain obligatory until the expiration of one year from the day on which either of the high contracting parties shall have denounced it. ARTICLE 10. The present convention shall be ratified within the shortest possible time and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Madrid. In witness whereof the plenipotentiaries have signed the present convention and have affixed thereto their seals. Done at Madrid, in duplicate, January 23, 1905. JOOSTANS. THE MARQUIS DE AGUILAR DE CAMPOO. His Majesty the King of the Belgians and His Majesty the King of Denmark, desiring to settle as far as possible by means of arbitration the differences which may arise between their countries, have decided to conclude for this purpose a convention and have appointed as their plenipotentiaries, to wit: His Majesty the King of the Belgians- Baron de Favereau, knight of the Order of Leopold, etc., senator, his minister of foreign affairs, and His Majesty the King of Denmark— Mr. Johan-Wilhelm de Grevenkop-Castenkiold, his chamberlain and chargé d'affaires at Brussels, knight of the Order of Danebrog, Who, after having communicated to each other their full powers, which were found in good and due form, have agreed on the following articles: ARTICLE 1. The high contracting parties agree to submit to the Permanent Court of Arbitration established at The Hague by the convention of July 29, 1899, the differences which may arise between them in the cases enumerated in article 3 in so far as they affect neither the vital interests nor the independence of the contracting countries, and provided it has been impossible to reach an amicable settlement by means of direct diplomatic negotiations or by any other method of conciliation. ARTICLE 2. It shall be the privilege of the high contracting parties to decide whether the difference which shall have arisen involving its vital interests or its independence and whether it is consequently of such a nature as to be comprised among those which are excepted from obligatory arbitration according to the preceding article. ARTICLE 3. Arbitration shall be obligatory between the high contracting parties— 1. Under the reservations indicated in Article 1 in case of dispute concerning the application or interpretation of any conventions concluded or to be concluded between them, with the exception of those in which third powers have participated or to which they have adhered. 2. In case of disputes regarding pecuniary claims when the obligation to pay is recognized in principle by the high contracting parties and when the dispute is solely concerning the amount to be paid. In these cases the signatory powers renounce the right to avail themselves of the reservations mentioned above. ARTICLE 4. The present convention shall be applicable even if the disputes which arise have had their origin in events prior to its conclusion. ARTICLE 5. It is understood that the foregoing article shall not be applicable to differences which may arise between a citizen of one of the parties and the other contracting nation whe 1 the courts are competent to decide the controversy according to the laws of that nation. ARTICLE 6. When there shall be an occasion for arbitration between them, the high contracting parties shall, in the absence of compromising clauses to the contrary, conform in all that regards the appointment of the arbitrators and the arbitral procedure to the rules established by the convention signed at The Hague on July 29, 1899, for the pacific settlement of international controversies, except as regards the points indicated hereinbelow. ARTICLE 7. None of the arbitrators shall be a subject of either of the nations signing the present convention nor be domiciled within their territories nor be concerned in the questions which form the subject of arbitration. ARTICLE 8. The agreement provided for by Article 31 of the convention of July 29, 1899, shall fix a period within which the exchange shall take place between the two parties of the memoranda and documents relating to the subject of the litigation. This exchange shall be completed at all events before the commencement of the sessions of the arbitral court. ARTICLE 9. The agreement shall specify the sum which the high contracting parties are to place immediately at the disposal of the permanent bureau of the court of arbitration in order to cover the expenses of procedure in accordance with article 57 of the convention of July 29, 1899. ARTICLE 10. The arbitral sentence shall specify the periods within which it is to be executed. ARTICLE 11. The present convention is concluded for a period of ten years. It shall take effect one month after the exchange of ratifications. In case neither of the high contracting parties should have given notice six months before the end of said period of its intention to terminate it the convention shall remain obligatory until the expiration of a year from the date on which one of the high contracting parties shall have denounced it. ARTICLE 12. The present convention shall be ratified within the shortest possible period and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Brussels. In witness whereof the plenipotentiaries have signed the present convention and have affixed thereto their seals. Done at Brussels, in duplicate, April 26, 1905. FAVEREAU. J.-W. DE GREVEN KOP-CASTENKIOLD. His Majesty the King of the Belgians and His Majesty the King of the Hellenes, desiring to settle as far as possible by means of arbitration the differences which may arise between their countries, have decided to conclude for this purpose a convention and have appointed as their plenipotentiaries, to wit: His Majesty the King of the Belgians Baron de Groote, knight of the Order of Leopold, etc., his envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to His Majesty the King of the Hellenes; and His Majesty the King of the Hellenes— Mr. A. G. Skousès, commander of the Royal Order of the Saviour, etc., his minister of foreign affairs, Who, after having communicated to each other their full powers, which were found in good and due form, have agreed on the following articles: ARTICLE 1. The high contracting parties agree to submit to the Permanent Court of Arbitration established at The Hague by the convention of July 29, 1899, the differences which may arise between them in the cases enumerated in Article 5 in so far as they affect neither the vital interests, the honor, nor the independence or sovereignty of the contracting countries, and provided it has been impossible to reach an amicable settlement by means of direct diplomatic negotiations or by any other method of conciliation. ARTICLE 2. It shall be the privilege of the high contracting parties to decide whether the difference which has arisen involves its vital interests, its independence, or its sovereignty, and whether it is consequently of such a nature as to be comprised among those which are excepted from cbligatory arbitration according to the preceding article. ARTICLE 3. Under the reservations indicated in Article 1 arbitration shall be obligatory between the high contracting parties— 1. In case of disputes concerning the application or interpretation of any conventions concluded between them, with the exception of those in which third powers may have participated or to which they have adhered. 2. In case of disputes relating to pecuniary claims between the two contracting parties based on damages when the principle of indemnity is recognized by the parties. ARTICLE 4. The obligatory arbitration which is accepted on the matters mentioned in Article 3 shall not be claimed for acts prior to the present convention. ARTICLE 5. When there shall be an occasion for arbitration between them, the high contracting parties shall, in the absence of compromising clauses to the contrary, conform in all that concerns the appointment of the arbitrators and the arbitral procedure to the rules established by the convention signed at The Hague on July 29, 1899, for the pacific settlement of international controversies, except as regards the points indicated herein below. ARTICLE 6. None of the arbitrators shall be a citizen of either of the nations signing the present convention nor be domiciled within their territories, nor be interested in the questions which form the subject of arbitration. ARTICLE 7. The agreement provided for by Article 31 of the convention of July 29, 1899, shall fix a term during which the exchange shall take place between the two parties of the memoranda and documents relative to the subject of litigation. This exchange shall be completed at all events before the beginning of the sessions of the arbitral court. ARTICLE 8. The arbitral sentence shall specify the period within which it is to be executed. ARTICLE 9. The present convention is concluded for a period of five years. It will take effect one month after the exchange of ratifications. In case neither of the high contracting parties should have given notice six months before the end of said period of its intention to terminate it, the convention shall remain obligatory until the expiration of a year from the day on which one or the other of the high contracting parties shall have denounced it. ARTICLE 10. The present convention shall be ratified in the shortest possible times and the ratification, shall be exchanged at Athens. In witness whereof the plenipotentiaries have signed the present convention and have affixed thereto their seals. Done at Athens in duplicate, April 19 (May 2), 1905. P. DE GROOTE A. SKOUSÈS. INVESTIGATION OF AFFAIRS IN THE KONGO FREE STATE. a No. 44.] Minister Wilson to the Secretary of State. AMERICAN LEGATION, Brussels, December 2, 1905. SIR: I have the honor to inclose a copy of La Vérité sur le Congo, containing a résumé in the English language of the report of the special commission to investigate the administration of King Leopold in the Kongo. The report seems to be made in a spirit of perfect fairness, and the findings of the commission will doubtless be accepted as unprejudiced and just conclusions. Report of the Commission of Inquiry.b [From La Vérité sur le Congo, of November 15, 1905. Extracts.] A careful look through the report can leave but one impression on any unbiased reader, viz, that the comissioners spared no efforts whatever in their endeavors to ascertain the truth and also that they concealed nothing of what they did find out. Objections were made a Text of general act of Berlin of Feb. 26, 1885 (to which the United States is not a party), is printed, with other correspondence, in Senate Ex. Doc. 196, 49th Cong. 1st sess. See also House Ex. Doc. 156, 48th Cong. 2d sess.; House Report 2655, 48th Cong. 2d sess.; House Ex. Doc. 247, 48th Cong. 2d sess. Bulletin officiel de l'état indépendant du Congo, Nos. 9 and 10 deposited in the library of the Department of State. (wrongfully, we may say,) on the ground of the small area of territory over which the commission's investigations extended. The commissioners say, however: "We only visited a small portion of the vast territory belonging to the State, but it can not on that account be said that our investigations were limited to the districts we traveled through. The information gathered by the commission concerning those districts it did not visit was nevertheless sufficient to enable it to form a very accurate idea as to the conditions of life of the natives throughout the whole extent of the state territory." * * * "Although our mission was to try and find out what ill treatments or abuses the natives were suffering under," say the commissioners, "in short, to find fault, we feel sure that we will also be allowed to point out the improvements we noticed as well. We will say at once that a traveler in the Kongo nowadays, should he think of the coutry as it was but a few years ago, according to descriptions given by explorers, and then compare it to its present state, can not but marvel at the truly wonderful progress achieved. "Twenty-five years ago this territory was still in the clutches of absolute barbarism, and one or two Europeans only had succeeded in crossing it, at the cost of superhuman efforts and meeting none but hostile tribes at every step, the people of the region, decimated by the raids of the Arab slave dealers, nevertheless were continually and mercilessly indulging in intertribal feuds; at any moment a traveler was liable to come across a human meat market and to see buyers approach and mark the part of the victim they particularly desired to obtain; the funerals of chiefs invariably meant that hundreds of slaves were to be slain and all their wives buried alive. And yet now, a new state, fully constituted and organized, has rapidly sprung up in this dark and mysterious continent and has brought the blessings of civilzation into the heart of Africa. "At the present time safety reigns supreme throughout the vast territory. A white man unless animated with hostile intentions, can travel almost everywhere, alone and unarmed. The slave trade has been eradicated, cannibalism is severely put down and is gradually disappearing, and human sacrifices are becoming more and more rare. Towns, much resembling our own favorite watering places, have been built to animate the banks of the huge river, and the two chief towns on the Lower Kongo Railway, Matadi, the seaport, and Leopoldville, the big river port, with the bustle of its quays and docks, very much remind one of our European industrial centers, the Mayumbe steam train; the Cataracts Railway, running through the most hilly part of the country; the Grands-Lacs line, laid through the heart of the equatorial forest; 80 steamers running up and down the Kongo River and its tributaries; a complete postal organization; a telegraph service with about 800 miles of lines; hospitals in all the chief towns; in fact, all the latest advantages of civilization have been introduced in the Kongo and give travelers the impression that they are in a country which has long enjoyed all the blessings of European education and not in one which but a quarter of a century ago was totally unknown and savage. It makes one wonder what magic power or firm will, aided by heroic efforts, was able to so change a country in such a short time. "This impression is further strengthened by watching the practically perfect organization of the young state. There are but a small number of agents, and yet the state has succeeded in effectively taking possession of and ruling the vast territory. A judicious distribution of posts has brought officials into contact with the natives throughout almost the whole country, and there are at the present time but very few villages unacquainted with the power of 'Boula Matari.' The government at Boma keeps up a regular course of communications with every one of these posts, be they near or far. All details or news from any part of the country must pass through the Bohma government office. Reports sent in at fixed dates enable the governor-general to keep in touch with the experience gained by every one of his 2,000 agents. The central government, however, has superintending work to do and often sends out instructions to the various territorial chiefs. Thus the programme and method of going to work adopted by the officials of every degree is always the same. The unit of command is plainly visible everywhere, and the central organization of the Kongolese system works accurately and rapidly without stops or friction. "The judicial organization also deserves praise, the chief claim for which is the popularity of all the judges among the native population. "Nor must we forget the splendid work accomplished, simultaneously with the state, by the missionaries of every religion. Their comfortable homes, chapels, schools, pretty plantations and workshops in many places very much helped on the work of civilization." The commissioners refer to this subject once again in the conclusion of their report and say: "Had the state wished to do so, it might have prevented almost every one of the abuses mentioned. These almost invariably were caused by the same difficulty viz, that of making natives work. The state need only have done what many other colonial governments have done, i. e., allowed alcohol free entry into its territories. Alcohol-facts are there to prove it would soon have become an absolute necessity for the natives and they would have overcome their innate laziness in order to procure it. Had the wages allowed the taxpayers consisted of trade alcohol instead of cloth or other such useful articles, the chiefs and leaders |