THE stories of terrible atrocities in the Kongo Free State (so-called) will not down. And they almost invariably come from Protestant missionaries of good repute, whose testimony in ordinary matters would be deemed unimpeachable. The latest revival of charges against the government of Belgium in the "Free State" comes from Rev. Ira L. Wickware, who says:
So horrible are the happenings that people here can not realize how they can be true.
The Congo Free State is rich in rubber and ivory, and King Leopold manipulates the whole affair. By the treaties he is required to put down slavery, but slavery exists worse than before. He doesn't sell them, but he forces every man, woman, and child to do his work.
Everything required by his soldiers is accomplished by forced labor. By manipulation every man is made to labor for him. Private companies, of course, pay, but nevertheless it is forced labor.
The soldiers from the cannibal tribe are trained, and are ten thousand times worse than in their natural state. They perpetrate atrocities upon the men and women and children who fail to bring in the rubber, and thousands can lift up stub hands as testimony. It is so many pounds of rubber or so many hands.
One missionary you know so well met some officers carrying baskets laden with hands, the blood from them dropping to the ground.
Governments close their eyes, yet the Baptist and Presbyterian societies in New York and Mr. Moule of Liverpool can give you ten times more sickening evidence of the atrocities.
You do not know half the torture inflicted on these poor souls for failure to bring in the rubber demanded. It is so many pounds of rubber from the women or so many women's breasts are cut off, and this goes on.
King Leopold has flooded the world with literature saying that the missionary lies. But I tell you further that I have seen poor, defenseless natives whipped and killed because they have not been able to bring in the required merchandise.
Why the governments that agreed to allow the "free state" to become a protegé of Belgium do not protest against the well-known abuse of the trust is to many people a mystery. Not long ago there was a sensational appeal to President Roosevelt to enter a protest; but in a short time the matter was dropped—probably because our government was in no sense a party to the arrangement. But that reason on the part of the leading European governments does not exist. It appears, however, that conditions on the Kongo, worse than the slave trade, which they all united to suppress, do exist—conditions that indicate anything but a "free state."
Like thousands of others whose hands have been cut off.
the need of the world, and that Christ and His Gospel are one and inseparable. We call Him Lord and Saviour first, and Teacher afterward. I do not think it possible that there shall be internal warfare any more. Every man's relationship to Christ conditions every other man's relationship to Christ. We must come together as one in order that we may pray as one, so that we may receive those large things that God has for us in Christ Jesus. The approach to Christ always draws to one another. As we are of one Lord, and of one faith, why shall we not hope and expect that we shall be also of one church?
