The Government of Brussels has replied to the British Note
upon the administration of the Congo Free State in an evasive fashion. It admits that acts of cruelty have occurred, "as in every other country or colony "; but maintains that the charges are for the most part "hypothetical." It justifies forced labour—that is, slavery—upon the ground that all peoples must contribute to the resources of the State, and that as the people of the Congo have no money, they must give work instead of taxes. It alleges that great improve- ments, such as schools, have been introduced, and that the native is better lodged and clothed and nourished than he ever was before. Finally, it denies that the Berlin Act pro- hibits the monopolies, which, as our readers are aware, are the main causes of cruelty. The whole document, which, though lengthy, is clever, is substantially an admission that the charges of cruelty, forced labour, and monopolies are true, but that there have been countervailing benefits, and that the Congo State has broken none of the conditions of its exist- ence. We trust that the British Government, aware as it is that the evidence for its charges is overwhelming, will not rest content with this reply. The King of the Congo evidently relies upon his weakness, but there is "a tyranny of weakness" in international affairs as well as in social life.
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