In the House of Lords on Monday Lord Monkswell called
attention to the government of the Congo Free State, declaring that it was impossible any longer to look on idly. The Archbishop of Canterbury said that he did not believe people realised the gravity of the question, not only to the Congo State itself, but to the whole of West Africa. All the arrangements for the welfare of the natives had been "grossly and flagrantly violated." The whole debate revealed an impressive unanimity as to the intolerableness of the situation. Lord Fitzmaurice repelled the suggestion that the attitude of the Government, for whom he spoke, had been one of indifference. The problem was an international one, and extremely difficult. They were bound to try all other measures before resorting to extreme action. The Belgium scheme for annexation would probably be published in the early autumn, and he deprecated hasty action before the character of the scheme was known. Lord Lansdowne remarked that if a Conference of the Powers were contem- plated, the Government ought to be sure before trying to summon it that those invited would respond, and that the British plan of action would be approved.. We agree that we ought to wait till we have examined the annexation scheme, but we shall not be satisfied with it for a moment if it does not introduce a complete and fundamental change in the relation of the Congo authorities to the natives. The freedom of the natives to dispose of their labour as they please, and their proprietary rights, must be fully recognised. The Congo question was also debated in the Commons on Thursday night, when the Free State and King Leopold found a passionate defender in one of the Nationalist Members,—Mr. McKean.
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