No. 37.
Mr. Fish to Mr.
Bayard.
[Extract.]
Legation of
the United States,
Brussels, August 2, 1885.
(Received August 15.)
No. 349.]
Sir: I had this afternoon a visit from Count de
Borchegrave d’Alténa the King’s secretary, who said that the King, having
taken the title of Sovereign of the Independent State of the Congo, and that
State having as yet no diplomatic agents accredited abroad, he had been
charged by the King to inform me that Mr. Edmond van Eetvelde has been
appointed administrator-general of the department of foreign affairs of the
Independent State of the Congo. He said that owing to the fact that the
relation of the new State and Belgium being exclusively personal, he, as the
King’s secretary, had been charged with the mission of making Mr. van
Eetvelde’s appointment known to me, with the request that I would
communicate it to you, and also to request me to transmit an original letter
to the President from the King notifying the latter’s assumption of the
title of Sovereign of the Independent State of the Congo of which he
furnished me with an office copy as well as the original.
Count de Borchegrave also left with me two open letters addressed to you by
Mr. van Eetvelde, one notifying you of his appointment and the second giving
you the official guarantee of the neutrality of the new State and defining
its limits in accordance with the general act of the recent conference at
Berlin.
* * * * * * *
I transmit herewith the originals and translations of all the documents,
excepting Count de Borchegrave’s letter to me, of which I inclose a copy and
translation. They are duly enumerated in the list of inclosures. I have only
to add that I believe this method of making the communication has been
chosen in order to more fully mark the distinction between the new title and
that hitherto borne by the King.
I have, &c.,
[Page 58]
[Inclosure 1 in No.
349.—Translation.]
The King to the President.
Very Dear and Great Friend: The Government of
the Republic of the United States of America was pleased to recognize
the flag of the International Association of the Congo as that of a
friendly nation. At the time of the signing of the general act of the
conference of Berlin, the president and the members of that high
assembly, on receiving the adhesion of the Association to the acts of
the conference, manifested their sympathy for its enterprise. To-day
that the position of the Association is fixed in an international point
of view, that its territorial constitution is established, and that its
mission has received valuable encouragements, I am prepared to bring to
your notice and to that of the Republic of the United States of America
that the possessions of the International Association of the Congo will
hereafter form the Independent State of the Congo. I have at the same
time the honor to inform you and the Government of the Republic of the
United States of America that, authorized by the Belgian Legislative
Chambers to become the chief of the new State, I have taken, in accord
with the Association, the title of Sovereign of the Independent State of
the Congo.
The union between Belgium and that State will be exclusively personal.
The new State, I am firmly convinced, will fulfill the expectations of
those powers which have in a measure greeted in advance its entry into
the family of nations. I shall endeavor to guide it in that course, and
I entertain the hope that you will be pleased, as well as the Government
of the Republic of the United States of America, to facilitate my task
by giving a favorable reception to the present notification.
I eagerly seize this occasion to offer you the expression of the high
esteem and of the inviolable friendship with which I am,
Very dear and great friend, your sincere friend,
Edm. van Eetvelde,
Administrator-General of the Department of Foreign Affairs of
the Independent State of the Congo.
[Inclosure 2 in No.
349.—Translation.]
Count de
Borchegrave to Mr. Fish.
The
Palace.
Brussels, August 1, 1885.
Mr. Minister: The King charges me to inform you
that His Majesty has named Mr. Edmond van Eetvelde as
administrator-general of the department of foreign affairs of the
Independent State of the Congo.
His Majesty will be obliged to yon to kindly convey to your Government
the fact of this choice, and to transmit to it the inclosed letter of
the administrator-general.
I beg you, &c.,
The Secretary of the King:
Count P.
de BORCHEGRAVE d’ALTÉNA.
[Inclosure 3 in No.
349.—Translation.]
Mr. van Eetvelde to
Mr. Bayard.
Brussels, August 1,
1885.
Mr. Secretary of State: I have the honor to
inform you that the King, Leopold II, Sovereign of the Independent State
of the Congo, has deigned to name me administrator-general of the
department of foreign affairs of that State.
I shall be happy to see established between the Government of the new
State and the Government of the United States of America agreeable
relations equally profitable to the interests of both countries, and I
shall neglect nothing on my part to stamp them with this double
character.
Expressing the hope that you will be pleased to grant me your kind
confidence, I eagerly seize this first occasion to offer you, Mr.
Secretary of State, the assurances, &c.
[Page 59]
[Inclosure 4 in No.
349.—Translation.]
Mr. van Eetvelde to
Mr. Bayard.
The undersigned administrator-general of the department of foreign
affairs of the Independent State of the Congo is charged by the King,
sovereign of that State, to inform Mr. Bayard, Secretary of State at
Washington, that in conformity with article 10 of the general act of the
conference of Berlin, the Independent State of the Congo Hereby declares
itself perpetually neutral, and claims the advantages guaranteed by
chapter III of the same act, at the same time that it assumes the duties
which neutrality imposes. The district of the neutrality will apply to
the territory of the Independent State of the Congo, included in the
limits resulting from the treaties successively concluded by the
International Association with Germany, France, and Portugal, treaties
notified to the conference at Berlin and annexed to its protocols, and
which are thus determined, viz:
On the north.—A straight line drawn from the
Atlantic Ocean and joining the mouth of the river which runs into the
sea at the south of the bay of Cabinda near Ponta Vermelha to Cabo
Lombro;
The parallel of this last point prolonged to its intersection with the
meridian of the confluent of the Culacalla with the Luculla;
The meridian thus determined to its meeting with river Luculla;
The course of the Luculla to its confluence with the Chiloango (Luango
Luce);
The Chiloango River from the mouth of the Luculla to its most northern
source;
The (crête de partage) dividing line of the waters
of the Niadi Quillon and of the Congo, to beyond the meridian of
Manyanga;
A line to be determined and which, following as much as possible a
natural division of the ground shall terminate between the station of
Manyanga and the cataract of Ntombo Mataka, at a point situated on the
navigable portion of the river;
The Congo as far as Stanley Pool;
The median line of Stanley Pool;
The Congo to a point to be determined on the river above Licona
Nkundja;
A line to be determined from this point to the seventeenth degree of east
longitude from Greenwich in following, as far as possible, the line of
the watershed of the basin of the Licona Nkundja;
The seventeenth degree of east longitude from Greenwich to its junction
with the fourth parallel of north latitude.
The fourth parallel of north latitude to its junction with the thirtieth
degree of longitude east from Greenwich.
On the east.—The thirtieth degree east from
Greenwich to the height of 1° 20ʹ of south latitude.
A straight line drawn from the intersection of the thirtieth degree of
east longitude with the parallel of 1° 20ʹof south latitude to the
northern extremity of Lake Tanganyka;
The median line of Lake Tanganyka;
A straight line drawn from Lake Tanganyka to Lake Moero along 8° 30ʹ of
south latitude;
The water course which unites Lake Moero with Lake Bangweolo;
The western bank of Lake Bangweolo.
On the south.—A line drawn from the southern
extremity of Lake Bangweolo to its meeting the twenty-fourth degree of
longitude east from Greenwich, and following the dividing line of the
waters (crête de partage) between the waters of
the Congo and those of the Zambesi;
The dividing line of the waters which belong to the basin of Kassai
between the twelfth and sixth parallels of south latitude;
The sixth parallel of south latitude to its point of intersection with
the Quango
The course of the Quango as far as its meeting with the parallel of
Nokki;
The parallel of Nokki as far as its meeting the meridian which passes
through the mouth of the river Uango-Uango;
The course of the Congo from the confluence of the Uango-Uango to the
sea.
On the west.—The Atlantic Ocean between the mouth
of the Congo and the river which flows into the south of the bay of
Cabinda, near Ponta Vermelha.
EDMOND van EETVELDE.
Brussels, August 1,
1885.
