Minister Wilson to
the Secretary of State.
[Extract.]
American Legation,
Brussels, June 17,
1906.
No. 100.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of department’s dispatch No. 61, of April 28, inclosing a copy
of a letter from A. McLean, president of the Foreign Christian
Missionary Society of Cincinnati, and instructing me to bring to the
attention of the Independent State of the Kongo the matters therein
complained of.
Upon receipt of the department’s dispatch I immediately addressed a note
(copy inclosed) to Secretary-General de Cuverier, inclosing a copy of
the letter of Mr. McLean. After a long delay an answer has just been
received (copy inclosed).
I have the honor, etc.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Mr. Wilson to
Mr. de Cuvelier,
secretary-general of the Independent State of the Kongo, May 19,
1906.
Mr. Secretary-General: I am in receipt of a
dispatch from the Department of State at Washington, inclosing a
copy of a letter from Mr. McLean, president of the Foreign Christian
Missionary Society, of Cincinnati, in which the complaint is made
that the officials of the Kongo Free State decline to sell land to
the society for the location of schools, chapels, homes, and
hospitals. The station of this society is at Bolengi, but no
information is furnished as to the location of the land desired.
I will thank you, Mr. Secretary-General, for information as to the
present attitude of the Kongo Free State relative to applications of
this character. I inclose herewith a copy of the letter of Mr.
McLean.
Please accept, etc.,
[Inclosure
2—Translation.]
Mr. de Cuvelier
to Mr. Wilson, June 16,
1906.
Mr. Minister: By your letter of May 19
last, your excellency has kindly brought to my knowledge the
contents of a letter addressed by Mr. McLean, president of the
Foreign Christian Missionary Society, of Cincinnati, to his
excellency the Secretary of State at Washington, in which Mr. McLean
complains of the refusal of the authorities of the Independent State
of the Kongo to sell land to the society in question.
After investigation I am able to state that there is no trace in the
archives of the Government of a request for land addressed by the
authorities of the Foreign Christian Missionary Society, and not
more than your excellency have I any information as to the land
desired by this association. I have not failed to request
information on this point from the local government.
I may add, Mr. Minister, that the interpretation of Mr. McLean of the
“spirit if not the letter of the treaties” calls for some reserves:
If, in virtue of these treaties, American citizens enjoy in the
Kongo the right of purchasing-land, these treaties do not establish
for them nor others the right to compel owners to sell.
I avail myself of this opportunity, etc.,
Note: To be continued in Foreign Relations, 1907.
