Chargé Carter to the Secretary of State.
London, December 12, 1906.
With reference to your telegraphic instruction of 10th instant, received yesterday, I saw Sir Edward Grey same afternoon. He was much gratified to learn of the President’s interest and the attitude of our Government in regard to the amelioration of conditions in the Kongo. His Majesty’s Government are not at present advised of the attitude of the other signatory powers in this regard, but they think, in view of the reports of their own agents and that of the Belgian King’s commission, that a radical change is necessary in the [Page 794] management of affairs in the Kongo. He specified more especially the conditions of forced labor in rubber under guise of taxation, which was practical slavery, leaving out of consideration the various reports of cruelty and other atrocities. He felt that there should be a parliament behind the government in the Kongo, by which he meant that the Belgian Government should become responsible for the administration of affairs in that locality. He therefore had postponed any action to await the result of the present debate upon the subject now going on in the Belgian Parliament. He seemed to think the main obstacle in the way to annexation by Belgium was the difficulty in agreeing upon terms with the King. In the event, however, of the Belgian Government not being able to arrive at such a conclusion His Majesty’s Government would feel constrained to address a note to the signatory powers, suggesting a conference. He nevertheless hoped that such a contingency might be avoided by the action of Belgium, and he promised to keep us promptly informed of any developments.