Minister Wilson to
the Secretary of State.
[Extract.]
American Legation,
Brussels, January 31,
1908.
No. 290.]
Sir: I have the honor to confirm my cablegram
of January 30. As therein stated, Mr. Davignon, the Belgian minister for
foreign affairs, called at the legation on the 29th and left with me for
copy and return a memorandum, copy and translation of which are
inclosed, relative to the interview which the British minister, Sir
Arthur Hardinge, and I had with him on January 23.
The department will note that the memorandum is addressed more
particularly to the representations made by the British minister than to
those which, under instructions from the department, I briefly
submitted. This is accounted for by two circumstances: First, as a
natural resultant of my indication to Mr. Davignon, as reported in my
No. 285,1 that on account
of our purely humanitarian interests in the Kongo question and the
greater and more complicated interests of Great Britain, I preferred to
have my British colleague present our case in extenso, and confined my
own remarks to a brief but literal representation of the department’s
views; second, to the fact that Sir Arthur Hardinge, subsequently to our
interview, permitted the secretary of Mr. Davignon to take a copy of his
written statement, thus making the same the basis of the discussion. I
was not asked for a memorandum of my brief observations and I suppose
that Mr. Davignon—perhaps properly—assumed that in voluntarily
surrendering the principal role to my colleague I had also assigned to
him the right to receive a direct reply.
The essential point, however, of my representation is noted in Mr.
Davignon’s memorandum, and there is no doubt whatsoever that our
position was clearly expressed and clearly understood.
In the meantime I shall carefully watch the course of events here and
report the same to the department.
I have the honor, etc.,
[Inclosure.—Translation.]
[See Belgian Gray Book, 1908.]
Nota Pro Memoria, January 29,
1908.
Sir A. Hardinge, in accord with his colleague of the United States,
has brought to our knowledge that the annexation of the Kongo to
Belgium was considered by their Governments as the best solution
under the circumstances.
[Page 542]
The Belgian Government notes with satisfaction the opinion of the
cabinets at London and at Washington regarding the joining of the
Kongo to Belgium. Since these two countries have the same sovereign
and the same obligations, it is therefore merely a question, from an
international standpoint, of a simple transfer by which the
advantages of the parliamentary régime enjoyed by the mother country
will be conferred upon the colony.
The Belgian Government, when transmitting to the Chambers the papers
in the transfer, could not fail to recall to them that in 1895 the
project of annexation did not elicit observations from abroad. This
is a well-known fact, to which it has not on this occasion added any
commentaries.
The treaty of cession not having as yet been approved, and the
colonial law not having been voted, the form of interior
administration which will be effected by annexation is at this
moment under examination and discussion in Parliament in the full
exercise of the supreme authority of legislative right, and Sir A.
Hardinge has thought it proper to indicate that the British
Government was anxious to avoid all intrusion therein.
Sir A. Hardinge has insisted, however, that no doubt should remain in
the mind of the Belgian cabinet regarding the capital importance
which the two Governments attach to the application by Belgium, if
she should take the place of the Independent State of the Kongo, of
the provisions of the international agreements regarding the
absolute freedom of commerce, of the rights of Christian
missionaries, and of the humane and equitable treatment of the
native population. The minister of the United States has
particularly insisted upon the importance which his Government
attaches to the enforcement of the provisions of article 2 of the
general act of Brussels concerning the treatment of the native
races.
The treaty of cession, now before the Chambers, declares in its first
article that Belgium, in accepting the cession, assumes as its own
the obligations established by treaties which the Kongo State has
concluded with foreign powers. The Government of the King will
observe in the execution of its engagements the same care and the
same loyalty it applies, in spirit and in letter, to the convention,
of whatever nature, which to-day bind Belgium with the Government of
His Britannic Majesty and of all other powers.
Regarding that which particularly concerns the provisions of the
general act of Berlin of February 26, 1885, and of that of Brussels
of July 2, 1890, concerning the conventional basin of the Kongo, it
might be well to recall that Belgium is a directly contracting party
to these international acts, and that her plenipotentiaries took a
part therein, which is a sure guaranty of the intentions which
to-day inspire the Belgian Government.
In making this reply to Sir A. Hardinge and to Mr. Wilson, Mr.
Davignon is animated by the same sentiments which have called forth
the unofficial communication of their excellencies, and he attaches
to it the same friendly and private character.
