Consul General Smith to the Acting Secretary of
State.
American Consulate General,
Boma, March 21,
1908.
No. 21.]Sir: I have the honor to inclose herewith a
report on the political conditions of the upper Ituri district.
In reference to this report, and for your further information, I beg to
say the upper Ituri district is comprised within the region situated to
the northeast of Stanleyville and west of Lake Albert in the basin of
the Ituri and Aruwimi Rivers.
In this region, which is exploited directly by the State, the Fondation
de la Couronne has reserved to itself the rich mining district in the
basin of the Aruwimi, where are located the gold mines of Kilo. Other
mines are located at Panga in the same district, the gold being mostly
alluvial. Exportations of gold from here in 1906 amounted to about
$165,000, all of which would be for the account of the Fonda tion de la
Couronne; or, in other words, for the King.
I have the honor to call your particular attention to the conditions
brought about by the excessive rubber tax imposed on the unfortunate
natives in this district. The similarity between these conditions and
those existing in the region visited by myself are worthy of note. It is
no uncommon thing for the rubber gatherers to be eaten by leopards,
which abound in many regions of the State, and I well recall the case of
a native who had been thus eaten and whose remains—what was left of
them—were brought to the State post at Yambata while I was there. The
so-called police expeditions mentioned in the report are nothing more
than armed raids for nonpayment of rubber taxes and for the purpose of
securing laborers to work on the railroad from Kindu south to Portes
d’Enfer.
I would further call your attention to that part of the report regarding
the working of the Kilo mines by forced labor. This system is plainly
contrary to the law, which provides (decree 3d June, 1906) for the
recruitment of workmen for works decreed as being of public utility. I
fail to see how the development of a gold mine for the personal benefit
of the King can properly be called a work of public utility. The protest
of the State’s attorney, however, as is noted in the report, did not
meet with the approval of the higher authorities at Boma, and the
practical enslavement of the native continues.
In forwarding this report I have the honor to say that the information
given therein was communicated confidentially to the —— consul general
here, and by him in the same manner to me. Our informant,—— ——, expects
to return to the Kongo at the expiration of his leave, and the
information he gives is not, therefore, for publication, but solely for
your information. —— —— is
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described as a serious, intelligent, and well-balanced man, and his
information, consequently, worthy of full faith and confidence.
I have, etc.,
Jas. A. Smith, Consul General.
[Inclosure.]
Information on Political Conditions in the Upper
Ituri District
The territory to the north of the line Medje, Nepoko, Kilo, as far as
Uele River, has never been subdued. It is inhabited by the
belligerent tribes of the Medje, Mokudu, and Bafuasoma, who have
never paid, nor do now, taxes to the State. This territory, however,
has never been placed under the “régime militaire” (martial law),
but, in accordance with the terms of the decree of June 3, 1906,
so-called police expeditions are constantly being made into the
district by the authorities. These expeditions, in some of which——
—— was present, are conducted with the greatest energy; entire
villages are burned and the few prisoners taken are chained together
by the neck and sent to forced labor on the railroad now building
south from Kindu to Portes d’Enfer.
The rest of the region comprised in the upper Ituri district, and
which formerly paid taxes in rubber to the State, has revolted, the
natives refusing to gather any more rubber. The tax on rubber has
been a collective one, the villages furnishing a given quantity
monthly, based upon the number of inhabitants.
The remuneration granted by the State to the natives for the rubber
delivered is 25 centimes (5 cents) per kilogram and paid in Turkish
fez. During all the time of his stay in this district —— —— saw no
other merchandise distributed among the natives and the State posts
had no other class of goods.
To furnish the monthly rubber tax imposed by the State the natives in
this district are obliged to work the entire month. They are
frequently obliged to go a distance of 15 days’ march from their
villages to find it. No time remains for the native to attend to the
cultivation of his garden.
The revolt is a pacific one, being limited to a refusal on the part
of the natives to gather rubber. Some of the natives interrogated by
—— —— as to their reason for refusing to pay their taxes replied as
follows:
“To pay the monthly impost we must go into the forest and work almost
the entire month. Leaving for the forest with 50 men, we return with
only 25 or 30; the others die of hunger or are eaten by leopards.
Our women must bring us our food; no one remains to work our
gardens. Upon our return we are at once obliged to leave again for
the forest. Therefore, to die of hunger working or die from a shot
from an Albini is the same. Let the soldiers come and kill us, but
we will no longer gather rubber.”
Profiting by the terms of the decree of June 3, 1906, this region has
been declared to be under the “régime militaire,” which is renewed
every three months by proclamation. This condition, of which no
information has up to the present been allowed to escape, has lasted
for nearly a year. Justice is in the hands of the military
authorities and the region thus left without any control. The
Mambuti (pygmies), a most warlike people, patrol the region seeking
to create an armed uprising of the other natives, but with little or
no success. Besides being most impressive, said —— ——, this peaceful
revolt is truly pitiful. It is a people living continually in a
state of slavery, not daring to rise in arms, but, tired of
suffering, preferring death rather than life without hope.
In the upper Ituri the work of paddling is not forced and the canoe
crews are volunteers. Porterage to Arakubi is done freely by the
population; in the other localities it is forced on the people by
requisitioning the necessary men from the villages. During the
march, arriving at the end of the day’s journey, the porters are
imprisoned within a stockade with a sentinel at the gate to prevent
flight. These porters are paid at the rate of 20 centimes a day,
with 5 centimes added for rations; total 25 centimes (5 cents); so
that at the end of a day’s work twelve porters, to whom would be due
3 francs (60 cents), are given a “doti” (2 fathoms) of white cotton
cloth.
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The gold mines of Kilo are worked by forced labor. The State,
profiting by small revolts, secures the laborers in the Manyema
district to the south, and transports them chained together by the
neck to Kilo. They are paid, it is true, one “doti” (2 fathoms) of
cloth per month, besides food, but every liberty is denied them and
they can not abandon their work.
The substitut procureur (assistant state’s attorney), de
Lichterwalde, arriving at Kilo at the end of 1906, received the
protest of all the laborers because they had no contract as the law
provides and were kept at forced labor. Mr. de Lichterwalde
complained to the district commissioner that this system was
contrary to law, and informed him that if, within three months, the
condition of the laborers was not bettered, he would proceed against
him in the courts. From Boma, however, arrived an order to the
procureur to suspend all action regarding the work at Kilo. Mr. de
Lichterwalde left shortly afterwards for Europe on leave and has not
returned. To-day the condition of the laborers at Kilo is the same
as in 1906.
Jas. A. Smith, Consul General.
Boma, March 19,
1908.
