Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 8, 1908

Minister Wilson to the Secretary of State.

American Legation,
Brussels, April 17, 1908.

No. 329.]

Sir: Referring to the department’s telegram of April 8, the true reading of which was confirmed in my No. 325, I have the honor to report that on Friday, April 3, the British minister, Sir Arthur Hardinge, informed me that he had been verbally advised of the purpose of his Government to hand in memoranda on the subject of forced labor and the reference to arbitration of purely commercial and economic questions to the Belgian Government, and that he would be glad to know whether we would be inclined to give our support to the proposals therein contained.

I replied that I had just, in compliance with telegraphic instructions received from the department on April 2, handed a memorandum to M. Davignon, which to some extent covered the points contained in the proposed memoranda of the British Government, and that a request for additional instructions, immediately following my telegram reporting the delivery of our memorandum, might possibly lead to confusion.

In order, therefore, that the views of the department might be clearly ascertained, I suggested to Sir Arthur the desirability of having Ambassador Bryce instructed to advise Secretary Root of the purpose to submit the memoranda to the Belgian Government, and at the same time to furnish him with a full statement of the views of the British Government relative to these questions.

Acting upon my suggestion, Sir Arthur immediately sent the telegram to London, which doubtless brought about the visit of Ambassador Bryce to Secretary Root and my subsequent telegraphic instructions of April 8.

Upon receipt of these instructions, I immediately sought an interview with Sir Arthur Hardinge, and informed him that I had been instructed to “support the line proposed to be adopted by the British minister for foreign affairs,” and that I would be glad to have his views as to the course which should be adopted.

After some discussion it was agreed that on the Monday following Sir Arthur should have an interview with M. Davignon, and hand in his memoranda, and that the presentation of the memorandum from this legation should follow after an interval of three or four days. It was also agreed that in the course of his interview he would advise M. Davignon of the exchange of views which had taken place between the British Embassy in Washington and the Secretary of State, and would intimate that in all probability a communication in support of the British propositions would be received from this legation.

In performance of this program Sir Arthur saw M. Davignon on Monday afternoon, and immediately afterwards sent me a note reporting the substance of the interview.

Yesterday (Thursday, 16th) I visited the foreign office and in the absence of M. Davignon, who was in attendance on the discussion of the Kongo annexation bill in Parliament, I delivered the memorandum (which I had prepared and previously submitted to my British colleague) to the Chevalier van der Elst, secretary general of the foreign office, after having first verbally informed him of its contents. A copy of the memorandum is herewith inclosed.

* * * * * * *

Immediately after this interview I saw Sir Arthur Hardinge, and he advised me of his intention to ask London for immediate instructions relative to the memorandum on the arbitration of commercial and economic questions.

I have, etc.,

Henry Lane Wilson.

[Inclosure.]

Minister Wilson to the Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs.

[Memorandum.]

American Legation,
Brussels, April 16, 1908.

The Government if His Britannic Majesty has recently, through the medium of its ambassador at Washington, advised the American Government of its intention to submit, for the consideration of the Belgian Government, two propositions: First, immediate and effective abolition of forced labor as soon as the Belgian Government shall have annexed and taken administrative control of the Kongo; second, reference to arbitration, where the governments concerned may be unable to agree, of all purely commercial and economic questions arising out of conflicting interpretation of existing treaties.

The Government of His Britannic Majesty, in making known to the Government of Washington its purpose to submit these two propositions to the Government of Belgium, has at the same time begged to be advised of the views of the American Government thereon, and has expressed the hope that if they should meet with its approval and concurrence, a conformable expression might be made to the Government of the King.

After a careful study of the propositions, which are understood to be interdependent and taken conjunctively, the American Government hastens to say that it most cordially and unreservedly approves of proposition No. 1, relative to forced labor.

The views of the American Government with reference to the question of forced labor in the Kongo have been so frequently and clearly expressed to the Belgian Government that recurrence to them at this time may be considered superfluous and unnecessarily insistent. Leaving, therefore, to the British Government the task of presenting the arguments in extenso against the continuance of all forms of slavery or quasi slavery in the Kongo, as well as the suggestion of methods for reforming existing evils, the American Government confines itself to the simple request that the Belgian Government, in the event that it shall annex the Kongo territories, will diligently address itself to the execution of the provisions of the Brussels act relative to the native races, especially directing its attention to the prescriptions of articles 2 and 5.

Relative to proposition No. 2, the reference to arbitration of all purely commercial and economic questions, the American Government limits itself at this time to an expression of the hope that the Belgian Government may see its way clear to frankly and promptly accept a proposition so reasonable and so entirely in accordance with the rapidly growing practice of civilized nations.

The American Government, however, may be permitted to say that, while not directly interested in the administrative details of the government of any one of the several districts embraced in the compact of 1890, it yet confidently relies upon the rights secured to it by existing treaties of being accorded all the privileges, commercial and otherwise, accorded in the Kongo to other nations.

The American Government, while thus making known its concurrence with and adherence to the propositions submitted to the Belgian Government by the Government of His Britannic Majesty, does not permit itself to doubt that the brief and frank expression of its views will receive the careful attention and consideration of the Government of the King.