." By that we take it they mean they will give the
native a proper price for his labor; and instead of offering
"bonuses" and "commissions" to their white employees will pay them
living wages. The exact terms of the concessions are wrapped in
mystery. Some say the territories ceded to the concessionaires are
to be governed by them, policed by them, and that within the
boundaries of these concessions the Americans are to have absolute
control. If this be so the syndicates are entering upon an
experiment which for Americans is almost without precedent. They
will be virtually what in England is called a chartered company,
with the difference that the Englishmen receive their charter from
their own government, while the charter under which the Americans
will act will be granted by a foreign Power, and for what they may
do in the Congo their own government could not hold them
responsible. They are answerable only to the Power that issued the
charter; and that Power is the just, the humane, the merciful
Leopold.

The history of the early days of chartered companies in Africa,
notoriously those of the Congo, Northern Nigeria, Rhodesia, and
German Central Africa does not make pleasant reading. But until the
Americans in the Congo have made this experiment, it would be most
unfair (except that the company they choose to keep leaves them open
to suspicion) not to give them the benefit of the doubt. One can at
least say for them that they seem to be absolutely ignorant of the
difficulties that lie before them. At least that is true of all of
them to whom I have talked.

The attorney of the Rubber Company when interviewed by a
representative of a New York paper is reported to have said: "We
have purchased a privilege from a Sovereign State and propose to
operate it along purely commercial lines. With King Leopold's
management of Congo affairs in the past, or, with _what he may do in
an administrative way in the future, we have absolutely nothing to
do_." The italics are mine.

When asked: "Under your concessions are you given similar powers
over the native blacks as are enjoyed by other concessionaires?" the
answer of the attorney, as reported, was: "The problem of labor is
not mentioned in the concession agreement, neither is the question
of local administration. We are left to solve the labor problem in
our own way, on a purely commercial basis, and with the question of
government we have absolutely nothing whatever to do. T