Show KING copold IS HOLI ON to THE CONGO BELGIUM parliament SEEKS TO FORCE annexation but the king has a good thing and will not let go his revenue Is Ml millions illona brussels april 16 15 king LAo leopolds return Is expected to mark the beginning of a now phase in the struggle between the monarch and parliament over the question of the annexation of tho the congo frea free state by belgium tho the king Is unalterably opposed to annexation and for tho the time being boing seems complete master of the situation his refusal to permit the congo ad administration mint of 0 which be he Is the a absolute e untrammeled u n tramm e I 1 e d monarch to furnish information con concerning corning the nuances of his african state to we parliamentary commission of the country of which he la to tho the constitutional king practically tho parliament li I 1 public opinion n in belgium Is divided as to the advisability of annexing the congo there Is a natural antl antipathy on tho the part of many to belgium embarking upon a colonial policy there Is a largo large body of stockholders I 1 in 11 the concessionary companies who ar aro content to receive big dividends aej nj no questions asked the commercial class generally gone rally reaps indirectly large profits from tho the wealth coming out of the tale congo and the mass of the people dazzled by tho the prodigality of tho the monarch his manifold gifts the magnificent public structures he IB Is constantly building are indifferent or on the side of the king Nev nevertheless orthe sentiment in favor of annexation grows constantly in parliament the majority I 1 la strongly convinced that the des destinies destante tinte of the immense black population of 0 the kings african possessions comprising square miles demand that a civil administration ame amenable to public opinion and a cabinet re to parliament should ba be substituted tor for the irresponsible call can of one man whether tho the stories of atrocities and awful exploitation of the helpless blacka blacks are exaggerated or not the existence at various times and places of the most revolting abuses hag has been e established and the advocates advocat Vs of annexation argue that it Is impossible to prevent their recurrence so long as a the administration and exploitation 10 of f this vast territory terrU ory and population are conducted secretly with the aid of half savage black native levies but the belgium parliament cannot vote annexation in the dark and the king refuses the information necessary to a complete understanding of what the elate state would bo be assuming it it took over the congo on the face of things the congo administration grows annually deeper in debt there Is a chronic deficit it ha has outstanding bonds amounting to not including the francs loan made by belgium in re turn tor for which leopold made his will in favor of the state notwithstanding the annual deficit of the administration untold millions continue to pour out of the congo the profits of the concessionary companies arc are enormous one of 0 them paid five ave imes its capital stock in a single year how much the kings revenue really ie to has already been a a matter of speculation it has been estimated from to he Is supposed to get half the profits of the concessionary companies it Is the relation of the government of the congo free state to tho the COMP companies and to tho kings domaine 0 O their financial relation especially which whish tho the belgium parliament seeks in vain in lu athe the opinion of the best judges of afi the situation leopold IA apold can continue to defer parliamentary ac tion and prevent annexation so long as there Is outside interference if it an international conference actually threatened with the possibility it if not probability that it would woke revoke tho th trusteeship given by the powers at berlin in 1885 the general belief Is I 1 be he would hastily yield and accept annexation above all 11 the king seems apprehensive I 1 of english intervention in favor of a conference conte ronce the interest la Is both sentimental and economic stories of atrocities rivaling in brutality the tales of the portuguese slave trade which originally attracted the attention of humanity to the con go basin have aroused public gentl ment buttor but vor since the tariff was imposed in 1893 there has haa been a deep resentment in england because eng bug lish goods are practically barred from the congo i I 1 the other country most feared by leopold Is the united states and he haa has made an especial effort to disassociate america from england in any step the latter may bontem contemplate plate this Is universally accepted here as the secret of the Im immense menie concessions made by the king to an american syn drate it Is consi considered derpol a shrewd political moto move not only for the purpose of creating an american interest in the event of foreign complications but also for the purpose of embarrassing mbarr assing the belgian parliament should it desire assuming annexation accomplished shed modify annul the to OF or concessions ces in III which W 1 0 sovereign Is interested I 1 f 2 I 1 irrespective of tn th e kings political moves it Is unquestionably true that he greatly admi admires admired ref america and is fond of americans and wants to get american energy enlisted in the development of the congo while on the riveria this winter he showed a marked preference for or the society of americans and told daiy many of them that his dream drean t would be beto ito see belgium a state in the american union |