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Show LIBEL Two of the American His sionaries in the Congo Free State London, Thursday, April 29. All whlto men In the Congo Free Stato are Interested In the trial for libel of two American missionaries. Rev. Wm. Morrison and Rev. W. H. Shep-ard. Shep-ard. which will begin at Leopoldvlllc, May 20. This case Is expected to be a test between the Belgian government govern-ment and the American missionaries, who have long been a thorn in Leopold's Leo-pold's flesh, by their charges of the oppression of the natives. Suit is brought by a concessionaire concession-aire company, the Kasal Trust, which has a monopoly of rubber growing in tho Kasal region. It claims $20,000 damages from each missionary by reason rea-son of "calumnious denunciation " Tho Belgian government holds half of the Kasal Trust stock and a majority ma-jority of Its directors arc Belgian officers, of-ficers, so the suit may be considered practically one of the Belgian government govern-ment against the missionaries. Tho missionaries charge that the officials Inflict upon Ihe natives oppressive taxes to be paid In rubber; that whole Ullages, including women and children, child-ren, are Impressed by the soldiers for measuring the rubber; they are often compelled to travel meny miles to the rubber forests and sleep there for more than a week under unhealthy conditions; that they are often cruelly cruel-ly punished for failure to fufill tho taxes proposed, and that a larger portion por-tion of their lime Is taken for gathering gather-ing these taxes, that they are unable lo cultivate crops and raise food necessary nec-essary for their support. Messrs. Morrison and Shepard are members of the American Presbyterian Presbyter-ian mission. 1 he American consul. W. H. Handley, has been Instructed by the government to go to Leopoldvllle Leopold-vllle to watch tJie trial, which will be conducted by Belgian officials. About twenty American missionaries are stationed in the Congo and as nearly all of them le made the same charges against the administration, administra-tion, the oulcomo of that suit will have an important bearing upon their future there. |