Press Opinions on the "Curse of Central Africa "—r^«/cZ. 



the natives have ever emanated from the districts where the 

 Societd Abir conducts its operations,' and in another that ' the 

 now notorious Abir has had a record scarcely less scandalous 

 than that of the Mongalla Company,' better known as the 

 Society Anversoise. It is extraordinary that such self-contra- 

 dictions could escape the authors, to say nothing of the pub- 

 lishers' readers. They enormously detract from the importance 

 of the book. It undoubtedly contains some materials of value. 

 But these are greatly impaired by the failure clearly to under- 

 stand that in a work of this character, in which credibility is 

 everything, strict accuracy in regard to detail is the first, 

 second, and third essential." — Morning Leader. 



(( ( 



I pray,' said Prince Bismarck, in 1885, speaking of the 

 new Congo Free State, ' I pray for its prosperous development 

 and for the fulfilment of the noble aspirations of its illustrious 

 founder.' It was with a burst of missionary enthusiasm that 

 the Powers represented at the Berlin Conference in 1885 

 handed over a million square miles to the care of Leopold, 

 King of the Belgians. The ostensible object of the new Belgian 

 administration was to carry the light of civilisation into the 

 dark places of Central Africa, and to suppress the slave trade ; 

 it undertook to ' assure to all nations the advantages of free 

 navigation,' and to further 'the moral and material well-being 

 of the native populations.' Europe has been too busy with its 

 own affairs to put the question : ' How has this trust been 

 carried out ? ' But the question is answered with alarming 

 clearness in a book w4iich appears to-day, chiefly from the pen 

 of Captain Guy Burrows, with a chapter by Mr. Edgar Canisius. 

 ' The Curse of Central Africa ' is a vehement, uncompromising 

 indictment of the whole system of administration by which the 

 Congo Free State is governed. It confirms, with a definite 

 array of facts, names, and dates, the rumours which have 

 continually come to England during the last few years, but 

 which have not unnaturally been regarded as extravagant and 

 incredible, 



" Captain Guy Burrows has served for six years in important 

 positions under the Congo Free State. His book, which Mr. 

 R. A. Everett is now publishing, is a plain, vigorous piece of 

 writing, purporting to set down his own experiences in the 

 Congo, and what he actually saw of the methods of govern- 

 ment, the treatment of natives, and the ' opening-up ' of the 

 country. At a dinner given recently to Captain Burrows, his 

 statements were confirmed by Mr. Edgar Canisius and Sous- 

 Intendant Hoffmann, who have both lived for many years in 

 the Free State, and by Mr. John G. Leigh, who has also had 



23 



