But already on his salary list he has men who are sure to get him
into trouble, men of whose _dossiers_ he is quite ignorant.
From Belgium, Leopold has unloaded on the American companies several
of his "valets du roi," press agents, and tools, men who for years
have been defenders of his dirty work in the Congo; and of the
Americans, one, who is prominently exploited by the Belgians, had
to leave Africa for theft.
That Mr. Guggenheim wishes and intends to give to the black in the
Congo fair treatment there is no possible doubt. But that on
Broadway, removed from the scene of operations in time some four to
six months, and in actual distance eight thousand miles, he can
control the acts of his agents and his partners, remains to be
proved. He is attacking a problem much more momentous than the
handling of Mexican _peons_ or Chinese coolies, and every step of
the working out of this problem will be watched by the people of
this country.
And should they find that the example of the Belgian concessionaires
in their treatment of the natives is being imitated by even one of
the American Congo Company the people of this country will know it,
and may the Lord have mercy on his soul!
V
HUNTING THE HIPPO
Except once or twice in the Zoo, I never had seen a hippopotamus,
and I was most anxious, before I left the Congo, to meet one. I
wanted to look at him when he was free, and his own master, without
iron bars or keepers; when he believed he was quite alone, and was
enjoying his bath in peace and confidence.
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