The story of the Congo Free State : $b Social, political, and economic aspects of the Belgian system of government in Central AfricaWack, Henry Wellington
History
The story of the Congo Free State : $b Social, political, and economic aspects of the Belgian system of government in Central Africa
Wack, Henry Wellington
Belgium -- Colonies -- Africa -- Administration; Congo (Democratic Republic) -- History -- To 1908
It is understood on both sides that the above entirely covers all
relations between Mr. Benedetti and Mr. Morel.
Mr. Morel undertakes to obtain from Mr. Shanu, of Boma, the receipt
for the two hundred and fifty francs handed by Mr. Benedetti to Mr.
Shanu, and to deduct the sum from the two thousand francs above
mentioned.
Signed the 21st November, 1904, at Liverpool Exchange Station Hotel.
E. D. MOREL.
A. BENEDETTI.
Witness to signatures of A. Benedetti and E. D. Morel:
JOHN HOLT,
merchant,
81 Dale Street,
Liverpool.
It is not without interest to call attention to the final clause,
concerning the receipt for the 250 francs which Mr. Benedetti had
given to Shanu, as a guarantee of the £10 which the British Consul at
Boma had given him before his departure.
[Illustration: Building a Bridge for the Cataracts Railroad, 1897.]
As to the clause concerning the thousand francs which Mr. Morel
undertook to pay Benedetti for his travelling expenses from Boma, it
came about through the fact that his departure from Boma was not in
accord with the regulations. As his engagement was not terminated,
the question of his being sent home at the expense of the Congo Free
State was not settled. Mr. Holt took from his pocket a roll of Bank
of England notes and paid Mr. Benedetti £40.
As soon as he was in possession of this contract, Mr. Benedetti
returned to Brussels, whence he sent Mr. Morel the following letter:
BRUSSELS, 30th November, 1904.
Mr. E. D. MOREL, Liverpool,
I have the pleasure of remitting herewith to you a cheque on the
South Wales Bank, Limited, No. 109,880, to the order of Mr. John
Holt, merchant, Dale Street, Liverpool, for £40, which this latter
gave me in the Exchange Station Hotel, Liverpool, on the 21st of
this month.
I will also send you a sum of £10 in exchange for the receipt of
Shanu, which you promised to procure for me.
You made a mistake, Sir, when you thought I would play into your
hands in your campaign against the Congo, and thus do grievous harm
to my countrymen working in the Congo.
Believe me, my conduct, from my first interview with Shanu, when
acting for you, till my telegram from Paris on the 28th of this
month, was dictated by a sentiment of duty and patriotism.
A. BENEDETTI.
The telegram to which Mr. Benedetti alludes was addressed to Mr.
Morel from Paris, and was to call his attention to an article in
the _Tribuna_ favourable to the Congo, and to ask him for arguments
in answer to this article for publication in an Italian paper. Mr.
Morel replied that he had not had time to get the _Tribuna_ article
translated.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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