Reaction
The reaction to Morel’s campaign in Europe was divided. Many supported his position, though opposition was present both from the government and general populace.
Morel influenced writers like Mark Twain, Joseph Conrad, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write about the events in the Congo. These writings and support assisted Morel in spreading his message to a wider more diverse audience.
|
After meeting Morel in 1909, Conan Doyle was inspired to write The Crime of the Congo, join the campaign, contact newspapers, and tour for three months to lecture. He appealed to world leaders including Theodore Roosevelt and Kaiser Wilhelm II.
In an attempt to quell widespread indignation ignited by the CRA, King Leopold appointed a Commission of Inquiry to examine the charges made by Morel but, as Morel had predicted, the Congo Government suppressed evidence and issued a report rejecting the allegations of atrocities and misrule. In response, Morel urged missionaries to report what they had witnessed during their time in the Congo. Many responded through letters supporting him, which Morel was able to use to pressure the British Foreign Office into launching an inquiry.
|
“If the rubber does not reach the full amount required, the sentinels attack the natives; they kill some and bring the hands to the commissary . . . Two or three days after a fight a dead mother was found with two of her children. The mother was shot and the right hand taken off. On one side was the elder child, also shot, and the right hand was also taken off. On the other side was the younger child, with the right hand cut off, but the child, still living, was resting against the dead mother’s breast . . . A sentinel passed our mission station, and a woman accompanied him, carrying a basket of hands. We counted eighteen right hands smoked . . . they belonged to men, women, and even children . . . One of the soldiers told me . . . The commissary have promised us if we bring plenty of hands he’ll shorten our service. I have brought plenty of hands already, and I expect my time of service will soon be finished.”
- Sjoblom, A Swedish Missionary, E.D Morel, The Man an His Work
- Sjoblom, A Swedish Missionary, E.D Morel, The Man an His Work