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legislation, which is advocated by all those who have adequate knowledge and experience.

Mr. PARKER asked whether the Supreme Court of Northern Nigeria did not try any criminal and only one civil cause during the fourteen years of its existence; and, if not, how many civil and criminal cases have been tried during that period?

Mr. HARCOURT: I am not in a position to give this information without reference to the Governor-General of Nigeria. I will ask him for a report.

New Hebrides.

THE subject of the New Hebrides was brought up in Parliament in the Debate on the Foreign Office Vote in July. Sir Gilbert Parker complained of the lack of reports for eight years and suggested that the real reason was that the publication of the reports would have shown too serious a condition of things. Sir Edward Grey in his reply did not dispute that the working of the Condominium in the New Hebrides had not been at all satisfactory and that certain alterations in the administration were essential. As regards the publication of reports, he was prepared to contend that they had better make a fresh start and not publish reports received hitherto. It was impossible definitely to say that such agreement had been reached as would secure that abuses would be prevented for the future. The publication of papers would, he feared, lead to bickering and friction between the two Governments. The first and most essential thing was to keep within sight of an agreement.

Mr. William Redmond a little later asked when the result of the conference might be expected, and what the position of the Australian Government would be; would they be consulted before any French arrangement is made? Sir Edward Grey only replied to this generally that they would keep in close touch with the Government of Australia, but he could not say when the conference would be finished.

Mrs. Harris' Lectures.

THE quarterly Bulletin of the Swiss League for the protection of natives gives a full account of Mrs. Harris' visit to German Switzerland in March last, and of the addresses which she gave at Berne, Basle and Zurich. In each of these places successful meetings were held and considerable interest was aroused. In Basle the ground had been prepared for years past by the energy of Dr. Christ-Socin, and the public meeting was so crowded that many had to be turned away for lack of room. Two other meetings of a more private character were held, one at the house of Mme. Sarasin-Bischoff and another a Missionsstunde, organized by the well-known Basle Mission,

In Zurich fresh ground was opened, as the Swiss League had but few adherents in that city, but at both the meetings which were held the subject of anti-slavery and the cause of native races proved of great interest to those who heard Mrs. Harris and saw the lantern slides of photographs which she had taken in the Congo. These, in the words of the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, "constitute documents of the first importance from the ethnographical point of view." The same newspaper referred to the "sustained interest" with which her audience followed Mrs. Harris' account, "which she gave in as simple and natural a manner as though she were speaking of an every-day experience."

"It will seem almost impossible," it continued, "that a woman's strength could have borne the fatigues and dangers of a journey of over 5,000 miles on foot and in canoe, and we must admire not only the strength and energy which were called for by such an undertaking, but also the tact and kindness which she displayed in a country where the white man inspires fear and hatred in such sort as to arouse confidence and to gain for herself the friendship of the natives. Truly such a woman deserves honour and admiration."

Putumayo Criminals.

WE are glad to publish the following letter received from the Bolivian Minister, Colonel Don Pedro Suarez, in regard to two of the criminals who were concerned in the outrages on the Putumayo :

DEAR SIR,

LEGACIÓN DE BOLIVIA, LONDRES,
September 9, 1914.

With reference to correspondence, etc., that passed between us some time ago I now have the pleasure of informing you that the Peruvians Abelardo Aguero and Augusto Jiménez who were working in the Beni Rubber district on the properties of Messrs. Suarez Hermanos & Co. have been arrested by orders of my Government and handed to the Peruvian authorities at Maldonado. Victor Macedo, it appears, had previously left the Bolivian 'territory.

I am, dear Sir,
Yours faithfully,

PEDRO SUAREZ.

Review.

THE UPPER REACHES OF THE AMAZON,

By JOSEPH F. WOODROFFE.*

The author of this book put himself into communication with the AntiSlavery Society soon after his return from South America last year, and gave us valuable information as to the labour conditions in that continent, of which we made public use. We welcome this book, which throws much light on the rubber industry, and on the peonage system on the Amazon generally * Methuen & Co., Ltd.

and the real slavery which it entails, not only for the Indian labourer, but also, as the writer of the preface points out, for the white man employed by the companies operating there, who is "cunningly enmeshed in debt by his

[graphic]

TYPES OF BRAZILIAN RUBBER-GATHERERS.
(By permission of Messrs. Methuen & Co., Ltd.)

employers," and "a slave in every sense of the word." These companies. are financed largely by British capital. The author was himself a victim of this horrible system.

Mr. Woodroffe had many adventures and varied experiences as a trader

116

HOOVER WAR
COLLECTION

ANTI-SLAVERY REPORTER AND ABORIGINES' FRIEND.

in the Iquitos district and up the Peruvian rivers. He soon came across the system by which the Cokama Indians are employed in rubber working, which he describes as among the worst examples of peonage he met with :

"Not only were they obliged to work rubber in the season, but were forced to labour all the year, at anything and everything required of them, without any remuneration. They were debited with everything purchased by them, even to rent of canoes, and other tools and necessities required by them in order to carry out their work, but received credit occasionally for a proportion of the rubber, dried fuel, or vegetables delivered by them. Most of these unfortunates were in debt to the extent of £100 or more, after being in their employer's service almost a lifetime, and having no effects but what could be got into any ordinary portmanteau, and this after their master or owner, for such he considered himself, had made a huge fortune, without the slightest personal effort on his own part.

"This system of exploiting the native labourer is not confined to the owner in question, but is the rule all over the country, and is slowly but surely causing the destruction of the Indian, civilized or otherwise."

The author also found that the purchase and sale of Indian children was a local custom, which was tolerated and even protected.

In 1908 the writer entered the employment of the Peruvian Amazon Company, and worked as an accountant at their stations at El Encanto and La Chorrera, at both of which he had abundant opportunities for seeing the shameful treatment of the Indian workers and the scandals inseparable from the system, which he describes with great frankness. The life of the Indian rubber gatherer is, as we know from Sir Roger Casement's and other reports, one of ceaseless toil, hardship and cruel ill-treatment for the Indian; and alike for him and for the seringuero (rubber estate proprietor), as Mr. Woodroffe points out, the conditions are deadly, owing partly to the climate, but still more to dirt, bad food and total lack of sanitation. Most of the seringueros are criminals and desperadoes of the worst type. On the Putumayo the habitual treatment of the women and girls by the employees, who exercised their brutality and lust upon them without limit or protest, constituted one of the most revolting features of the place. After six months at El Encanto, the author tells us, the toils of his indebtedness began to close round him and his life became " a living hell."

Later on Mr. Woodroffe went up the river Madeira in the employ of the railway company, and here, too, Mr. Woodroffe found evidence of nameless and numberless crimes committed, which are covered up by European capital and intelligence."

This book will, we hope, be widely read for its vivid presentation of present-day slavery in South America. It should be practically useful, too, as showing up the way in which Englishmen have been induced by European commercial houses to leave their homes and have found themselves on reaching South America hopelessly involved in the toils of the iniquitous system of exploitation by which business is carried on there.

Recently published by the Society.

PORTUGUESE SLAVERY.

What is Slavery? By the Right Hon. The EARL OF CROMER.

Debate in the House of Lords, 23rd July, 1913.

Memorandum from the Society to Sir E. GREY, June, 1914.

BRITISH COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION.

Memorandum from the Society to Mr. Harcourt, 9th July, 1913.

BRITAIN'S DILEMMA IN THE NEW HEBRIDES. Memorandum from the Society to Sir E. GREY, 10th February, 1914. BRITISH EAST AFRICA.

Back to Slavery? An Appeal to Mr. HARCOURT, 11th June, 1914.

NEW BOOKS

DAWN IN DARKEST AFRICA.

By JOHN H. HARRIS, F.R.G.S.

(New Edition.)

With an Introduction by the Rt. Hon. THE EARL OF CROMER.

(Smith, Elder & Co. Price 6/- net.)

PORTUGUESE SLAVERY: BRITAIN'S

DILEMMA.

By JOHN H. HARRIS, F.R.G.S.

(Methuen & Co. Price 1/- net.)

Every copy sold through the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society is an advantage to its funds.

TO BE OBTAINED AT THE OFFICES OF THE SOCIETY.

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