H. R. Fox Bourne - Civilisation in Congoland - A Story of International Wrong-Doing - 1903

A very RARE and beautiful and interesting book..."Civilisation in Congoland - A Story of International Wrong-Doing. With a prefatory Note by the Right Hon. Sir Charles W. Dilke".... It is an important historical exposé published in London in 1903. The book was written by Henry Richard Fox Bourne (secretary of the Aborigines' Protection Society) and includes a prefatory note by the British politician Sir Charles W. Dilke.
The work stands as a cornerstone text of the first international humanitarian campaign of the 20th century, which sought to expose the atrocities and systematic exploitation perpetrated in the Congo Free State under the personal rule of King Leopold II of Belgium.
The book provides a detailed account of how Leopold II’s original project—initially presented at the Berlin Conference (1884–1885) as a humanitarian, scientific, and philanthropic mission aimed at "civilizing" the region and combating the slave trade—transformed into a lucrative and brutal regime based on forced labor.
Key issues addressed in the text include:
• The violation of international agreements: Bourne analyzes the historical progression from the Berlin Conference to the Brussels Conference (1889–1890), demonstrating how promises of free trade and the protection of native populations were systematically betrayed.
• Economic exploitation: The subjugation and enslavement of the local population to maximize the extraction of raw materials, specifically rubber and ivory.
• Administrative and military abuses: An indictment of the violence committed by state garrisons—including mutilations, massacres, and monopolistic persecution—used to suppress indigenous uprisings.
• The need for global action: An urgent appeal to European powers to intervene and put an end to what was termed an "international wrong."
Overall very good condition, inside light scattered stains but overall clean and text readable, externally light wear around edges and corners, shelfwear, light stains. Ex library book with only signs: numbers on spine, sticker and remnants of stickers on front endpaper-se photos. Lacking the map of Congo at end of volume.
Scarce