The Times of Monday publishes from its Berlin corre- spondent
some information about the negotiations between Great Britain and Germany as to the Belgian Congo. It is not astonishing that there has been much false rumour on this subject, as, though an Anglo-German Agreement of some sort is generally believed to have been drawn up last May, the German Government has refused to consent to its publica- tion. The correspondent understands that it refers only to the vaguely defined frontier which lies east of the Belgian Congo where the border of German East Africa marches With our own: It appears that the prediction of Anglo German intervention in the Belgian Congo has been caufied by the existence of this Agreement. Whether it be true or not that Germany really wants to intervene in Congo affairs, or to summon an international Conference on the subject, it is pretty clear that her tone has considerably changed in the past few weeks. The correspondent draws attention to an authoritative note published in the lfreuz Zeitung in October, in which it was stated that Belgium could no longer reckon on German inactivity if she showed no signs of meeting German wishes as to the Lake Kivu frontier and other disputed lines. Germany perhaps regrets now her prompt recognition of the Belgian annexation of the Congo Free State, and wants to bargain when it is too late. But if Great Britain joins with other Powers in insisting on reforms in the Congo, it should be for the single humane purpose of helping the natives. We trust our Foreign Office will recognise that it would be quite fatal to mix up other questions with that.
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