The creation of the Congo Reform movement is closely related to the name of Edmund Dene Morel. Through journalistic activism, he uncovered the truth about the ruling of the Congo Free State, the regime of Leopold II (Ramsey 1). In his book, “King Leopold’s Ghost”, Adam Hochschild describes Leopold’s reign as “the savage crime,” “long period of exploitation and conquest,” and “one of the mass killings of recent history” (2). Thus, Morel is the main protagonist of the story, who confronts the cruelty and greed of the Congo ruler and ultimately achieves his removal. His role in the country’s history is exceptional, as are the qualities that allowed him to achieve such significant changes.
The first part of the book ends with introducing the main “hero” of the story Edmund Dene Morel. Hochschild introduces him as “a bright, hardworking young man” (178). Although Morel is of French descent, in his youth, he moved to Britain with his mother. He joined the Liverpool-based shipping company Elder Dempster in 1891 and became the head of the new Congo department in 1895 (Pavlakis 39). Hochschild also describes the beginning of Morel’s career as a regular clerk, teaching private French language lessons. However, he later began to write articles on the problems of the African trade, publishing them as a freelance author in Shipping Telegraph and Liverpool Journal of Commerce (Hochschild 178). The position he acquired at the company allowed him to access the records of goods shipping in and from Congo. With his journalistic enthusiasm, he began to analyze the data carefully and compare it with publicly introduced information.
Morel’s secret investigation led him to unexpected yet essential discoveries. He found that the volume of exports of goods from Congo to Europe was enormous, while almost nothing was delivered from Europe to Congo. Moreover, there was a constant supply of weapons for the Congo’s Free State army (Larabee 31). However, when Morel made his discoveries, “most people in Europe and the United States knew surprisingly little about
Leopold’s apparatus of exploitation” (Hochschild 185). Thus, after reporting what was happening to the company’s superiors, Morel was offered a bribe for silence, which he refused.
Working as a freelance writer since 1893 allowed Morel to gain some weight in journalism. However, at the time, his articles covered the issues of West Africa supporting Liverpool merchants and Elder Dempster in particular (Pavlakis 39). After the discovery, Morel decided to leave his job at the company and become a full-fledged journalist, telling the public about the current situation (Larabee 31). The acquired authority allowed Morel to publish his revealing articles without regard to personal risk. In 1903 he managed to establish his journal dedicated to the problems of West African imperialism (Pavlakis 39). Europe received only information convenient for the royal regime, while “a very different Congo began to be seen in the pages of the West African Mail” (Hochschild 189). Thus, Morel sought to expose any Leopold’s fraud by releasing his investigative materials to a broad audience. As a result of the public resonance caused by Morel’s journalistic activities in May 1903, a Congo protest resolution was passed in Parliament (Larabee 31). Events further led to a government investigation in the Congo Free State regarding existing conditions.
The man assigned by the government would later become Morel’s friend and associate in creating a successful international movement. The investigation was conducted by Britain’s first consul Casement, after which the report was published in February 1904. As a result, Casement joined forces with Morel to form the Congo Reform Association (Larabee 31). Within a decade, branches of the Association will be opened not only in Britain, but “in Germany, France, Norway, Switzerland, and other countries” (Hochschild 236). As a result of the Association’s activities, Morel and Casement, with the support of the international community, were able to withdraw Leopold from power. It helped to stop his exploitation of the Congo’s resources and people, after which Belgium annexed it in 1908 as a colony.
The story of Edmund Dene Morel shows his unique role in the history of the Congo. Hochschild, in his book, explains how the country, in fact, became the private property of King Leopold II, which was recognized as legitimate by many states. The Congo Free State was used to profit and exploit local people as slaves (Epstein). Hochschild himself calls the Leopold regime “the holocaust in the Central Africa” (225). In such conditions, Morel was the only one who became interested in the fraud occurring in the Congo and was not afraid to draw the attention of the European and world public to the problem.
An active journalist’s coverage of issues played a crucial role in eliminating Leopold’s cruel regime. Nevertheless, it can be noted that Morel has limited views on the problems of the colonial order (Epstein). Hochschild mentions his sincere conviction that “there was no rubber terror and no massive seizure of all so-called vacant land” (210). Thus, Morel was absorbed precisely by Leopold’s deeds, ignoring the crimes of the global order of colonial Britain. He believed that it was the Belgian king’s regime in the Congo that represented a special form of evil. He turned to activism in the belief that British justice should uproot this kind of injustice and brutality. Thus, Morel’s movement’s success is explained by the absence of a material threat to colonial Britain and, at the same time, by the proclamation of its humanistic mission (Epstein). Anyway, Morel and Casement “were permitted to develop and implement a large-scale governmental and public propaganda campaign through the founding of the Congo Reform Association” (Ramsey 13). Such support created the most effective humanist movement of the twentieth century.
Although the journalist sincerely believed in colonial Britain’s justice, he also had personal characteristics that helped him establish the movement. On the one hand, Morel had high moral qualities, which did not allow him to treat the atrocities taking place in the Congo calmly. On the other hand, he was fearless enough to announce his discoveries to the world. The fact that he refused the bribe offered to him speaks of the purity of his intentions and the desire to make the world a better place and not ensure personal well-being. It is the sincerity and some naivety of Morel that attracts him as a narrative character. A more in-depth examination made it possible to expand the understanding of his motivation and worldview. As noted, he believed in the colonial regime and its justice, which shows Morel from a new angle. He also sincerely hoped that such outright evil could not exist in the world, being a real pacifist and humanist. His courage and attentiveness able to change the world deserve admiration.
The special role of Edmund Dene Morel in drawing attention to the issues of the Congo and creating a pacifist movement is an example of the influence of personality on historical events. Personal qualities and belief in the existing order helped him fearlessly declare the need for change. The story told by Adam Hochschild reminds the reader of the terrible events and true heroes of the past.
Works Cited
Epstein, Charlotte, editor. Against International Relations Norms: Postcolonial Perspectives. Routledge, 2017.
Hochschild, Adam. King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa. Mariner Books, 1999.
Larabee, Mark, editor. The Historian’s Heart of Darkness: Reading Conrad’s Masterpiece as Social and Cultural History. Praeger, 2018.
Pavlakis, Dean. British Humanitarianism and the Congo Reform Movement, 1896-1913. Routledge, 2016.
Ramsey, Kiri. “Harbingers of Change: Casement and Morel in the Congo.” FODL Library Research Awards, no. 2, 2016, pp. 1-18.