THE FOUNDING OF THE CONGO INDEPENDENT STATE 37 
possessed a recognized and forceful organization and where 
public sentiment was more or less of a factor in national 
affairs, such a scheme worked fairly well; although it is well 
known that the officials and subjects of all three of these 
nations broke the stipulations of both these conferences on 
more than one occasion. But in such a case as that of the 
Congo Independent State, the officials were faced with 
enormous difficulties in enforcing these prohibitions, and 
Leopold while exploiting the natives, had no wish to ruin 
them by alcoholic drinks. 
After the independence of the Congo State was estab- 
lished and its boundaries defined, there remained the task 
of surveying the country and of extending the administrative 
control — till 1885 exercised only through a few stations 
on the main stream — to all sections of its vast territory. 
This was an undertaking requiring an enormous amount of 
painstaking effort combined with great patience and tact; 
yet it was accomplished with remarkable skill and expedi- 
tion, owing to the devotion and energy of the Belgian offi- 
cials. Unfortunately, however, they were compelled to push 
the work more rapidly than wisdom and their own needs 
warranted, because of pressure from the neighboring colo- 
nies and the demand that the occupation of all protectorates 
should be effective. King Leopold II began early to trans- 
form the organization into a strictly Belgian affair. In 1887 
he paid off all the contributions from individuals of other 
nationalities, mostly British, to the sum of £16,888; and 
all the money that had to be borrowed after that date was 
secured from the Belgian Government, — such as the Congo 
loan of $30,000,000 in 1887, the $5,000,000 advanced in 
1890, and the $10,000,000 furnished in 1901 for public 
works. Previous to 1886 at least one half of the explorers 
and officials employed by the International Association 
were of British or foreign birth. From the appointment