Belgian ) Congo 93 FOREIGN INTERESTS a The Government, which has since the decree of June8, 1888, claimed all minerals, granted on February 27, 1911 , the right to exploit for 99 years gold, &c. , in an area of 20,000 hectares on the Tele, a tributary of the Itimbiri Rubi, to the Société Internationale Forestière et Minière du Congo, which also has the right to prospect over nearly 4,000,000 acres and to exploit 150,000 hectares of land. In Katanga the Comité Spécial , which represents the agreement between the State and the Compagnie du Katanga, under which a joint body was to exploit the lands of the territory of which in 1891 a third was ceded a to the company, occupies a special position in all mining concessions ; not only does it decide whether to grant them, but 33 per cent. of the shares of any company must be allotted to it gratis, and it can subscribe for 20 per cent. more, thus acquiring full control.1 The actual exploitation is mainly in the hands of the Union Minière, formed in 1906, which wascreated by Belgianand English capital with a slight preponderance of the former.

Other important concessions in Katanga include two approved in 1912, with some hesitation , one between the Comité Spécial and the group representing the Comptoir National d'Escompte of Paris and the Société Générale, and one between the Comité and the Brussels branch of the Deutsche Bank ; 2 both were for 150,000 hectares, and doubt was felt as to the wisdom of granting such large areas for prospecting and mining.

There are also in the Congo the remodelled com panies, the Abir, the Société Commerciale Anversoise, and the Compagnie du Kasai, with the Compagnie du Lomami and the American Congo Company, as well as minor concessionaries. The opening of the country to 3 > 1 Lannoy, L'Organisation coloniale belge, pp. 162–67 2 Cd. 6606, p. 36. 3 Three offshoots from the original Anglo -Belgian Indiarubber Company (A.B.I.R.) .