EARLY BELGIAN COLONIAL EFFORTS - The University of Texas at ...

Cohen was also in the forefront of the many commercial requests to the Belgian
government for monetary and military assistance based on what was explained as the
difficult and dangerous nature of trading on the west coast of Africa. It was fortunate
for Cohen that d’Hoffschmidt, 354 the Belgian Foreign Minister from 1848 to 1852,
exhibited a far more sympathetic attitude to the colonial adventures than had previous
foreign ministers. 355 Cohen’s requests were usually for large sums of money, often over
one million francs, from the government, in the form of a loan or subsidy. These sums
were to be used to set up Belgian factories or trading posts similar to those already
constructed in the area by France and England. In almost all cases these requests were
rejected, and a much smaller sum, if anything, was tendered 356 . The pressure from
Cohen, Sereigiers, and others and perhaps the treaty of Ali Manso were no doubt
involved in the rationale behind van Haverbeke’s voyage to the Rio Nunez.
Van Haverbeke’s ship, the Louise Marie, along with schooner Emma with Cohen
aboard, dropped anchor in the mouth of the Rio Nunez on February 16, 1848. There has
been a great deal of speculation as to what orders were given to van Haverbeke by the
foreign minister and/or Leopold outside of his commission. There is
354 Cohen had begun his correspondence with the previous foreign minister A. D. Dechamps. It
continued under Ernest d’Hoffschmidt de Resteigne. Everaert and De Wilde, 320.
355 D’Hoffschmidt, through the Interior Minister Charles Rogier, provided funding for the project
from the 2,000,000 francs fund for business development, implicitly for interior commercial development
in a law enacted on April 18, 1848. The entire fund was exhausted which caused a firestorm of protest
from the chambers. Under the constitution, Article 68, the chambers was the only branch of the
government that had the power to fund and tax.
356 Cohen often presented his requests in a manner calculated to entice Leopold and the
government.” Nos opérations auront pour but principal les ordres et les consignations, nous y donnerons
tous nos soins. La création de nouveaux réseaux de chemins de d’importantes usines sur le deux
continents.“ «”Our operations will be aimed at principal orders and consignments, we shall give all our
care there. The creation of new networks of important plants on both continents .” Cohen to M. Ministère
( ?) 1 June 1853. AMAE. 2024 Also see Cohen to D’Hoffschmidt, 10 July 1849. AMAE 2024.
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