AFRICAN IN'TERNA'TIONAL ASSO'CI A'TION. In 1876 the King of Belgium called a conference at. Brussels of geographers and ex plorers to consider means for the opening, up of Africa to civilization. and there the African International Association was formed, with the object of establishing, stations for scientific pur poses in Eastern Africa. When II. NI. Stanley in 1877 revealed the magnitude and importance of the fertile Congo basin, a second conference was assembled at Brussels, at wide)] the African 'International Association made plans which tended its lield of operation over the newly explored territory. But the greed of the differ ent nations, awakened by the dazzling territo rial and commercial prospects the Congo basin afforded, brought about endless disputes, until at length it was decided, by the mutual consent of all the great powers, including the United States. to leave the tinal adjustment of the dif
ficulties to an international conference in Berlin. The conference opened at Berlin, November 17, 1884. with Prince Bismarck in the chair, and ended its labors February 26, ISS5. Fifteen States were represented. As a result of mutual compromises, it was declared that the immense regions forming the basin of the Congo River and its tributaries shall be neutral territory, that perfectly free trade shall exist there, that citizens of any country may undertake every species of transportation within it limits, that the !towers exercising sovereign rights over neigh boring territory are forbidden to exercise monop olies or favors of any kind in regard to trade, and that they shall hind themselves to suppress slavery. The King of Belgium was made sov ereign of the new State. See AFRICA; CONGO