Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-20

His glad recovery! he sparkles In
Fair equipoise and ecstacy.
While the Pleads hold their torches
Toinyite their kinsmaR's stay.
But myriads form their arches
As the war god goes his way.
washingtcn March 10th, 1880.
Liberia and the Monroe Doctrine.
WASHINGTON, March 18th, 1889.
Editor OF The Evening Stdr:-I read In yester-
days STAR, with lively interest, not unmingled
with surprise, your remarks on the alleged offer
of a protectorate made by France to the govern
ment OF Liberia AS, In matters OF internauonal
policy, 1T is Of the greatest importance for each
interested party to be fully acquainted with the
relevant facts, allow me to correct, through
your paper, a few errors which you made on the
strength of your tnformant's Measurements.
In The first place, the population of Soudan
and the Niger Valley, the total area OF which
amounts to ,449, 900 English square miles, can
not be fifty mill1ons-a figure which would give
an average density OF 341H human beings to the
square mile. That extensive African region Is
the largest terra incog1,dtd OF the present times.
1t was never visited In all its parts, and Of the
seventeen Europeans who have explored 1t IN
the course Of the present century, and sue
ceeded In reaching some point pretty far in
land, nine only were so fortunate as to come
back; the other eight were either murdered
by the wild tribes of the interior, or
killed by disease, and their papers were lost.
How, under such circumstances can any
ReORTdpQeT, WT1tluS Ill fdTlS, LOuuOu VI dOUud,
State as they do, that there are nifty millions Of
human beings In SOudan,-0r q, 800, 900, as stated
in Mr.. Keith Johnston's article In Vol Of the
9th edition OF the British Encyclopedia,-i
passing my understanding. The North African
countries, bordering on the Mediterranean, in
habited by superior race, and lying so near to
Spain, France, Italy, Austria and Greece, have
respectively the following average densitieS:
Morocco. 10; Algeria, II; Tripoli, 2; Egypt. IL.
On the Atlantic, we find French Senegambia
with density Of 2; British Cape Colony, 3; Ma
fol x. Pav,lI Ia IN Qrd Tro al
Judging the unknown from the known, should
say there are no more than fifteen millions of
human beings In the vast country which ex-
tends from the Atlantic to the Nile valley, and
from the Sahara to the Congoland. Permit me
to add the remark that If those Guinea negroes
are entitled to be ranked with the ''semi-ctvil-
lied" nations, then our NeZ-PerceS and GrOS-
Ventres, greatly superior to them, have to be
considered as fully civilized.
Now, in regard to the projected railroad which
Is to connect the southwest frontier Of Algeria
with the French settlements OF Senegambia On
the Atlantic, II you look at map of Africa,
you will see that such road would cross the
northwestern corner Of Soudan only, leaving
the greatest portion Of that extensive country
south and east of the road and quite uncon-
nected with 1t. Soudan can be ''open to for
eign trade" from two ways only: from Trlpon,
by caravans, or from the mouth OF the Niger,
by small steamboats,.
AS you have the map before your eyes, will
call your attention to the fact that between
British settlements Of Bathurst and McCarthy's
Island on the Gambia.-a pure British river;-
the B1dama islands, also belonging to England;
the Portuguese factories of the Bissagos, the
Bissao, the Cacheo, &C.; and the British colony
OF Sierra Leone How, then, could Liberia ever
become 1.-THE most direct gateway" to the region
crossed by a railway whose terminus viii be on
Sea-cOaSt nearly 600 miles farther on?
The Hon. VIII. Coppinger may not know that
while the French have successfully abandoned,
In the course of the last eight years, their fac
Gaboon, all on the coast Of the Cult of Guinea.
the British have most energetically pursued In
the same region policy of annexation by war,
purchase or exchange. Since 1919 they have
acquired the Danish settlements Of Christians
burg and Friendensburg, on the gold coast; the
Dutch colonies of Elmina, and the settlements
OF Lagos, Palma and BadagTy; On very bad
and are every now and then picking up quar-
rel with our interesting friend, the King OF d.
honey. II you put together all that and the
fact that Liberia is lanked right and left with
British possessions, you will see that the diplo-
matte hounds that are forever barking, French
plots are, this time at least, on the wrong
would give its undivided attention to the French
In Liberia 1t might run the risk OF being attacked
in the rear by one OF our ever-pushing British
cousins
But there is more: Suppose the French or the
English have really offered their protecJorate
to the government Of Monrov1a, don't see how
we can help 1t. The name of the humble capt.
tai OF Liberia should remind us OF the worthy
statesman whose doctrine was so recently eX-
pounded by the present President Of the United
states. 1t is bad rule, you know, that doesn't
nations OF the Old World to NEEDLE with the
affairs OF the new world, it seems to me that
by virtue OF the same principle the states OF the
new world should not NEEDLE with what is 60
ing on in the old. We should consider that
Africa is nearer to France than the continent of
South America Is to the United States Of North
that Liberia Is nearer TO the French
California are to the Isthmus of Panama; and
lastly, that while the French have an extensive
settlement In South America, and colonies in
the West Indies, all Of them much nearer to the
Isthmus than any territory OF ours, we, on the
other hand, do not own one single inch of land
In Africa. or any other continent OF the Old
World. For those several reasons conclude
that we have lesser show of right to interfere
In Liberia than Mr.. De LeSSeps has to carry on,
by COlumbia'S permit, and with European CAPT.
tai, scheme OF internal improvement in the
In proportion to the whole population Of Ii
IBERIA, there are not In that country so many
citizens born In the United States, than there
were in Texas citizens OF European origin at the
time the state OF the Lone Star was annexed to
this confederation. Those European Texans
and their fellow-ctizens Of Mexican race were
to man opposed to that annexation, as well as
a not 1ncOnsiderable number of American-born
settlers; but they had to submit to the will of
slight majority found on the other side. AS for
the European powers that had favored the ma
tional birth and growth Of Texas, with the tacit
understanding that II shouli remain indepen-
dent, they had nothing to object when it made
over Its sovereignty to the federal government
OF Washington; Now, suppose that the $4,000
inhabitants OF Liberia, very few OF whom are of
American birth or extract, should chose to have
theiI country annexed to France, or Great
Britain, or Germany, on what plea can 1.-The
present able Secretary OF State" attempt to pre-
vent such censummat1on "by an emphatic
expression CT interest and regard on the part of
the government of the United States?" Shall
We enforce the Monroe doctrine In the Old as
well as the New World? Can we In reason claim
the privilege to have our hen served up G'icdSsee
on our dinner table, and cackling at the same
time in the barn yard? We should adopt a poll
cy and stick to IL. "
The Fear of Fat.
london Lancet
No doubt 1t Is unpleasant to be excessively
ooeSe; but the morbid dread OF fat which has In
recent years become fashionable has no founda-
ton In physiological fact. Fat answers two
purpoSeS-ft acts as non-conducting envelope
Tor the body and protects 1t from too rapid loss
OF heat, and 1t serves as store OF fuel In the
course OF exhaust1ng diseases 1t not unfre-
quently happens that the life Of patient may
be prolonged until the reserve of fat is exhaust
ed, and then he dies OF hamilton. Fats supply
tne material OF the heating process on which