The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-01
An American Protcctorate Over African
Territory?

upon DR.. BLYDEN Of Liberia as one OF the
foremost representatives Of their race. He
is a man Of wide and solid learning and his
attachments have won him distinction in
foreign countries and particularly in Great
Britain, where his books and his contribu
lions to leading reviews have been published
and where he has been welcomed in the
society Of scholars and statesmen. Liberia
has more than once engaged the services
OF DR.. BLYDEN on diplomatic missions Of
the highest Importance to the negro re-
public. He Is now reported to be on his
way to this country, authorized to appeal
to our Government to establish a protecto-
rate over Liberia. II we decline to accept
the offer. DR.. BLYDEN, the cable dispatches
announce, will go to Great Britain and ask
that country to assume the protectorate.
Such an invitation. there Is little doubt, the
British would embrace with alacrlty.
Liberia has for years had the greatest
difficulty in stemming the tide of her politi-
cal and financial troubles. They seem to
have involved her hopelessly. For some
years her leading men have seen no way
out OF the country's embarrassments ex-
cept with the aid Of some foreign Govern
| ment. There are only about 10000 citi-
zens among a large aboriginal popula-
| tion, estimated to number / 900, 900 souls.
| The gist OF the whole trouble Is that
| this handful Of people, most Of them very
| poor cannot keep their national treas
| ury in the funds required to maintain
| a government capable Of promoting the
| business and social development OF the
| State. establishing law and order among
| the native tribes and discouraging Euro
pean powers from nibbling constantly at
| the frontiers. This habit, now seemingly
| confirmed, deprived Liberia Of third OF
her entire domain in the nine years from
1885 to 1905.
| The natural resources OF the country are
very large, but Liberia has little money
and no credit. Tho Government cannot
borrow dollar to meet pressing needs. 1t
paid interest only three years on the
sum Of $780, 900 borrowed in Great Britain
in 1871, and the interest accommodations
now amount to nearly double the
amount OF the loan. 1t has defaulted
so long IN the payment OF interest
on its internal debt that the arrears
OF interest now exceed the principal.
The country has it's own coinage, but al
most no money is in circulation outside the
large centres Of population. Aconsidcrahle
part OF the people exchange their products
for merchandise by tho primitive method
Of barter. The ordinary receipts OF the
Government do not meet the ordinary ex-
penses. and the Government is, OF course,
as poor as the people. With little or no
capital there Is little or no progress.
Sugar, rum and molasses are produced to
some extent, but there are no other manu-
features worth mentioning. There are
few, II any, sawmills; hand-sawn lumber s
SO expensive that considerable building
material has been imported from America.
1t cannot be said that this sad state Of af-
fairs reflects any discredit upon either peo-
Pile or Government. Many men OF to-day
were alive when less than hundred Of
these freedmen, looking for n Plymouth
Rock on the African coast, built their new
homes in the inlet where Monrovia now
stands They tottered with weakness
then, and, considering everything. they
and their children and those who joined
them have not done badly But could it be
expected that they would fare even so we'll
as the British Sierra Leone on the north and
the French Ivory Coast on the south, where
Government money has been poured out
| WITHOUT SulnJ W luNOldDlt
to developments
The Liberans still have very large coun-
try, with an area OF about 100, 900 square
miles. They bought their lands honestly
from the natives, except the small part that
came rightfully into their hands as the
spols OF wars they did not provoke. But
in the great scramble for African ter
ritory Liberals weakness has been the
opportunity OF European nations. The
Liberians have never been able efIec-
lively to occupy their territory. Their
vast northern districts bought and paid
for, did not contain single Liberian
settlement when England suddenly
discovered that Sierra Leone had not bit
OF elbow room. Four British men-of-war
finally figured in the transfer, in Novem-
Der, 1855, OF Northern Liberia to Sierra
Leone, though not drop OF blood was shed
nor was farthing paid for the property.
Then when France woke up to the fact that
her Ivory Coast was valuable possession,
and her Government wished to extend it,
the discovery was made that France
had acquired valid claims to much OF
the Liberian coast over a century ago.
and now she wanted her own. It wae
not till French troops were on the edge OF
tho disputed territory. all ready to march
= In and seize 1t. that Liberia was induced tc
yield and accept the "rectifled" boundary
that France had outlined. This was only
five years ago, and Liberia has been in
? suspense ever since, not knowing when
Q other claims might be made pretext FOL
, | further despoilment or for the entire OBJ
liberation OF the republic.
The conservative and scientific observer
J. j. BbTTIKoFER who spent several years in
t Liberia studying its natural history. anC
A whose " Reisebilder aus Liberia, published
. in two volumes in 1890, is by far the best
description OF the country ever written
" has confidence in its great resources anc
= large possibilities. 1t needs only tn,
!. strength that brains and money give
q to enterprise to make 1t one OF The
=. most desirable parts OF the African coast
Ten years ago no one dreamed that LiberiaI
y coffee, the product Of tree that thrive