Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-31
IJRrBJA,S APPEAL FOR HELP.

LIBERALS APPEAL FOR HE'LL.
President R~oosevelt's message ask
ing congress for an appropriation OF
100000 to send a commission to
Liberia to study the conditions in the
colony and report upon the best way
to give it perpetuity and progress is
not meeting with much encouragement
from congress. 1t is doubtful, too,
whether It will arouse much enthusi-
asm among the people generally for
the proposition, however much the
Liberians may be in need Of u kindly
Offices.
The Liberian colony stands as a
monument to the mistakes OF the very
honest but wholly misguided persons
who induced our government to aid in
establishing a colony of civilized ne
groes in the midst of the savages of
Africa. Some $4,000 American ne
groes have been planted in the midst
Of at least 100000 African savages
who have refused all overtures toward
civilization, have hampered the work
of the colony and have even refused
their own salvation. Friends of the
negro have lavished millions on Lii
IBERIA; they have given the country a
government, a flag, educational facili-
ties and religious instruction, but the
result has been dismal failure. A re-
cent minister to Liberia makes this re-
port on conditions prevailing when he
was there:
They have no money or currency of any
kind. They have no boats of any charac-
ter, not ever a canoe. The two gunboats
England gave them lie rotting on the
beach. They have no guns or swords in
working condition, nor even a cannon to
fire a salute, though they purchased at
one time $4,000 worth of guns from the
United States. " " . There are only
four postoffices In the country, one for
each of the four counties. The govern
ment has no harbor, wharf or break
waters for steamers to land at. " " "
1 inquired for a hotel. They told me
there was none Look from morning to
night and you will never see a horse, a
mule, a donkey or oxen. They have none.
There is not a buggy, a wagon, a cart of
any kind, or a WI eelbarrow in the four
counties. The natives carry everything
on their heads. : " " There are 100
nude persons to every one wearing
clothes, The government contains no
public schools Of any kind.
The Colonization society claims to
have added $4,000 civilized negroes to
Liberia since it took hold and the peo-
pie of the United States and Great
Britain have contributed more than
81, 900, 900 for educational purposes,
but the country is today practically
without schools, except those o n
Quoted by missionary organizations,
and it is estimated hat there are less
than .12, 000 civilized persons in La
IBERIA, which has a population far in
excess of 1000, 000.
President Roosevelt and Secretary
Root are urging congress to open the
way for an investigation in the hope
hat 1t will result in having Great
Britain, the United States and the
powers having interests on the west
coast of Africa to reach some agree
ment as to the best means of dealing
with a situation admittedly desperate.
Whatever moral obligation our coun-
try may feel in the matter, 1t is diff
cult to see how we a be expected
alone to"guaranty the integrity of the
little republic, which in the sixty
seven years Of its existence has done
nothing to advance its wv interests,
The legislatures of many states con
tributed to the colonization scheme
for years and there is no objection to
a renewal or a continuance of such
help to the Liberians, but for our gov
eminent to become involved In African
politics with Germany, France, Italy
and England by attempting a guard
ianship over Liberia would appear to
be more than questionable.