Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-03-18
LIBERIA
BY Frederic J. HaSkin

the COHlIIliSSlOH dppOlHlcu W iilQuAiC III
to the affairs of the little negro republic
of Liberia, situated on the west
coast of Africa. Started as a
haven of refuge for the negroes found
on the captured slave-trading vessels in
the days of James Monroe, it flourish
ed under a sort of tacit protectorate
of the United States until 1S47, when it
was recognized formally as a republic.
Since then 1t has eked out an exist
ence as a nation, all the while beset
with trials within and fluctuations from
without.
with the English colony of Sierra Lee
one on the one side, and the French
Ivory Coast colony on the other, Liber-
las inability to maintain the mastery
over its native tribes has been made the
excuse for much territorial aggrandize-
ment on the part of England and
France. Added to this has been its
inability to collect taxes from the ma
tive tribes within it's dominion. There
also has been trouble about the finan-
ces of the country. En- glish firms loan
ed Liberia half million dollars at one
time, and a similar amount at a more
recent date. The latter, however, was
loaned upon the express condition that
English officers should have charge of
the Liberian custom house. Later Eng
land Insisted upon having her officers
command the Liberian troops.
France also made many demands upon
the little republic taking he position
that all of it's territory which it could
not effectively control was fairly sub
ject to French Jurisdiction Owing to
this condition of affairs Liberia con-
cluded that its further existence as a
nation was in jeopardy, and that its
salvation depended up an s. o. S. call
to America for aid. 1t sent a commits
sion to the United States to enlist this
governments aid. 1t asked that Uncle
Sam go on it's bond, so to speak, and
guarantee its territorial and political in
tegrity. Secretary Root Immediately
put his diplomatic foot on such a re-
quest, but wrote a letter TO the presi-
dent asking him to urge the appointment
by congress of a commission to investi
gate Liberals troubles. The president
did so, and funds were voted for the
expenses OF this inquiry. first-hand
investigation was made, and the report
thereon Is now in preparation.
The situation in which Liberia finds
itself is peculiar in many ways. 1t is
the only negro republic in the world.
It's territory equals in extent that of
fronting on the seaboard has had the
slightest development, the remainder be-
ing an untamed tropical jungle. peopled
by savage and semi-savage tribes who
refuse to he taxed or in any other way
to acknowledge the yoke of Liberia.
These tribes consist of about 1,500 900
people, while civilized Liberia boasts of
only 10000 inhabitants.
While it might be made a veritable
Eden of plenty, no part of this little re-
public is developed to even a small per-
centage of it's possibilities Nearly every
tropical tree and plant that grows will
thrive on Liberian soil. Coffee, rice,
cotton, bananas, pineapples, oranges
and other staple tropical and semi-trop-
ical crops grow luxuriantly where prop
erly cared for. But the natives have
little taste for agriculture and the civil
lized element has less.
But far worse for Liberals industrial
outlook than the disposition of its peo-
pie to shirk work, is the law declaring
that no white man can own property.
The result has been that the white
mans capital has not been forthcoming
for the development of the latent re-
sources Of the country. Instead Of
railroads, saw mills and other wealth.
producing enterprises, Liberia has
blazed trails and their usual accompa-
niments. Time after time the intelli-
gent element in the government has at
tempted to repeal this law, but never
with success. II the civilized popuIa-
tion has a prejudice against the whites,
1t is as nothing compared with their
prejudice against the native tribes.
These are referred to as chose sinking
bushmen," and other no less elegant
terms. The natives return this con-
tempt with compound interest.
.
with the native tribes resisting the
right of the government to tax them,
and the civilized Lrberians accumulat-
ing little property upon which assess
ments can be made, Liberia takes re-
course to import and export taxes for
the support of the government. This
amounts to from IL to "a per cent,
depending upon the commodity taxed.
The export tax has a tendency to sti-
file what little inclination toward agri-
culture there is in the people.
Opinions differ as to the present
status of the civilized population of Lii
beria Some writer's declare that they
are progressive and show a high state
of public morals. On the other hand,
such authorities as B1Shop narIZeH,
head of the Methodist church in Africa,
and Miss Mahoney, a missionary who
has spent years among them, declare
that the civilized Liberlan is not what
he once was. Bishop hartzell says
that polygamy is being preached and
practiced and that RIGHTEOUSNESS is on
the increase Where once Sabbath OBJ
servance was as rigid in the stern
est of New England towns, wide-open
day is the order now. MISS Mahoney
declares that once a hundred civilized
men of Liberia could meet and defeat
thousand bushmen in a jungle fight,
but that now odds are about even. She
says that once the Liberians could build
as good boats as were to be bought
from England or Germany, but that
now few competent boat builders are to
be found.
With the contempt the natives feel
for the civilized element, It is little
wonder that the tribes are not enthu-
siastic in embracing the Christian relig-
ion On the other hand, Moslemism APP
peaIs to them, as it does not carry with
Il such a strict code of morals. Many
of the tribesmen are falling in with
Mohammedanism and this portion of
RIGA probably will become spirit
ual battle ground between the cross and