New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-11
Commissioner Semi Ouf BY President Barclay TO De-
mand Reparafion Was Roughly Handled
and Badly Scared.

'of the tribe There he was unbound and,
surrounded by a band of tall, fierce look
| ing naked negroes, told the purpose OF
! his mission. In silence the chief listened to
| it. The Grebo captain thought for a time.
| Then he ordered Liberals representative
| rebound and set a guard over HIM Thus
| the commissioner lived for days without
| knowing what his ultimate fate would be.
Nor did he find out what had happened
Until one morning he was escorted back
| 10 the frontier and released with the adj
vice never TO stray as far afield in that
direction again.
| What had happened was this: The tribal
chief decided to hold the commissioner as
hostage and use him to drive shrewd
bargain in concessions from the Liberian
| government. After lot OF dickerng the
| latter decided to stick by its commissioner
| and finally redeemed him at the cost Of a
big tract OF land, some money, or Its
equivalent, and one or two minor con-
cessions.
The question of the fate of the mis-
sionary was taciuy ignored and the Incl
| dent dropped.
| Thus it is that the title commissioner
appeals not to the Liberianite, and hence
it is respectfully suggested to the govern
| the want columns might be serviceable.
| II is the fierce savage tribes who inhabit
the land around Liberia that have been
responsible for most of the troubles of that
struggling little republic. Nominally these
tribes are supposed to be subject to the
republic: actually the reverse comes closer
| to the truth. Theoretically the tribesmen
owe allegiance to Liberia and are sup
posed TO contribute somewhat to the sup
port. OF the government. In formH times
commissioners were appointed annually
TO visit the chiefs OF the different tribes
and get what was coming from them to the
government The commissioners seldom
got that but they generally got all that
was coming to themselves, and little bit
more
Sometimes they were simply killed: other
times they were killed and then served for
dinner a la the individual epicurean fam
cies Of the respective chiefs: still other
times Chese were easier on the commits
sioners. but harder on the governmenD
they were held as hostages for redemption,
and woe be to the commissioner If the
then president would rather lose a man
than land or money.
Thus gradually and little by little the
territory of Liberia has been diminished
until now the republics dominions hardly
actually extend over twenty-five miles in
land although the length Of its coast line
is still very respectable. Alleging that the
Liberian government could not control the
tribes within its claimed boundaries and
could not maintain order, both the British
and French governments have sliced OH
enormous chunks OF Liberian territory, and.
according to the report Of the commits
sion recently sent out there by the United
States to investigate conditions, the latter
government intends to prune off further
hunks.
! Hence President Barclay has a right TO
feel peeyish when the subject OF native
tribes and Liberian commissioners is
brought up as the conversational piece de
resistance.
The United States Investigating commits
sion reported that the experiment of
Liberia had not failed, but that 1t was
wabblfng The commissioners said that the
Iiberians themselves were unfolding their
standard of civilization. but we're succeed
ing fndifferently well in civIlizing anybody
else They advised that unless something
was done by the parent government the
chances were strongly in favor OF Liberia
being gently erased from the map of SOW
ereign powers, or words to that effect.
The plan of government Of the republic