The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1910-04-07

fact, looks now like a western min
ing camp in. boom. with more or
less conflicting claims staked out all
over it.
SO it happens that little Liberia
finds her neighborS crowding her too
closely. France on the one side and
Great britain on tho other have been
showing their boundaries nearer to
SrthCr and have been very OtticiOuS
in the projecting of loans and admin
iStralivc assistance. Liberia, we'll
realizing the meaning Of their sud
den interest in her interests, has APP
pCalrd for aid to the United States,
her founder e.. and prC;ertor. Our
commission has visited the country
and reported in favor of assisting
Liberia in settling her boundary dis
putrS and financial difficulties, OF or
ganizin& Il conStabulary force and Of
establishing research and coalin2
stations. The recon- M nda lions OF
the commission have been approved
hv the President and transmitted to
Congress. We believe it is the duty
OF That body to act upon il favor
ably and promptly. for We need IL
IBERIA as Well as Liberia needs us.
This is no time to Sacrifices whatever
claim W" have on African soil. 1t
mas cost 700 much and ii is worth
too much for us to let it so. AT the
end Of the first half century OF its
lahnrS ;hr American Colonization
Society reported that il had collect
ed and expended over s2,000,00V
and the State societies half million
more. Maryland, New York and
PENNSYLVANIA had made aDOrOpria
tons for carrying on the work. and
the United States government ha1
CiIirial!y promoted ii in many ways.
Yale originated the project in l1Ih,
and Primo "tOn educated the first Ne
GrOcS 10 be sent TO the promised
land. These universities might we'll
take an interest in the country tina,
owes lis eXistenc TO their early en-
tcrprise.
Liberia is not now needed as a re-
fugc for freedmen and as deposit
tory for slaves captured from the
traders. IT, is not needed as a means
Of wiping out slavery. But it may
be useful to the cOlored race in 9TH
or ways. 1t may afford an Opportun-
ity for political and industrial activ-
ity which is limited in this country.
Negroes of ability and wealth may
desire free field for their ente
prise. Those who feel themselves
wronged by being deprived Of their
right TO vote under one preteXt or
another may want to go to a country
where the white man has no vote,
the only part Of the African CONT
ncnt where the native race is not un-
humiliatcd at the. indignities thrust
upon them may I've glad to know that
| there is one country where they are
welcomed. The mere existence Of a
self governing, prospefous' aid "cfVila
lied community wherein Negroes
could work out their own destiny
iii their own way would raise the
In short, 4 Zionist movement among
the colorcd people might not be a
bad thing. To be sure, the Negroes
have no such traditional and religi-
OuS attachment to Africa as the He
brcMs have for Palestine, but the
economic and chronological argu-
m"nts which are put forward in IA
Eor OF Jewish state apply with
greater force to the cOlOr"d race,
which IS more restricted and con-
d"mned IN America than the Jews
are anywhere.
But the Negroes must decide for
themselves whether they want to do
"a little colonization on their own ac-
couni. Phllanthropic assistance is
I'' wv 90 '''i' "'''' |" u" - 10
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