The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-04-03

sion, thereby rehabilitating the wobbling government.
 Liberia, should the United States fail her now, may appeal to England or France The former is desirous of get ting a political foothold in the country. Coming in as financial packer, it is said, would constitute cause enough for England to claim possession of the coun- try before many years
 England and Frnnce have been after Liberia for years. The United States was continuously fighting diplomatic battles with those countries from 1880 to 1890 in settling boundary disputes. Great Brit ain, however, in recent years has not been so hostile She has been desirous of posing as Liberia's best friend, by busting the United States and. it Is said. in furtherance of her policy in 1897 en- tered into an agreement with the United States, which declared the intention Of both countries to prevent any. other na- ton from encroaching on Lfberian ter rtory.
 Affairs of the black republic have many times been before the Congress of the United States In is43 a committe of the House of Representatives recommended that the United States take oyer Liberia as a colony but the cry of imperialism that was raised when the subject was hroached was too much for the legisla- tors and the colony idea was abandoned. Prior to the civil. war. this government maintained a squadron on the west coast of Africa to suppress the slave trade. The naval ofricers lent their aid and as- .sistance to the Liberiahs in. their trou- bles with the hostile natives.
 In 1886 Congress directed the secretary of the navy to give a gunboat to the Li- herians, in order that they could man 1t and maintain order on their own coast but for some reason the order of Con gress was not carried out.
 The idea of colonizing with slaves of this country, who had regained their freedom, was originated early in the eighteenth century Thomas Jefferson in 1761 advocated the abolition of slavery by a gradual policy of deportation and colonization Maryland aHd Virginia en- tered heartily into the scheme for send ing free slaves to Africa. Henry Clay was also an early advocate of the propo- sitlon He indorsed 1t because he be- lieved freed slaves were dangerous to so- ciety and that with no free slaves the value of slaves still in slavery would be enhanced
 The plan did not materialize until 1s1s WlcIl tOiDiiIdlion soSiCty was Aoi for it developed that the "back-to-Afri- oo'' movement could only be brought to definite shape through philanthropy Several Attempts were made to start col onies, but misfortune overlook the free slaves and the promoters. In 1921 Libe Tia, then known as Montsorado, was pur- chased as the site Of the permanent col ony from African natives. Lieut.. Stock ton of the United States navy on behalf of the colonization company. made the rtr chase, giving for the land, 1aD mile5 long and 40 miles broad, a miscellaneous asortment of trading goods, muskets. powder, tobacco, umbrellas, hats, soap calico and other things, of course. rum.
 The United States has never taken a strenuous hand In the management of the countrys affairs The colonization societies and philanthropists have been the backbone of the movement. The struggle for life of the Liberians has ai- ways been one of great effort. They have never been able to establish their author ity except along the coast, the hostile natives doing as they pleased in the ing terior.
 Liberals condition after a century is critical The United States must come to her aid or she will have to appeal, to one of the European powers. It is the belief of the officials of the state depart nlent that this government is the only one that will extend aid and in doing so will not seek to gain possession of Li- perian territory.