East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-06-24
TORTURE USED
IN WORST FORM
REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA
SCENE OF ATROCITIES
Visitor to Land Describes Means Used
by Natives to Put Victims TO Death
AS Nation, Liberia is Monu-
mental Fizzle-Was established by
Blacks As Refuge.


(By William Philip Simms, Paris Cor
respondent of the United Press)
Paris, une 24.-Liberia, the repub-
lie founded on the western coast OF
Africa by American negroes as a ha-
ven for their black brothers. is a
monumental fizzle, according to
Claude Wallace, an Englishman, who
today is in Paris after a stay of sew
eral months in the "colored mans
country" Wallace says that if the
negro, by creating Liberia, wished TO
prove his sagacity of self-government,
he botched the job, for utter incapac-
ity stares one in the face every turn.
If it were not great comedy, he de-
clared, it would be terrible tragedy,
for all that is horrible treads close
upon the heels of things which make
one laugh until ones sides ache.
Liberia" Wallace said, "ostensibly
has a government like any other re-
public. She has an army and she,
has a navy. The navy is named ''The
Lark and lark she is, being
small, steam yacht formerly owned by
Baron de Rothschild, of Paris. Her
chief business is to keep slave trad
ers from invading Liberian territory,
but owing to a lack of coal with
which to keep up steam, she has to
stay in harbor most of the time.
"Once in a while, though. The
Lark accumulates enough fuel to
make sortie. Sighting an enemy
the vessel will chase it about 10 miles
out, then run up signal of distress
and beg for coal enough to get back
to land.
"The fleet at least has a magnifi-
cent admiral. He seldom ventures
aboard his fueless dreadnaught, but
when he does, he is bedecked in a
uniform almost every inch of which
is covered with glittering, gold braid.
His cruises are usually not uncon-
nected with a search for new reve-
nues. since he carries with him large
supplies of pretty stamps which he
sells as souvenirs to tourists aboard
the infrequent steamers.
1.-The republics territory really ex-
tends far inland. but the people of
this hinterland do not know it. They
neighbors and the more civilized LII
berians are mortally afraid of them
The latter are still confined to mar
row strip of coast beyond which they
dare not bulge lest the inhabitants of
the interior make a meal of their
carcasses. Strangely enough, though
of the same race. the newcomers
have not had the slightest ciyiiizing
effect upon the natives. Torture
still exists among these people in its
most horrible forms. Here is one of
sthe favorites
! There is a species of ferocious ant
in Liberia which at certain seasons
invades the villages and routs the IN
habitants from their huts There is
no way to fight abe ant. When the
ants arrive the natives surrender.
And when the ants have cleaned out
the hut. eating every vestige of food
of whatever description, they march
on the next habitation.
''The victim to be tortured is strip
ped and tied to a post. He is gorged
with honey and his mouth propped op-
en- with a stick. A trail of honey Is
drawn from his mouth. over his chin.
down his neck. body and legs to the
ground and out to the nearest jungle.
Soon the terrible, carniverous ants
appear on the honey trail and slofly,
in thick, black line, begin their
march toward the poor devil tied to
the stake When they reach him,
they keep right on. They climb his
body and disappear. scores of them,
through his lips and down his throat.
For half an hour. perhaps. the
victim writhes as a person would
who has taken a violent poison. Then
he stops his writhing and his head
says upon his ant covered chest. He
is dead.
'"The Liberians seem to realize the
mess they have made of things, for
my impression was that they desired
most earnestly to be annexed, or TAX
en- under the protecting wing of some
European power. preferably England.
They want to be saved from them
selves-and incidentally from their
brethren of the inland.
"Libraria has not been able. so
far. to lure any European country to-
her side, but she hasn't yet given up
all hope. The people think If they
can stir up trouble, involving subjects
of one of the great powers. interven-
ton would follow and perhaps annex
alton. So. in my trip into the hinter-
land. freely confess now, / was al
ways uneasy lest l being an English
man. should be considered good
specimen to begin things with, / al
ways slept with one eye open. Wis
ions OF ants. marching in long black
line towards myself. while might be
tied to a stake-ugh!
mo; really, Liberia is not-decid-
edly not-what might be called a
success as a nation and world pow
err"