Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-06-28
Utter Incapacity stares Everyone in
Face, According to Englishman
Who Has Returned.
TORTURE IN HORRIBLE FORM
STILL EXISTS THERE
Navy Is Joke and Admiral Seldom
Ventures Aboard to Aid in Chase
After Slave Traders.
By William Philip Simms.
UNITED PRESS LEASED WIRE. I

UNITED PRESS LEASED wIRE.l
Paris, June 2S.-Liberia, the repub-
lie founded on the western coast of
Africa by American negroes as a
haven for their black brothers, is q
monumental fizzle, according to Claude
Wallace, an Englishman, who today is
in Paris after stay of several months
in the "colOred man s country" Wal
lace says that if the negro, by creating
Liberia wished to prove his capacity
of government, he botched the job,
for utter incapacity stares one in the
face every turn. If it were not a
great comedy, he declared, it would be
terrible tragedy, for all that is hor-
rible treads close upon the heels of
things which make one laugh until
one s sides ache.
Liberia" " Wallace said, "ostensi
bly, has government like any other
republic. She has an army and she has
a navy. The navy is named "The
Lark, " and lark she is, being a small
steam yacht formerly owned by Baron
de Rothschild, of Paris. Her chief
business is to keep slavetraders from
invading Liberian territory, but owing
to a lack of coal with which to get
up steam, she has to stay in harbor
most of the time.
"Once in while, though, 'The
Lark accumulates enough fuel to make
sortie. Sighting an enemy the yes.
sci will chase it about ten miles out,
then run up a 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 fuelless dreadnought, but
when he does, he is bedecked in uni
form almost every inch of which is
covered with glittering gold braid. His
cruises are usually not uncOnnected |
with search for new revenues, since
he carries with him large supplies of
pretty stamps which he sells as souve.
Mrs to tourists aboard the infrequent
steamers.
Natives Are Uncivilized.
"The republics territory really ex-
tends far inland, but the people of this
hinterland do not know it. They have
the reputation of eating their neigh
bors and the more civilized Liberians
are mortally afraid Of them The lat
ter are still confined to narrow strip
of coast beyond which they dare not
bulge lest the inhabitants of the inter.
ior make a meal Of their carcasses.
Strangely enough, though of the same
race, the newcomers have not had the
slightest civilizing effects upon the ma.
tives. Torture still exists among these
people in its most horrible forms. Here
is one of the favorites
"There is 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 the 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
stripped and tied to a post. He is
gorged with honey and his mouth
propped open 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, carnivorous ants
appear on the honey trail and slowly,
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 vie.
time writhes as a person would who
has taken violent poison. Then he
stops his wrthing end his head says
upon his ant.covered chest. He is
dead.
Thinks They Crave Annexation.
"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 taken un.
der the protecting wing Of some Euro. J
pean power, preferably England. They
want to be saved from Themselves
and incidentally from their brethren Of
the inland.
"Liberia has not been able 80 far, I
to lure any European country to her
side, but she hash 7 yet given up all
hope The people think IL they can
stir up trouble, involving subjects Of
one Of the great powers, Intervention
would follow and perhaps annexation.
So on my trip into the hnterland, !
freely confess now, ! was always un.
easy lest l. being an Enplishman.