Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-21

either side like Il pair OF nippers, and
her continued existence as an lndepend-
ant state Is entirely dependent upon
our aid.
D. Only Real African state
Liberia was founded as Il homo for
coiorcd people OF America. and is tho
only republic In the world where tho
electors must be Of African blood, IT
III In sense the only African state I'm
Africa. and 1t is the only place in the
world where the negro race has any
existence IL nation
IL mas failed in It's first purpose of
providing Il solution of the race nrob
lem In the United States. Only n few
thousand American negroes went to
Liberia. many of those died and some
returned j. j. Dosscn, Associate JUS
'icc or Liberia, In an article which he
published in an American magazine.
Expresses the opinion that Liberia NAV
yet oecome the home OF many Amer
lean negroes. and urges that the United
states aid them to emiCrate I>iftv
thousand American negroes, he saws.
could do wonders for Liberia while
Liberia would offer to them opportunI-
ties OF wealth and civil rights. which
they would obtain nowhere else
whether or not Liberia is vet TO
become the home of any considerable
number of American negroes. il has
distinctive place in the world AS a
negro state. Its Constitution provides
that the electors must be of African
blood. 1t Is, therefore, genuine col
ored mans republic. and the only place
IN the world where that race has any
national existence. Liberia means TO
the colorcd people what an independent
Ireland does to the Irish and FREQ
Poland to the Poles. IL is a source Of
pride and hope. even TO those who have
no idea OF ever returning to Africa IT
supports the self-respect Of the race.
For example. there was recently pub
lishcd for the OF colored students
In this country book OF Biographies
or the Presidents Of Liberia.
Liberia i. Worth Saving.
In QUESTIONABLE submitted to a
number OF negro school children ono
question had to do with whether the
child hoped or expected TO become fa
nous. and asked the reason for tho
answer Almost without exception the
children answered that they had no
such hope or expectation. because the
thing was impossible. Hope and conf
dence in themselves two things
that the colored peoples need. and Liz
IBERIA is perhaps best worth saving for
what IL will give them OF these
Neither is Liberia a failure in tho
eyes or its citizens. and any one who
studies it's humble beginnings less
than century ago must admit that
the Liberians have accomplished much.
The state was founded by tho Amcri
can Colonization Society. which
sisted OF both Southerners and North
erners. The former wanted some place
TO which freed slaves might 20. and
the latter regarded the experiment as
a blow against both slavery and the
slave trade The expeditions sent TO
the West African coast by these phi.
ianthropists had little money and knew
nothing about African colonization.
They bought some unhealthy coast
lands from the wild natives. and struE-
Elcd for years against the deprcdatiors
OF these savaEcs. tropical diseases and
foods. The little colony would have
persisted repeatedly except for the
presence OF two or three intrepid
American negroes who were deter
mined to found an African state. They
also refused the protection OF Great
Britain at a time when they greatly
needed H.
The settlement became an inde-
pendent republic in 1st7. and since that
time has been working out it's own
destiny II must be admitted that this
destiny has not been brilliant but T.
has been fairly peaceful and orderly.
II was not TO be expected that Liberia
would equal in progress Sierra Leone
or the Ivory Coast her ncighbor
colonies. which had back Of them all
the resources OF great nations. Except
for the aid we gave her in 1910 Liberia
has had no backing. Now she must
have II. and the only question Il
whether We are TO give II and pre-
serve her Independence, or she is 10
OF Influence"