Phoenix tribune., 1919-05-03
LIBERIA REPORTED THE
LAND OF PROMISE
An Inside Story of the Black Republic
Which Nations Have calew a Fail
ure-Its Past, Present and Future
Why Liberia Must Become the
Home of Thousands of American
Negroes.
George Wells Parker)


Take down your geography and
turn to the map of Africa Along the
western coast and about four degrees
north of the equator, you will find
country by the name of Liberia. Of
course, you all have heard of it be-
fore, but to all of us it is but a dim
recollection. We have a hazy remem-
brance that the United States had
something to do with it, that years
ago many of our people went there
and that time and time again we have
read that Liberia was a failure.
There is saying as old as man
that every question has two sides and
that there is a modicum of truth upon
each. 1t is easy for the world to say
that Liberia is a failure, but the world
does not always know To one who
has studied Liberia there comes the
conviction that she has been far from
failure. Few men, indeed, are ac-
quainted with the factors that have
worked against that little black re-
public from the day of its founding,
but when these factors are known we
are apt to wonder if, after all, Liberia
has not been a success, and that this
very success is evident in her con-
tinued existence and triumph over diff
ficulties that have swept away nations
far stronger.
Let us with brief words explain the
cause of all Liberals trouble. To the
north of Liberia is Sierre Leone, a
British possession, while almost sur
rounding her is a part of the French
African empire an empire larger than
Europe itself. The British and the
French are there because Africa is
rich beyond the worlds imagination.
Liberia is rich, too, wonderfully rich,
and Britain and France know it. They
want Liberia and have wanted it for
long time, and had they only the
weak-Liberians to contend with, they
would have had it. But the United
States has been Liberals protector,
and because of American protection
these greedy nations have hesitated
from exploiting the cour Try and TAX
ing it for themselves.
But even in the face of the nominal
protection of the United States, Lii
IBERIA has suffered many aggressions
BY treaty of 1892 she lost to France
sive territories in the interior, and by
the treaty of 1907, 1000 square miles
of territory. In 1885, by a treaty with
Britain, she lost considerable coast
line to the north. Two loans of very
small amount by British capital al
most led to Liberals undoing, and
there have been other and various
schemes attempted whereby this little
country would fall to Britain and
France. Is there any wonder, then,
that Liberians dislike the English and
French? The story of England's Az
rican empire and the story of Frances
African empire are as bloody tale
as Germany's ever was, and Liberia
knows it. That is why little Liberia
is holding out her arms to the United
States and to the American Negro for
help, and these are the reasons why
the United States and the American
Negro should give help.
Liberia is Americas child In 1S47
! Liberia was founded by the United
States to the end of making a home
for such of her black citizens who
wished to return to the land of their
birth. The plan was originally advo-
! Gated by Thomas jefferson, and al
the really thinking Negro of today
knows that some sort of colonization
must some day become the means of
solving the so-called Negro problem in
the United States. OF course, there
are millions of Negroes who would not
go, and, too, there are millions OF
Negroes who should never be asked
to go. Liberia needs farmers, labor
ers, and business men, and those
farmers, laborers and business men
who will go to Liberia shall find for
tunes awaiting them there. This is
no idle dream, no fantastic reverie.
The day will come when Race men
of vision shall arise and turn the eyes
of the American Negro to Liberia
We are asleep now But others are
! not. France has offered to build a