The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1921-10-15
LIBERIA-AND A NEGRO STATE.
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LIBERIA-AND A NEGRO STATE.
Continued from page A.
people He expects such progress to
lead, ultimately, to the awakening
OF the aboriginal people of the interior
and their cooperation with the Lii
! berians.
But Mr. Vaughan is a special
pleader, and, like most nationals
abroad, can see the faults of other
peoples only. He is especially Sc
we're on the French-very naturally.
since the French are the rivals of
the English, and both desire to ex-
tend their worthless West Coast
and Ivory Coast and Guinea Coast
possessions( partly at the expense of
Liberia. He asserts that the Iii
berlans tell you that, whatever may
be said to the contrary. the Repub-
lies most uncomfortable neighbor has
always been France" They tell this
to the English. To the French and
to the Americans they tell quite a
contrary story.
Both France and England have paid
precious little concern to the rights
and property of Liberia. each taking
whatever it could without stopping
to worry over the distress and hui
Mutations caused to the Negroes who
are, in host cases, struggling to set
up state and to progress towards
higher civilization for the benefit
of their race.
Benjamin Brawley, who visited
Africa for the New York State Colo
niZation Society, and is the author
of a Social History of the Negro,
had an article in The New Republic
recently on Liberia One Hundred
Years After" which presents. we
think, a more impartial view of the
relations between Liberia and her
neighbors than we find in Mr.. Maug-
hams otherwise admirable work We
quote a few of his expressions con-
corning the shadow of England upon
the country although he does not
at all justify French aggressions:
The shadow of England there has
lowered constantly. For 80 years
this great power has not ceased to-
intermeddle in Liberian affairs, brow
beating or cajoling as seemed at
the moment most adivable. In 1882
she sent four gunboats to Monrovia
and secured from President Gardiner
a treaty giving up all Liberian rights
to the Gallinhas territory from Sher-
bro Island to the Mafa river, in ex-
change for 1850 pounds and all the
abandonment of all other British
claims. This agreement was really
repudiated by the Liberian congress,
and in 1885, through the influence
of the United States, the treaty was
slightly modified, but its spirit was
not changed, for in 1904 still an
other boundary was established on
the west beyond which Liberia could
not exercise jurisdiction.
This country was appealed to in
1907 by the Liberians, and an Amer
lean commission went to Africa and
was able to accomplish some ameli-
oration of the conditions. But, Mr.
Brawley concludes, in more pessi-
mistic tone than Mr.. Maughams:
To-day the Republic has hardly made
a beginning in industrial develop
ment.'
As to the present-day Liberia, he
writes:
In territory not larger than our
own state of Pennsylvania a popula-
ton of American numbering strictly
not more than 10000 holds under
its central government native pop
ulation of more than score of
tribes numbering nearly 100000
souls. The latter range all the way
from the Manbingo and the Val, with
a MohamU adan background and
tradition that emphasizes the Koran,
to the Wild and tatooed Buzz and
the cannibalistic Mano. In the early
years the American settlers had fire.
quent wars with these people, and
it was but natural that in more re-
cent years some feeling should sur
vive. 1t is evident, however, that any
large system of development or edu-
cation will bring the native into
greater prominence and that against
this element the population of Amer
lean decent will not finally be able
to hold its own.
Liberia, then, must depend ulti-
mately, not upon its slight inflow OF
partly advanced Negroes from white
America, but upon the salvaging oil
the tribesman about her. But this
salvaging must be made by Negro s
or white men who have already ac-
quired the elements of civilization
elsewhere.
Africa has demonstrated, If it has
demonstrated anything, that it can
not save itself, Civilizations have
gone into Africa; not one has ever
, come out of her.
Burghardt Du Bots said The other
day something about the demonstra-
ton by the "mulatto republics" of
! Iatin-America of the ability to gov
ern themselves successfully. This
was used in favor of an African
state, or a pure Negro government
The argument kills itself. In the
first place, the rest of mankind is
fast advancing to the point where it
will be willing for every people to