Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1924-08-09

L The contribution to the ,'Africal
$ World Supplement- III which Mr.. "
/ E. B. Du Bots records his impression
: of his journey to Liberia and his re
o ception there as Envoy EXtraordinar.
and Minister plenipotentlary at tn
L Inauguration of President King read
like an idyl and it is possible 10 llnge
: upon every sentence in the beautiful
! setting. Mr.. Du Bots is truly maste
of language and of expression uniqu'
in his way. AS such, he serves to illus
trate African versatility in literature
and otherwise. But it is not upon tins
phase of the contribution that We de
sire to dwell 1t is upon the subtle, II.
uying patriotic yearning OF cultured
African for the rede mptlon or his race
that we desire to focus attention. Ano
yet MI Du Bots has made 1t posslDi:
lor his opponents 10 Aurl the cllLlclsn
of provincialism against him. He seems
: IKE soul feeling his way, yet out oi
semi-darkness into light. 1t Is out OF
the shadow of the American race PROF.
lem as it affects the local American
black man in it's narrower aspect 10 the
broad ocean of African emancipat-Ch
as Flsualised by more liberal ana 1ar'
seeing leaders.
When, for instance, Mr.. Du Bots
says: "And sense rather than hear a
broken, beaten, but unconQuered lano
a spirit bruised, burned, but immortal.
There is defence eager but not apology
there is always the pointing out OF san
of all Europe" he but Indicates the
negative attitude which the twentieth
century African disdains.
1t is gratifying that Mr.. Du Bo-s
recognizes the importance OF Liberia TO
the race as is evidenced by the follow
ing: Liberia had been resting under
the shock of war. She had asked ana
been promised large loan by the UAt
ed States. She had conformed 10 every
preliminary requirement and waited
when waiting was almost fatal. 1t was
not simply money, it was world pres
tige and high protection at a time
when the little republic was sorely be-
set by creditors and greedy imperial
powers. At the last moment an 1nsur-
gent Senate peremptorily and finally
refused the request and strong recon.
mendatiou of the President and his ad
visors and the loan was refused. The
Department of State made no state
ment to the world and Liberia stood
naked, not only well-nigh bankrupt but
peculiarly defenceless amid-scowling
and unbelieving powers.
And in his speech addressing His Elk
cellency the President Of the Republic
indications of an emergence from shad
ow to light are present. He says:
! "Your Excellency: rhe President OF
the United States has done me the
great honour of designating me as his
personal representative on the occasion
of your Inauguration. In so doing, he
has had, am sure two things in mind
First he wished publicly and unmis-
takably to express before the world the
: interest and solicitude which the hun
dred million inhabitants of the United
States of America have for Liberia. Lii
IBERIA is a child of the United States,
and a sister Republic. Its progress and
success is the progress and success OF
democracy everywhere and for all men;
and the United States would view with
sorrow and alarm any misfortune that
might happen to this Republic and any
/ obstacle that was placed in her path.
"But special and peculiar bonds draw
these two hands together. In America
live eleven million persons of African
descent, they are citizens legally in
vested with every right that inheres
in American citizenship. And / am sure
that in this special mark of the Presi-
dents favor he has had in mind the
wishes and hopes of the Negro Ameri-
cans. He knows how proud they are OF
the hundred years independence which
you have maintained by force OF arms
and by Drawn and brain upon the edge
of this mighty continent; he knows
that in the great battle against color
caste in America, the ability of Negro
es to rule in Africa has been and even
will be great and encouraging rein
forcement. He knows that the unan'
swering loyalty Of Negro Americans to
their country is fifty accompanied ny
pride in their race and lineage, be-
lief in the potency and promise OF Ne
groblood which makes them eager lis
teners to every whisper OF success from
Liberia and eager helpers in every
movement for your aid and comfort.
The uplift and redemption of all Afr4-
ca is, in a special sense, the moral bur
Cen of Liberia and the advancement
and integrity of Liberia is the sincere
prayer of America.
"May I, finally in thus expressing to
your Excellency the good wishes of my
country and its President, be permitted
to add my own personal sense OF the
distinction put upon me in making me
the humble bearer of these messages
I have now the honor, Sir, to transmit
tc you the personal word of Calvin Cool
idge President of the United States OF
America by the hand of Charles E.
Hughes, Secretary of State.
A glimpse Of the ceremonial is re
freshing and it is best set out in Mr.
Du Bots own language. Here it's:
"Ceremonials are old and to some anti
uuated and yet this was done with such
simplicity grace and seriousness that
none could escape it's spell. The Secre
! tary of State met us at tbs Goor, rs the
band played the wonderful Liberiar
National hymn and the soldiers salut
ed He took us up broad stairway
and into a great room that stretched
, across the house. Here in seml-cirdt
, were ranged the foreign consuls ant
the cabinet-the former in white enc
4 guilt with orders and swords; the lat