The Chicago whip. (Chicago, Ill.) 1919-19??, 1931-10-10
AVERY IN LIBERIA
--mmnmzu-nmm By George Schuyler u~-

49, Firestone company had insisted
the Government must build roads so
that rubber might be taken to port
Mr.. Hines dro-e me in his car to
Landing No. 10 on the Du river,
where there are Arehodses, small
dock an dseveal lar5e motor launch
es moore5. He explained that such
rubber as has been produced Is
shlppe1 frem that point to the
mouth OF the river at Marshall,
where It Is loaded aboard ship, thus
making completely unnecessary
transportation by land. He pointed
out that the small and much older
Mount Barclay plantation sits "a
astride OF a Liberian road that was
constructed long before the Fire
stone company entsreo the country.
Denies Pressure
when | mentioned the accusation
OF President Barclay that the Fire
stone Com any through the Ameri-
can legation. sought to get the
Government TO use nre.sure 10 in
crea the fiow Of labor TO the PLAN
tations. he replied:
There was ALWAYS SUFFICIENT
supply OF labor until former Dis
trlct Commissioner David Csrter
now Jailed on charges OF murder
began to interfere with laborers en-
route to the plantations in order to
extract Illegal fc from them or to
divert thera to forced labor on the
Government roaGs
Upon being requested 10 stop the
nractice. Commissioner Carter re-
fcrred me to the then President
King. l Immediately took up the
matter With the President, but the
onlv thing he woul dsay was that
II the American Minister would
make the nue. that the Firstone
eompary would be supplied with
moro labor. Il would be furnished
"I replied that I coul dmake no
such request Of the American Min
ister. nor could see where he had
anything TO Co With Il. A high Lis
berian -ial was interfering with
our labor supply and I was merely
asking that this interf renee cease.
However President King communi-
Gated with Mr. Francis. who was
then American Minister. concerning
the matter. Mr.. Francis replied at
FIRST that he would have nothing TO
do with the matter. Upon Kings
further insistence. Mr.. Francis stat
ed that he saw no reason why an
American corporation should not be
permitted 10 have all the labor ID
desired"
Mr.. Hines expressed the opinion
that the whole scheme was 70 make
the American Government appear
TO be forcing the Jlberian Govern
ment 70 supply the Firestone COM
PAW With labor. l discovered later
that there was not shred Of cor
respondence In the flles Of the A.
merican Legation TO support Presi-
dent Barclays charge.
Denies League Spur
The Firestonc manager stated, in
answer 10 the charge that his COM
pany inspired ne League OF Nations
that as they had new
er had any difficulty In getting SUI
ncient labor, except when interfer-
ed with by Idberian officials, there
was no reason for the company TO
complain against the expectation OF
a fe ~eundred laborers. He men
toned the fact that years before LIZ
IBERIA had been criticized for per
hitting this trafie in "boys' and
that Thomas J. r FaJlgner. wealthy
merchant and head OF the Peoples
Party. rad oeen a frequent and out
spoken accuser Of Government ono
ials in that connection. He sug-
gested that perhaps Faulkner's
charges may have speeded the in
yestigation.
It Is true that 5000 laborers are
a whole lot TO recruit from the scat
tered villages. and one might be
excused for credlting rumors that
force vas used And yet. from my
travels in the interior. where money
Is so scarce and 50 desired, ] can
zee where even at the peak OF its
operations the Flrestohe company
needed no force TO get labor
Copyright 1881
DO missions ries OF Christian
churches sit idly by while boys are
sold into slavery? Schuyler says
yes. You may not agree with his
condemnation of missionaries. but
you are bound TO sit up and take mo-
tice when you read what he says
next week.