Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-17

An international investigation which
has disclosed the existence Of slavery in
Liberia, the supposed bulwark against
forced labor in Africa, arouses much
interest In this country, which mas been
influential in the little republic. Warn
ing from the American State Dspart-
nerlt is generally upheld as likely to
produce some change, but It il de-
clared that the slave system is fairly
well established at various points in
Africa.
Asserting that slaves have long been
exploited In our Liberia-captured or
bought from neighborins tribes or from
the wandering and ubiquitous Arab
SLAYER driver" the Columbia Stat. asks
why the United States has tolerated
this well known trafic In slaves" as
serting that I'VE mildly protested to
our dusky protege, but we have not put
our foot, sl1sathed in the hobnailed
boots Of the Marines, down good and
hard on the neck Of the protected traf-
fickers in human bodies and human
souls" The State continues: Better
late than never: but it would have made
better face before the world TO have
been shocked by this state Of affairs
years ago. 1t was an unfortunate deci-
sion on the part Of our Government to
wait until the finding of an iI1terna-
tional commission to move for the corr
rection Of vicious condition that we
might have stamped out with single
crash of the Marine heel Secretary
Stimson, like 50 many of his predeccs-
sors, seems blind to the fact that we
are responsible for Liberia and its reek
Of human slavery"
= u
Continued pressure will have to be
exerted upon the leaders Of a race that
has been Injured to slavery from time
immemorial,' advises the Detroit Free
Press, rer11arkirlg that I'VE need not be
surprised to find slavery still widespread
in a country only 4 per cent Of whose
population is classified as civilized"
Endorsement of the action of the Ariaeri-
can State Department is given by the
Free Press In the statement: The Sec
rotary of State charged in his note that
Liberia consented to the investigation
with extreme reluctance; that nearly
all the high officials of the country were
found guilty of employing slavery and
forced labor; that they have submitted
nc definite plan for abolisning these
evils; that all the officials whose guilt
was established continued in ONCE, and
that now the Liberian government,
after intinnidating witnesses before the
commission, attempts to retaliate on
these helpless people. An even less ex-
tsnsive indictment would have justi-
fed the strong tone of the State De-
partr1ent's communication"
The facts as revealed are Incredibly
shocking" says the Philadelphia Public
Ledger, while the Scranton Times holds
that st is high time that the Liberiar
government Is forced to put an end to
such q condition" for Liberia was
originally established as . haven for
American slaves" and tn. Times exc
plains that mfr. stirnsor1s note, while
couched in diplomatic language, is
looked upon generally as an ultin1atuna, !"
The Asbury Park Press hopes that
merely the threat Of the loss OF Amer
lean friendship may bring the desired
results" and remarks that "one would
have looked for complete eraancipa-
ton and the fullest liberty La a coln-
try conceived in liberty, dedicated to
freedom, and whose very name means
the land Of liberty"
''It Is one of the ironies Of life that
the republic established primarily as
home for freed slaves from the United
States should itself tolerate slavery"
agrees the Seattle Daily Times, giving
emphasis to the designations Of the
President and Vice President of Liberia,
and holding that the country sis rich
IN natural resources. and with good bus
mess management might be leader in
Africa" The Kalamazoo Gazette states
that the Liberian people have looked
to the United States for friendly guild
ance and counsel on frequent occasions
throughout their brief history, so they
should be able to accept in good faith
the warning that has come to them
from Washington" The New York
Evening World thinks. ''it would be q
strange turn IT, as is threatened by inn
plication, the United States should
sever relations with the Negro Republic
because that republic win not end
slavery
''The United States and the Leaele