Evening star., 1932-09-28
u. s. READY To AID
L|BER|AN PROGRESS
Stimson Denies Opposition,
But Insists on Grant
of Authority.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The United States today was declared
by Secretary Of State Stimson ready
to approve any practicable plan" for
international supervision of Liberals s
administration, but feels such Coop
Grafton would be futile without AN
adequate grant Of authority" by the
African republic.
THE view Of this Government In re-
spect to Liberia" Stimson said, "is
simply that any officials sent there in
behalf of the League Of Nations shall
have sufficient assurance Of support and
authority from both Liberia and the
League to make it worth while sending
them"
The Governments position was set
forth by the Secretary In telegram
last night to Walter White, secretary Of
the National Association for the Ad-
E. B. Du Bois editor of the Crisis, both
of New York City.
Held Same as Veto.
White and Du Bois contended In q
telegram to Stimson yesterday that the
State Department attitude amounts to
a veto" of the League plan for nine
foreign officials and 6, League adviser to
supervise Liberia. This plan was sug-
gested after an international commits
sion reported conditions of slavery and
forced labor existed there.
IF the department does not change
its attitude on a question of vital i'm
portance to colored voters in the United
States, We should not be able to avoid
attributing its position to the hostility
of the Hoover administration to the
Negro race" White and Du Bois said.
The remedy suggested by the league,
Stimson replied, has been supervision
Of Lberian administration by non
partisan officials representing the en-
lghtened nations Of the world. We
have urged only that these officials be
promised in advance sufficient author
ity to make them useful"
White and Dubois said the State
Department policy would mean "a de-
structive occupation similar to that
which the United States has carried
out in another Negro republic, namely
Haiti" and added that the same logic
would lead the present administra-
tion to embark upon a unilatreal in
tervention in Liberals affairs for the
protection of the FireStOne interests"
Reply Given IN Full.
StimSon said 'the Firestone interests
have no immediate connection with
the present problem" His telegram,
as made public here, follows in full:
The view of this Government in re-
spect to Liberia is simply that any
officials sent there in behalf of the
League of Nations shall have sufficient
assurance of support and authority
from both Liberia and the League to
make 1t worth while sending them. The
United States has no desire or plan to
intervene in Liberia, but Is seeking
to cooperate with the other nations
OF the world in bringing to an end
conditions which have shocked the
humanitarian sentiments of the whole
civilized globe.
In January. 1881, an international
commission Of inquiry reported that
conditions OF slavery and forced labor
existed in that country to a shocking
extent and that these conditions con-
tinued with the knowledge, if not the
active participation, of high officials in
the Iiberian government 1t was a dis
tressing revelation for a country found
ed century ago in the name of human
freedom.
The remedy suggested by the League
mas peen supervision OF L1bertan admin
istration by non-partisan officials repre-
senting the enlightened nations Of the
world. We have urged only that these
officials be promised In advance sum
cient authority to make them useful.
The experience Of previous advisers
established in Liberia has been that
without adequate authority their pres
ence accomplishes nothing whatever.
Practicable Plan Wanted.
"Our Government is ready to approve
any practicable plan based on these
principles, but in the absence of an
adequate grant of authority by Liberia
feels that international cooperation
would be futile. We have not proposed
dictatortal powers, but we have been
reluctant to see an assumption Of re-
sponsibility by an international COM
mission which has not been granted
power to meet that responsibility.
THE Firestone interests have no i'm
mediate connection with the present
problem. Their, conduct in Liberia has
not been the subject of criticism by any
investigating body. The present prob
lem is not one Of business interests, but
of order and humanity"