Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1943-06-04
VOL. 9, NO. 43.
Liberals Chief
Executive Heard
By US. Congress

Washington, D. c. His
Excellency, Edwin Barclay,
President of the Republic of
Lib eria, addressed both
Houses of the United States
Congress Thursday, May 81,
in brief but impressive ceremonies
on Capitol Hill.
Escorted into the Senate Cham
Der by a committee composed of
Senators Lister Hill of Alabama,
Charles L. McNary of Oregon, Rob-
ert F. Wagner of New York and
Arthur Capper of Kansas, Presi-
dent Barclay was presented to the
SO legislators in attendance by Vice
President Henry A. Wallace who
said:
Members of the Senate, Ladies
and Gentlemen, I introduce to you
the President of LIBERIA:
The visiting dignitary responded
briefly:
"Mr. President and Members of
the Senate: I wish to express to
you my high appreciation of the
courtesy shown me in permitting
me to observe for a few minutes
the processes of law-making in the
United States"
President Barclay remained in
the Senate Chambers a few min
utes before leaving for the House
of Representatives with his party
which included the Hon. w. V. S.
Tubman, President-electo of Liberia;
Capt. Afford Russ, Military Aide
to President Barclay; Brig. Gen.
Benjamin o. Davis, U. S. A. Mill
tary Aide; Frederick Hubbard and
M. Stanley Walker, State Depart
ment, and Walter F. Walker, Lii
berian Consul General in New York
City.
President Barclay was escorted
into the House Chambers by COM
mittee composed of Representatives
John W. Mccormack and Joseph w.
Martin, Jr., of Massachusetts, Sol
Bloom of New York and Charles
Eaton of New Jersey. Speaker Sam
Rayburn introduced the visitor as
''the President of one of the few
democracies existing outside the
Western Hemisphere"
Responding, President Barclay
declared:
"Mr. Speaker, Members of the
House of Representatives: / con-
slider it great honor to appear be-
fore your honorable body, and I
am fully appreciative Of the cour-
tesy done me and my country by
your permitting me to be present
at your session, and to convey to
you greetings from the only democ-
racy in West Africa to the great
democracy of the Western Henri
sphere.
ut is fitting that I should con-
vey this greeting because it is to
American democracy that the peo-
pie of Liberia owe the foundation
of their state and the character of
their political institution.
"With the world now fighting to
maintain for all people the demo-
cratic ideals upon which the Amer
lean Republic was founded, Liberia,
as a matter of choice, is dedicated
to cooperate with and to render all
assistance within her power to
those states that are now engaged
in a terrific struggle to Danish ter
rorism and authoritarianism from
the world.
Cup to the present we have made
considerable contribution to the at
tainment of this objective. AL
though we have neither large
armies, air forces, nor navies to
contribute, we have what is impor-
tant in the prosecution of the war
natural resources and strategic
position which we have freely
placed at the disposal of the United
Nations as our contribution to the
cause of liberty and the human dig
nifty"
President Barclay was given
standing ovation in each Chamber.
George Alexander