The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1943-05-27
THROUGH
HAZEL
EYES


America a negro has been received at
the White House with full honors
accorded all visiting dignitaries. Edwin
Barclay, president Of the negro republic
of Liberia was received officially at the
White House Wednesday, spent the
night there and was given a stag, state
dinner with many high officials of the
government attending.
Liberia, it will be remembered, is on
the west coast Of Africa just north of
the equator and is the only remaining
section of tho "black mans continent"
that is not controlled by some European
power. 1t was founded in 1922 as a
refuge for liberated slaves from the
United States and its government is
patterned after ours. Its capital, Mon
rovia, is named alter President James
Monroe.
The Liberians had the good sense in
drawing up their government to provide
citizenship in the republic for negroes
only. 1t is a negro republic and the
white man is not a citizen.
Liberian itself is about $4,000 square
miles, or a little larger than the state
of Ohio. It has about $50 miles Of coast
line and five-sixths of it is covered with
dense tropical forests which furnish its
chief exports, palm oil, palm nuts, pas
sava fiber, rubber, coffee, and cocoa.
There are only about 10000 Liberians
proper, the civilized and Christian de-
scendants of American negroes. They
live in a few settlements and a few
miles inland. There are about $4,000
"coast" natives who are partly civilized
and about two and one-half million
blush" negroes living in the forests in
the interior who belong to many differ
ent tribes and speak only their native
tongue.
President Roosevelt visited President
Barclay in Liberia on his return from
Casablanca. Barclay is now returning
his visit. The visit at this time may be
significant since a group of Americans
leased in 1926 a million acre tract of
land in Liberia for rubber growing and
began plantations which will ultimately,
it is believed, supply half of the rubber
used by the United States.
Altogether a great deal could come
from the visit Of the Liberian President
and President-elect w. V. s. Tubman.
Arrangements have been completed for
opening three more state parks. Roose-
welt, near Morton, Spring Lake, near
Holly Springs, and Tombigbee at
Tupelo will open this summer. Magnolia
State Park at Ocean Springs and Clarkco
at Quitman have been in continuous
operation. The opening Of the three
bring to six the total number of state
parks in operation in Mississippi this
summer.
Still arrangements have not been
made to open the Holmes County State
Park near Durant.
A $500 per month guarantee is needed
before the state forester. Albert Legett,
will let the park open. The park here
tofore has always been on a self
sustaining basis and last year had a
small sum over all operating expenses
left. Due to war conditions, gasoline
and tire r%ationing, scarcity of soft
drinks and candies, ETC., it is felt that
the park might not pay it's way this
summer. The $500 guarantee is needed
to pay the custodian ($S5), life guard
($75) and the keeper ($75). As we
understand it the custodian must
keep a complicated set of books
and keep tab of the reports to be made
as well as be on land to sell tickets
and soft drinks, If any are to be had,
look after the cabins and keep the lake
clean. The life guard must be on duty
at al times. The keeper" or ~janitor
or whatever you want to call hime must
keep the premises clean, etc.
Why the state requires all this we
do not know. But that seems to be the
setup. Money must be raised to pay
three people in order to get the park
open.
In the face of gasoline and tire
shortage it is more important than ever
that state parks are opened for the
benefit of people who cannot travel any
distance for recreation. After the thou
sands of dollars that have been spent
on such parks certainly they should be
available to the people when they need
them most. As a matter of fact if
WV btth httutu NhtN L
needed now.
Some of the restrictions should be re-
Taxed or afforded in some way to make it
possible for the Holmes County State
Park to be opened. Personally we can
not see why three people should have
to be employed full-time in order to get
the park open. 1t looks like a life guard
and the park custodian would be enough
to take care of what facilities we have
at this park
1t is fairly certain that the park
would be on a self-sustaining basis even
this summer with its bathing, boating
and fishing facilities and the rent from
the cabins. All we need is a little more
cooperation from Mr.. Legett in relaxing
a few of his regulations governing the
same.
People, now more than ever, need a
fine place for healthful recreation close
to home. 1t is terrible to know that we
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