BLACK MEN’S RULE

Evening Star, Issue 18175, 16 January 1923, Page 5

BLACK MEN’S RULE

FAILURE) IN LIBERIA. Though a loan of 5,000,000d0l from the United Stales to Liberia had been guaranteed by the Wilson Administration, approved by President Harding, and passed by the House of Representatives, it failed to puse tho Senate. Liberia is the only part of Africa in which the black man rules, and apparently his rule has been a failure, though tho country has had great assistance from American churches and missions. "With aid from a white society and from the United States Government, Liberia was founded as a republic early in tho nineteenth century, and was settled, with great hope and rejoicing, by freed negroes from America. At present, says Bishop Overs, of Liberia, in ‘Current History.’ the population includes 10,000 Amcricau-Libcrians (descendants of tho American negroes and migrants from fho United States) and 40,000 educated natives of Liberian tribes. But in the hinterland there are 1,000,000 natives belonging to forty tribes and speaking as many languages. It has been difficult to control these people, and other problems have been raised by disputes with England and France over boundary questions and other matters. Bishop Overs, who was appointed from America, writes of the Liberians in a very friendly spirit; but his article, with some reading between the lines, shows that there has been deterioration as a result of the country being cut off from tho outside world. Tho revenue from internal sources is pitiably small, little encouragement has been given to outside capital, and- departmental methods aro of the crudest kind. Petty officialdom Iras alienated the sympathy of many. There aro great possibilities in timber, rubber, coffee, cocoa, sugar cano, and other products, and in ivory and mining interests, but the re-souroes are undeveloped, though plenty of labor is available. Among tho natives arc tho Kroos, described as tho great labor tribe of Africa.

Farming is very crude. There is scarcely a modem implement used, and no one know? how to analyse soil or to apply proper methods of fertilisation. There is not a railroad, a trolly, a telegraphic system-, or a good road 1 . Practically all the education apart from that given by Liberia College, is the work of tho mission, schools. There are 9,000 students in schools supported by American churches, but until there is an adequate system of education by the, Liberian Government there can be no hope of success for the country. There are 600 towns and more than 300,000 children without schools. A plan has been formulated In have twenty-two Americans appointed by Iho President of tho United States as “guiding hands" in system and good government, but tho Senate’s refusal to pass the loan has interfered with this proposal. Though Iho chief part of Liberia’s trade was German, it remained faithful to the Allies in war time.