LIBERIA FESTIVE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20926, 4 January 1938, Page 2

LIBERIA FESTIVE

NINETIETH BIRTHDAY The West African negro republic of Liberia, which originated in the efforts of American philanthropists to provide a home for freed slaves, celebrated its ninetieth anniversary recently, says the “New York Times.” One cloud darkened Liberia’s horizon—fears that Germany and Poland might seek to expand—economically if not territorially, in the only remaining unfettered State in Africa. German traders have increased their domination of Liberia’s largely undeveloped industry, and Polish interests have spread counter-campaigns for influence. Liberia is rich in soil, forests, rubber and minerals. Crowds of European traders, gold prospectors, rubber planters, missionaries, and a few remaining descendants of the original Americo-Liberian freed slaves toasted President Edwin J. Barclay at the Executive Mansion. Earlier, President Barclay entertained the diplomatic corps including United States Minister Lester A. Walton. Despite Mr Barclay’s failure to achieve material progress since 1932 in his Six-year Plan, Liberia’s internal revenue has more than doubled in the past three years under the guidance of American financial administrators. Rubber Prosperity Prosperity of American rubber plantations, covering almost a half million acres, has provided sufficient revenue and royalties to run the Government on a liberal scale. The discovery of extensive iron and copper deposits in the Liberian hinterland is expected further to strengthen the republic’s finances. Besides fear of the colonial ambitions of Germany and Poland, Liberia’s main worries are sleeping sickness and illiteracy. Sleeping sickness takes a heavy toll in the isolated inland areas, particularly on the eastern border near the French Ivory Coast colony. Through the efforts of the philanthropic societies in the United States, a settlement of freed slaves was formed on the west coast of Africa, near the present site of Monrovia, in 1822. The Free and Independent Republic of Liberia was constituted July 26, 1847, with a Constitution modelled on that of the United States. Liberia, about the size of Virginia, has about 350 miles of coast extending from the British colony of Sierra Leone, on the west, to the Ivory Coast. Its population is estimated at from 1,000,000 to 1.500,000, including about 12.000 Americo-Liberians. The agricultural, mining, and industrial development of Liberia has scarcely begun. Its chief exports are coffee, piassava fibre, palm kernels, cocoa, ivory, and rubber.