Liberia: Description, History, ProblemsStarr, Frederick
History
Liberia: Description, History, Problems
Starr, Frederick
Liberia
fixed boundary by an international commission. Liberia engaged two
Dutch officials as her commissioners. They were on hand ready to fix the
boundary in February, 1898, but were kept waiting until May by the
dilatoriness of the French commissioners; in order to have a permanent
boundary fixed, the Republic made great concessions and lost valuable
regions. It was willing, however, to sacrifice much for peace.
Of course the sacrifice was without result. At the present time the
whole question of the Franco-Liberian boundary is again open, and from
the points urged by the French Government it is evident that it aims at
new acquisition of territory and new restriction of the power of the
little Republic.
We stand at the threshold of a new era; new political theories are
being advanced; new interpretations are being given to the principles
of international law; larger fulfilments of national obligations are
being required of individual nations; new duties are being thrust upon
us. They cannot be shirked, we must keep pace with world requirements.
Regeneration and reform must be our watchword. The people must see
that they become so. The process must operate from within outwards, or
else influences from without will compass our ruin.--E. BARCLAY.
THE FRONTIER FORCE.
When President Barclay was in London, the British Government demanded
that certain internal reforms should take place in the Republic before
it would discuss a final settlement of either the Mano River or
Kanre-Lahun difficulties. Shortly after the President’s return to
Monrovia, Mr. Braithwait Wallis, Consul-General of Great Britain to
Liberia, issued a memorandum on the subject--apparently under the fear
“lest we forget”. This memorandum, which bears the date of January 14,
1908, occupies four printed pages, and condenses into that brief space
an astonishing amount of venom and insolence. A few quotations will show
its spirit:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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