to slavery, whereby the negro was made an absolute chattel. A very large proportion of the first negro emigrants from America to what is now Liberia were people of fine character. The great pity for both country and race is that a larger proportion of that type of men and women could not have continued to go.

What has been the outcome of this sixty years of organized national life, and what is the outlook for future independence and growth? These questions are being asked by more people to-day than ever before.

It is doubtless true that there has not been as great a success as hopeful friends expected. It must be stated that very many friends, both white and black, are greatly disappointed. But we are to remember how often the friends of new and difficult enterprises fail to estimate aright the elements of time and the necessary evolutions brought about by ever changing conditions and are therefore unreasonable in their expectations. I doubt which has hurt Liberia the more; its outand-out enemies, who have grossly misrepresented the country and its people;

or injudicious and foolish friends who have failed to understand the difficulties,

or

overestimated favorable conditions, and have spoken and written unwisely.

Have we not expected too much? These people were without wealth, most of them without experience in government, and they were surrounded and pressed on all sides by barbaric heathenism. There were several times when had it not been for the manifest interposition of Divine Providence, they would have been wiped out or driven into the sea by surrounding savage hordes. It is but a few years since Sierra Leone, the British colony to the west, over one hundred years old and backed by all the power and wealth of the British Empire, has begun to make any progress worthy of the name in opening up the hinterland. More than this; there occurred there a few years ago a massacre led by a few disaffected natives, which cost over twelve hundred lives. Had there been unity and leadership among the uncivilized tribes, even Freetown itself, the capital of Sierra Leone, might have been sacked and every European in it murdered.

For more than twenty-five years, during the Civil War and the period of reconstruction after the war, Liberia practically dropped out of the American mind, both in State and Church. Then it must be remembered that as questions regarding the status of the negro in America are solved, he is better off in that country than he could be anywhere else in the world, so that the desire to leave America for Africa is very limited. To quote President Barclay, it is true that, "To advise negroes to leave America to better their material conditions, is folly." It must also be remembered that West Africa has shared largely in the waking up of the whole continent, and Liberia has been brought into sharp competition, in matters of diplomacy, territory and trading, with Great Britain, France and Germany, three powerful and aggressive nationalities. I happen to know the inside history of a crisis some years ago when the life of the nation was threatened, and I am free to say that the diplomacy of the Liberian Government in those eventful days was both tactful and successful.

According to Sir Harry H. Johnston, the Americo-Liberian population, that is, American negroes and their descendants, number about 12,000. He also estimates that, including these, there are probably 40,000 civilized Liberians, mostly Christian, of mixed and indigenous races. The same authority estimates the approximate population of the Republic as 2,000,000, and that of these probably 300,000 are Mohammedans, 40,000 Christians, as mentioned above, the rest being pagans. think these estimates are too large, especially those of the total and Mohammedan populations. The Americo-Liberian population of 12,000 claims to be based upon an actual census.

I

The territory of the country includes about 43,000 square miles. This is not quite as large as the State of Illinois.

In 1904 the combined export and import trade amounted to a little over $2,000,000. Of this amount $660,000 was with Great Britain, $525,000 with Germany, $350,000 with Holland, and $500,000 with other countries of which the United States had a very small part.

It has been manifest for a number of

tive views as to dangers threatening the Republic and a well outlined policy. That he should be kept in office for three terms is not only a compliment to him, but indicates on the part of the majority of the thoughtful people a belief that serious work is at hand. Following the advice of Lincoln, they do not propose to swap horses in the middle of the stream. In the President's cabinet are: Secretary of the Treasury, D. E. Howard; Secretary of State, Judge Travis; Secretary of the

nation is both natural and splendid, but the tendency with many has been not fully to recognize what Paul Kruger and the Dutch of South Africa learned in the loss of their nationality; that no people of any race or language in this century can claim an absolute right to any section of the world to own entirely and govern as they please, and succeed. Liberia exists to-day and has passed through many a crisis because in the past its white friends coöperated with the black leaders.

Agriculture has been neglected. President Barclay in his last message says: "It has been nearly fifty years since the effort to stimulate the productive energies of the community by official effort was abandoned. The dependence of the community, every day more serious, upon the outside world, even for the necessities of life, must be a source of alarm to all patriotic citizens." Not only the failure to succeed but the absence for fifty years of any serious attempt on the part of the Liberian government to develop its marvelous agricultural possibilities, is a sad illustration of incompetence in leadership.

Another matter is that of education. Years ago the Liberian College and two or three strong denominational schools were great factors in the education of leaders. Ten years ago the college had degenerated to a single primary school, and its fine building on the hill was abandoned. On the shelves of its library were hundreds of volumes bearing the names of distinguished philanthropists

were numbered a majority of the founders and financial helpers of the Republic twenty-five years ago, has withdrawn its missionary coöperation entirely. So have the American Baptists. The Protestant Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church have kept up their schools, the latter greatly hampered by lack of proper support as compared with work it has in hand. I am glad to say that a new day has come to the college and it is now well organized and backed by the government with fair appropriations. The work of establishing public schools is being better done than formerly. But the sad thing is that in the meantime a generation has grown up in Liberia, a very small percentage of which has had the opportunity for anything like a fair education. The results in both the State and Church in the lack of sufficient competent leaders are sad indeed.

Previous to the financial plan which I shall mention later it was generally admitted that for lack of officials with suffi

cient ability and moral rectitude, the customs service could not be efficiently organized. In two or three counties it is now a very serious matter to find enough men competent to fill the few government positions, including members of the legislature. Add still another suggestive fact, stated by the President in his message, that since the adoption of the new financial plan by which an English inspector of customs is organizing and directing the service, it has been impossible thus far, during nine months, to find enough competent men in two or three counties, who can give the sufficient guarantee, to take charge of the customs work.

The prevalence of licentiousness among a large proportion of the people is also a matter of very great concern among the good people of Liberia whose lives are consecrated to its welfare. The blighting curse of polygamy, backed by the aggressive influence of Mohammedanism, is manifest. Some who owe all they are to the Christian Church have used voice and pen to propagate polygamous ideas. The rum traffic is having increasingly bad effects, and I am sorry to learn that private drinking at home among both men and women is increasing. Bishop Levi Scott, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, when he visited Liberia in 1853, said that the Republic stood for two things; the observance of the Sabbath and the forbidding of the liquor traffic. To-day the Sabbath is fairly well observed, but in the other respect Liberia has greatly fallen.

It is not strange, therefore, in view of what I have said, that thoughtful men and women realize the supreme crisis which faces the Republic. To-day Liberia needs the friendly counsel and sympathetic coöperation of all its friends. And what is of special significance, recent events indicate that she is determined not only to rally her forces to help herself, but that she cordially asks the help of others.

The first great problem faced by the reformers was the question of finance. The Republic had lost its financial standing. Its own paper was at a ruinous discount, and when pressed for money it had to borrow chiefly from the traders at rates which, if continued, meant bank

ruptcy. Several different schemes have been suggested, which need not here be enumerated except to say that one of them, the Liberian Rubber Company, now seems on the way to success, and this year will pay to the government $10,000 as its share of profit.

But the great scheme was that entered into a year ago between the government and the Liberian Development Company, controlled and largely financed by people in England. This company has been granted large concessions as to minerals, if they can be found, and the development of the products of the forests and in agriculture. The company advanced a loan of $500,000 at six per cent. This money goes to pay off the floating indebtedness, establish a bank, open up roads into the interior, etc. The customs are made a guarantee for the payment of the interest and principal. At the request of Liberia, the British Government has loaned one of its trained customs officials, who, with one or two assistants, is to organize the customs service, using, of course, Liberians. His work is intended to be principally educative. These are the general items of the scheme. For several months it has worked well. From the beginning all customs were paid in gold, and now all official and government bills are paid in silver or gold. The government is to have a credit in the bank sufficient for emergencies.

In answer to a series of questions, President Barclay, Secretary of the Treasury Howard and Mr. Lamont, inspector of customs, gave me the following information: The debt of the country is now about $1,000,000; the customs receipts for the past year will be over $300,000 in gold, and will easily go to $400,000 annually and beyond, with the increase of trade sure to come as the whole scheme is carried out. This will pay the interest and provide a sinking fund for the debt, and the government will have an opportunity to develop the country on essential lines.

There have been some sharp criticisms of the scheme as a whole, but it has started well, and money at par is now in circulation in much larger quantities than for years. All seem to be encouraged. There are also some minor questions over which there has been some friction. These,