U.S. Intervention.—It appeared as if the experiment of "run ning" the country by American negroes—as alien to the bulk of the natives as are white men—on the lines of the constitution of the United States would collapse. However, as on previous occa sions of trouble, the intervention of the United States Government led to a financial reorganization which gave the Liberians a new start. Reports of territorial encroachments by France had aroused much sympathy with Liberia in the United States and had led to the appointment by President Roosevelt of a commission which in the summer of 1909 visited Liberia to investigate the condition of the country. There was some trouble with Germany in settling finances. The German Government energetically pressed its claims, the gunboat "Panther" being anchored for a month off Monrovia, with its guns trained on the executive mansion 0910. All difficulties were overcome, however, by June 1912, when an international loan of $1,700,000 (.134o,000) was raised, the bonds to be issued for not fewer than 4o years. The customs duties and certain taxes were pledged as security for the loan, and are ad ministered by an American receiver-general, who is also financial advisor to the Liberian Government. Thus, in effect, the control of finances is in the hands of the United States and expenditure is kept within the limits of the revenue. A frontier .police force was also organized by officers of the United States army, and as a result Liberian authority was better maintained. During the World War the Germans, deprived by force of arms of their own colonies, found in Liberia their last foothold in West Africa. Here they rendered themselves very obnoxious and largely ignored the Liberian Government. But in Aug. 1917, coincident with the visit of a British warship to Monrovia, Liberia declared herself in a state of war and expelled the Germans. She was a signatory of the Treaty of Versailles, her representative at the peace confer ence in Paris being C. D. B. King. King was in 1920 chosen as president of Liberia and he was twice re-elected, beginning his third term of office in 1928. He strove, with some success, to im prove conditions in Liberia, continued President Barclay's policy of working with the natives, and was the originator of a system of road building which gave a prospect of opening up the interior. In 1925, too, the American firm of Firestone was given a concession of i,000,000 ac. primarily for the establishment of rubber planta tions. This concession involved the building of a harbour, railways and road, thus giving promise of much development. Up to that time the natural resources of Liberia had been largely neglected.
The terms of the Firestone concession, including a loan to the Liberian Government, gave rise, however, to adverse criticism in the United States, the State being accused of aiding a private corporation to control Liberia. Meanwhile the bulk of the trade —which amounted to little more than isoo,000 in 1923—was in the hands of British and German firms, the Dutch being next in importance. Friendly relations are maintained with Spain, as the Spanish plantations in Fernando Po are to a great extent worked by Liberian labour. In 1932 Edwin Barclay was elected president.
Native Races.—The indigenous population must be considered one of the assets of Liberia. The native inhabitants number per haps as many as 1,5oo,000. Large areas appear to be uninhabited forest, but other parts are well populated, owing to the wonderful fertility of the soil. The native tribes belong more or less to the following divisions, commencing on the west, and proceeding east wards: (I) Vai, Gbandi, Kpwesi, Mende, Buzi and Mandingo (the Vai, Mende and Mandingo are Mohammedans) ; all these tribes speak languages derived from a common stock. (2) In the densest forest region between the Mano and the St. Paul's river is the powerful Gora tribe of unknown linguistic affinities. (3) In the coast region between the St. Paul's river and the Kavilli (and beyond) are the different tribes of Kru stock and language family —De, Basa, Gibi, Kru, Grebo, Putu, Sikon, etc. The actual Kru tribe inhabits the coast between the river Cestos on the west and Grand Sesters on the east. It is known all over the Atlantic coasts of Africa, as it furnishes a large proportion of the seamen em ployed on men-of-war and merchant ships in these tropical waters. Many of the indigenous races of Liberia in the forest belt beyond 4om. from the coast practised cannibalism, at least as lately as 191o. In some of the forest tribes the women went naked well into the loth century, but clothes of a Mohammedan type spread over the whole country except among those who adopted European style, after the manner of the Americo-Liberians. Some of the indigenous races are of very fine physique. In the Nidi country the women are generally taller than the men. Some of the Kru men and Mende people are coarse and ugly; but as a rule the indi genes of Liberia are handsome, well-proportioned negroes, and a number of the Mandingos have an almost European cast of feature.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.-Sir Harry Johnston, Liberia (2 vols., bibl. 1906) ; R. C. F. Maughan, The Republic of Liberia (1920) ; H. F. Reeve, The Black Republic (1923) ; R. E. Durrant, Liberia, A Report (1925). (H. H. J.; F. R. C.)