The_Open_Door_deel1

-441-
heard. As early as 1830, but also in 1838, the Board of Managers
of the American Colonization Society dealt with the cases of
residents of the colony who had been accused of buying and selling
slaves and assisting slave traders (42). This time, however,
the country's highest political leaders were accused! the Standard-Bearer
of the country's ruling political party and President
of the Republic, the Secretary-General of the True Whig Party and
Postmaster General, and the country's Vice-President (43).
About 1900 the recruitment of Liberian labourers to work on the
cocoa plantations of Spanish colonists on the island of Fernando
Poo had started. The inhuman working and living conditions on the
island soon became known in Liberia and resulted in a suspension
of this export of labourers for Fernando Poo in 1914 (44). However,
during the second decade of the present century it recommenced
but as conditions had not substantially improved, the shipment
of Liberian contract labourers was outlawed in 1921.
The precarious financial situation which resulted for the Spanish
planters motivated the Government of Spain to revive the contract
labour for Fernando Poo at the end of the 1920's. (It should be
mentioned that the contract labour, which in reality was a forced
shipment of labour, was never completely banned as labourers -
tribal people, mainly Kru - were smuggled out of Liberia. Reportedly,
prominent Liberians were involved in these activities (45).)
Thus, a contract was concluded with a recruiting agency in Liberia.
This agency promised to furnish 1,500 labourers annually, and it
would receive a bonus of £ 5 for each labourer shipped.
After the accusations made by Faulkner a wave of international reactions
followed resulting in the creation of a three member commission
of investigation. One member represented the League of
Nations, another represented the Government of the U.S.A. and the
third represented Liberia (also see Chapter 2 for its composition).
In the second half of 1930 the commission published its findings,
presented in the "Christy Report", named after the commission's
chairman. History boolcs used in Liberian schools only mention the
first conclusion of the Report:
"Slavery as defined Ly the Anti-Slavery Convention, in fact,
does not exist in this RepuLlic." (46)
but deliberately omit the Commission's conclusion that the Liberians
who were recruited to work on the Fernando Poo island were
treated like slaves:
"Shipment to Jernando Poo and GaLon is associated with slavery
Lecause the method of recruiting carries compulsion with
it." (47)
The use of the services of the Liberian Frontier Force was denounced
to by the Commission:
"7he LiLerian Government has not expressly at any time given
sanction or approval to the recruiting of laLour with the
aid of the LiLerian 7rontier 7orce."
But most embarrassing was the commission's conclusion that
"Persons holding official positions have illegally misused
their office in recruiting with the aid of the 7orce." (48)