The_Open_Door_deel1

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The role of President Edwin Barclay in Liberia's economic history
is grossly under-estimated by Liberian authors and politicians.
Political reasons account for this false presentation of the
reality. In 1955 former President Edwin Barclay was somehow
connected with an attempt to assassinate President Tubman, and
the latter very likely may have manipulated the presentation of
the nation's history with respect to the Barclay Administration
in order not to praise his political enemy.
Though he tried, President Barclay was not able to establish an
active Open Door Policy. His Administration had to overcome
numerous (political) problems and more than once the independence
of Liberia was in real danger in this period, even to the extent
of a small group of Leading Liberians, mostly retired Government
officials, petitioning President Barclay to invite the U.S.A. to
take over the administration of Government - which President
Barclay refused to do (144)• The League of Nations, asked by him
to come to the rescue of the country, attempted to impose a Plan
of Assistance which would have meant the end of Liberia's
sovereignty. In 1934 the League of Nations finally withdrew its
offer of a Plan of Assistance (145). The Firestone Company
imposed political and financial hardships and in 1931 persuaded
the U.S. Government to break off diplomatic relations with
Liberia (146).
The aftermath of the "Slavery Scandal" was a major Kru revolt
which turned into one of the most serious insurrections in
Liberia's history. The Government's suppression of the revolt was
unprecedented. A Commission appointed by President Barclay after
protests of the Governments of the U.S.A., Great Britain, France,
Germany against the atrocities committed by the Frontier Force
reported the killing of 159 tribal people. The majority of them
were burned to death in their huts (147). Reportedly some 44
villages were burned down (148). The atrocious acts of the
Frontier Force (heads of victims were carried around on poles or
cutlasses) caused the Government of Great Britain to break off
diplomatic relations with Liberia. On the other hand, some 12,000
natives were reported to have taken refuge in the bush, leaving
their villages and farm-lands, in order to escape the brutal and
oppressive treatment (14-9)« In the League of Nations voices were
even heard to expel Liberia from this organisation (150).
The fact that it was only during this Administration of President
Edwin Barclay that the whole of Liberia's Hinterland was
"pacified" greatly contributed to the (successful) policy of his
successor. The revolt of the Kru (of Sasstown) in 1931 was not
the only problem with tribal people with which President Barclay
had to cope. He was, however, the first Liberian President who
established control of the Liberian Government over the left bank
of the St. Paul's, where the Gola's authority had been
unchallenged until the early 1900's, by a policy of victimizing
systematically the Vals and Golas between the St. Paul and Mano
Rivers (151). It is not surprising therefore that Liberian
Presidents hardly toured in the interior. In the beginning of the