The_Open_Door_deel1

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territory Liberia claimed by European Colonialism in the
following decades of the nineteenth century, combined with the
gradual dying out of this energetic and dominant group of_.
colonists, shifted the emphasis from the economic-financial
character of a "Closed Door Policy" to the political protection
which would result from an ""Open Door Policy". Simultaneously
it was hoped by those who favoured such an "Open Door Policy"
that an opening up of the country to foreign traders and
investors would contribute to, if not result in, the much needed
economic development of the country. Liberia has never suffered
from a lack of leadership but the few able Liberians proved to
be too small in number to stimulate internal economic
development. Regrettably, internal politicizing and the lack of
capital prolonged the country's stage of underdevelopment. The
scramble for Africa, which did not overlook the Negro Republic,
aggravated the already existing political and economical
problems.
The 1870 - 1900 Period: European ,-Colonialism and the Scramble for
Liberia
In 1874 the three years for whic|h interest had been paid in
advance (under the loan of 1871') had elapsed. The Liberian
Government, finding itself in great difficulties to honour the
financial obligations of this loan asked the British Government
to revise the terms. This coincided with pressure put upon the
Liberian Government by the British to reach agreement in the
dispute over the Galinhas-territory. In 1875 the question was
temporarily shelved after a U.S. navy ship had visited Monrovia.
In 1879 a German trading ship was attacked by coastal tribal
people and the German Navy came into action, bombarded the
Liberian coast, and forced the Liberian Government to pay
indemnities for the goods stolen and lost, amounting to about
$ 5,000. In the same year France proposed to take over all of
Liberia's public debts'in exchange for establishing a
Protectorate over the country. Subsequently, when the Liberian
Government (diplomatically supported by the U.S.A.) turned down
this proposal, it claimed jurisdiction over an area with a
coastline of 90 miles, east of Cape Palmas. France also claimed
other portions of the Republic's territory, notably a part of
Cape Mount, and the area of Petit Dieppe (Grand Bassa) (68).
During the early 1880's Liberia was increasingly subjected to
(territorial) pressure of colonial European countries which
were eager to absorb a portion or the whole of the Negro
Republic. These were the years of growing European imperialism
in Africa, a phenomenon which was highlighted by the 1884-1885
Berlin Conference. In 1882 the British Governor of Sierra Leone,
Sir Havelock, came to Monrovia, accompanied by four gun-boats.
He demanded the immediate recognition of British authority over
the disputed area between the Sherbro and Mano rivers.
It was not the first time British gun-boats arrived in Monrovia