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forced upon Liberia by American, British, and German bankers in 1912, at the instance of American imperialism. The carrying through of this imperialist project of large scale rubber plantations has necessarily been accompanied by wholesale expropriation of native tribal lands which have been turned over to Harvey Firestone. The natives, forcibly ejected from their lands, have been converted into colonial wage slaves. In this imperialist banditry, the Liberian government has been the main instrument of the imperialists. A number of uprisings on the part of the natives in resistance to these encroachments have been brutally suppressed by the Liberian Military Force.

In this manner, American imperialism, operating through the machinations of the corrupt native bourgeois politicians, was able to secure a stranglehold over the resources of the country and reduce the Liberian masses to downright colonial slavery. 

The economic crisis and the imperialist offensive taking place against this background is having the most ruinous effects. The strengthening of imperialist oppression has led to widespread unrest among the Liberian toilers. The deepening revolutionary ferment among the masses has been expressed in a series of sporadic revolts among the native tribes in the hinterland as well as strikes among the Kroos (seamen in the coastal regions). These revolutionary demonstrations are taking place against the vicious system of colonial taxation and forced labor recruitment carried through by the native bourgeois puppets of American imperialism. The continued draining of the country's finances by the Wall Street bandits has resulted in a severe financial crisis, as reflected in the enormous deficit in the national budget. This situations, the deepening of the economic and financial crisis on the one hand, and the growing rebellion of the masses on the other hand, has precipitated a crisis in 

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the Liberian upper classes. The governmental crisis was brought to a head in the ousting of former President King and his replacement by President Barclay.

In these difficulties, the Liberian government not only defaulted in the payment of the loan contracted with the American Finance Corp., demanding modifications of the terms of this loan, but requested a further loan. This request was rejected by the American government and the Harvey Firestone interests, which insisted upon Liberia's living up to the terms of the original agreement. In a maneuver to strengthen its position, and to exert pressure upon the American government to modify its demands, the new Liberian government sought to utilize the conflict between American and British imperialism regarding the Liberian rubber monopoly. In this the Liberian government embarked upon a policy of flirting with the League of Nations, tool of British and French imperialism. The League of Nations in its turn sought to utilize this controversy between the Liberian bourgeoisie and American imperialism to further the aims of British and French imperialism in Liberia. Therefore, upon the appearance of the representative of the Liberian government before that body, he was informed that the League could give no assistance unless the demands of American imperialism were modified. Feeling strengthened by this "support", the Liberian Legislature forthwith declared a moratorium on the American debt. The American government and Harvey Firestone interests immediately responded by raising the charge of "slave traffic" in Liberia.  By this it sought to discredit the Barclay government and to place in power those sections of the Liberian bourgeoisie more amenable to its claims. But the League of Nations, not ready to defy American imperialism on this question, soon arrived at a mutual understanding with the latter. Therefore the "League of Nations Plan of Assistance 

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