The Rev. John Harris raises a question of Imperial import-
ance in his letter headed " Liberia and Principe " in Tuesday's Times. It appears that arrangements were recently made to recruit labour for the cocoa farms on the islands of San Thome and Principe from Liberia. Mr. Harris has nothing to say against the terms of contract, which are amongst the best he has seen. But in view of the fact that Principe is the worst sleeping-sickness area he has ever visited, and that the germs might easily be carried by labourers returning to the mainland, with disastrous results to the Sierra Leone colony and protectorate, French Guinea, and the Gold Coast, he is moved to ask for authoritative information whether assurances have been given to Great Britain and France that Liberian labour will on no account be sent to Principe.
Previous page
