882.74/70
The Minister in Liberia (Francis) to
the Secretary of State
Monrovia, January 23,
1929.
[Received February 23.]
No. 216
DiplomaticSir: I have the honor to confirm this Mission’s
telegram No. 7, January 23, 2 P.M.,68 reporting the signing of an agreement between the
Republic of Liberia and the Firestone Plantations Company granting to
the Plantations Company a public service radio license.
This agreement covers a period of fifteen years and is renewable for
additional five year terms at the option of the parties. It provides,
among other things, that the Government shall receive seventyfive
percent, of the net profits, and that the messages of the Government of
the United States of America “shall be handled at one-half the radio
rate between Liberia and Akron, Ohio, United States of America, to which
shall be added the toll beyond the radio termini”.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I have the further honor to enclose copy of the agreement.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure]
Radio Agreement Between the Republic of Liberia
and the Firestone Plantations Company, Signed January 22,
1929
This Agreement made by and between the
Government of the Republic of Liberia and the Firestone Plantations
Company, a corporation organized under the laws of the State of
Delaware, with its principal offices in the City of Akron, State of
Ohio, United States of America.
- (a)
- The Firestone Plantations Company is hereby authorized and
licensed by the Government of the Republic of Liberia to use and
operate radio apparatus for the reception and transmission of
public radio communication between Liberia and the United States
of America subject to the following terms and conditions: It is
understood that the nature of the service authorized to be
rendered under this Agreement is as follows: public service
point to point to communicate with the Company’s stations in
Liberia and the United States of America; the authorized
frequencies granted the Company for such communication are as
follows: 7580, 10310, 18460, 19780 and 19940; and the time of
operation allowed is a maximum of twenty four hours
daily.
- (b)
- It is further understood that the public service rendered by
the Firestone radio station on the Du shall be listed as
supplementary to the Government’s public radio service in that
it will provide additional communication facilities for the
general public. It is understood that this is not intended to
mean that the Government has any claim, ownership or interest of
any kind in the Firestone radio stations nor has the Company any
claim, ownership or interest of any kind in the Government radio
stations. It is further understood that in the operation of the
public service licensed herein that all public service messages
originating in the United States of America routed over the
Firestone circuits shall be relayed without charge from the
Firestone radio station on the Du to the Liberian Government
station, Monrovia, for delivery and that all public service
messages originating in Liberia and offered and accepted at the
Firestone stations shall be relayed to the Liberian Government
radio station at Monrovia by the Firestone Plantations Company
without charge and shall be by the latter station transmitted to
the Firestone station at Akron for delivery. It is further
understood however that the above arrangement for transmission
of public service messages under this Agreement does not apply
to private messages of employees of Firestone Plantations
originating in or destined for the area of the Firestone
Company’s operations. Such messages may be sent and received
direct by the Firestone radio stations under the terms and
conditions hereinafter set forth. If, in the future, during the
period of this Agreement either party desires a change in this
Agreement, it is understood such change can be made by mutual
consent of both parties.
- (c)
- Copies of all public service messages transmitted or received
over radio circuits licensed hereby shall be filed with the Post
Office Department of the Government by the Tenth Day of Each
Month following and thereupon the Licensee shall pay to the
Liberian Government a sum equal to Seventy Five percent of the
Net revenue accruing to the Licensee from the transmission of
such public service messages.
- It is further understood and agreed that all messages of the
Firestone Plantations Company concerning its business shall be
exempt from payment of any toll or charge or part thereof to the
Liberian Government and shall not be subjected to the
aforementioned filing and accounting. It is further understood
that this license shall not be extended or interpreted to extend
to or modify any prior written understanding or agreement
between the Government and the Firestone Plantations Company as
to the latter’s messages relating to its own private
business.
- (d)
- It is understood however that exemption from toll or charge of
business messages of Firestone Plantations Company shall not
[Page 281]
extend to or include
private messages of its employees which shall be subject to
accounting and charge as hereinbefore set out as public service
messages.
- (e)
- The rate of charge per word for communications passing over
the circuits of Licensee shall be fixed by agreement between the
two parties hereto but such rate of charge shall in no event be
higher than charged for any competing radio service between
Liberia and the United States of America.
- (f)
- Tolls or charges for forwarding or delivery of messages beyond
the stations of the Licensee shall be deducted before
computation and settlement of the net revenue as herein
provided.
- (g)
- Messages of the Government of the Republic of Liberia and of
the Government of the United States of America shall be handled
at one half the radio rate between Liberia and Akron, Ohio,
U.S.A., to which shall be added the toll beyond the radio
termini. Government messages transmitted over radio circuits of
the company shall take precedence over all other public service
messages.
- (h)
- This license shall not be assigned or transferred except to a
bona fide subsidiary or affiliated company of Firestone
Plantations Company organized to carry on the business of
transmission and receipt of public service radio communication
and subject to the terms hereof. The Government shall be duly
informed of the organization of such a subsidiary or affiliated
company and of the transfer to said company of the rights herein
granted.
- (i)
- It is further understood that if for any reason the Liberian
Government radio station is unable to transmit public service
messages and the Firestone radio stations are required to handle
the public service radio traffic between the United States of
America and Liberia for a period of more than three months then
the net tolls accruing shall be divided equally between the
parties hereto, as long as such inability on the part of the
Government radio station exists.
- (j)
- If, in the event of war or other public emergency, the
Government of the Republic of Liberia or the Government of the
United States of America should take over control of the
Licensee’s radio stations in their respective countries, this
license shall be regarded as on suspension to be automatically
renewed when the cause of such suspension shall have been
removed.
- (k)
- The Licensee and the Government of the Republic of Liberia
shall aspire in a friendly manner to adjust and dispose of any
dispute or disagreement which may arise under this Agreement.
However, in the event that any such dispute or disagreement
cannot be settled between the two parties the same shall be
determined by arbitration in accordance with the provisions of
Article Four, Paragraph
[Page 282]
N, of Agreement Number two, dated October 2, 1926 between the
Government of the Republic of Liberia and Firestone Plantations
Company.69
- (l)
- It is further understood and agreed that this license is
granted subject to compliance of the Licensee with the
provisions of the Radio Act of 1927 and the conditions herein
contained.
- (m)
- This Agreement shall remain in force for a period of Fifteen
Years from the date hereof and thereafter it shall automatically
be renewed for additional terms of Five Years each unless
terminated at the end of the said original Fifteen Years or any
Five Year additional term by written notice to be served by
either party upon the other at least One Year prior
thereto.
Wherefore, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be
executed by their respective Officials, duly authorized, on the day
and year set out above the signatures of each party.
| Witnesses: |
22nd day of January, 1929 |
| C. S. Simpson |
The Government of the Republic of
Liberia
Samuel A.
Ross, Postmaster
General |
|
22nd day of January, 1929 |
| R. S. Corwin |
Firestone Plantations
Company
W. D. Hines,
General Manager (Acting) |
