882.5048/361: Telegram
The Chargé in Liberia (Reber) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:30 p.m.]
164. A committee formed by the Legislature to consider the recommendations made by the Commission is reported to have determined to ask for the President’s resignation, alleging that he has exceeded his authority in accepting the report and its suggestions. If he does not do so by tomorrow it is further said that the Legislature will consider motion of impeachment and the President has told Loomis to inform Fiscal Agents he believes it will be approved.
Whether these reports are being circulated to provide the President with an excuse for further delay or whether he may be forced to resign cannot yet be determined, but it is apparent that every effort is being made to block progress on the reform program since the majority of Liberians (but not the natives) oppose it. Should the President be forced out of office, the established order of succession provides first that the Vice President and then the Secretary of State shall assume the Presidency. Both of these men are opposed to the reforms and the latter is notoriously anti-foreign.
The President seemed much disturbed over the situation when I saw him with regard to Department’s telegram No. 106 and said [Page 376] that he would instruct Lyon either to telegraph the text of the memorandum or to request the Department to forward it through the Legation so that he could present it to the Legislature.
As far as I have been able to ascertain this has not yet been done.