882.01 Foreign Control/123a: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland (Wilson)
80. Reports from Monrovia indicate that the League Experts are preparing their report in sections and are endeavoring to obtain the approval of the Liberian Government on each section with the idea of submitting to the Committee a program which has already received the approval of the Liberian Government. It appears doubtful, however, that this whole program will be acceptable to Liberia. Moreover, I have been informed that the League Experts have approached the American Minister apparently in the hope of securing an expression of the American Government’s future attitude as regards this report and the action of the Committee to follow.
I consider it would be helpful in securing a complete program of effective reform if the League Experts should be informed that this Government is in sympathy with what it understands they are endeavoring to accomplish in the nature of reforms. You may see Drummond48 informally and talk with him along the following lines: We are anxious to support the efforts of the Committee and hope the Experts’ program will provide a satisfactory basis for improvement in general conditions in Liberia. In order that we may be in a position to determine how we may best afford assistance to the League Committee when it next meets we would be glad to receive currently all [Page 689] possible information regarding the program of the Experts and copies or the substance of their recommendations. If it is possible, we should like to have a telegraphic report of the ones which have been made up to the present time.
In view of the difficulties which will undoubtedly arise during the next meeting of the Committee with regard to the acceptance by Liberia of the Experts’ report if it is not previously agreed to by Liberia, this Government hopes that as far as possible all recommended reforms will be accepted by the Liberian Government before the Experts leave. This does not, of course, mean that we could be expected to concur in an unsatisfactory compromise, but we consider that the presence of the Experts in Liberia provides a better opportunity to secure the Liberian Government’s consent to the greatest possible number of measures for reform. If these are not decided upon until the Committee reconvenes further loss of time will ensue and greater difficulty will be had in securing the adherence by Liberia at long distance to the complete program.
Should it be possible, we would appreciate it if Drummond could telegraph an expression of our position to the League Committee.
- Sir Eric Drummond (British), Secretary General of the League of Nations.↩