882.01 Foreign Control/687: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Straus)
304. For General Winship. We have just received the following telegram dated October 17, 2 p.m., from Werlich:84
“President of Liberia is expected to deliver his annual message to the Legislature end of this week; understand he has delayed so far pending result of present Geneva negotiations.
[“] Rumor is increasingly insistent that the Legislature will refuse League Plan and call upon President Barclay to resign in favor of Vice President Smith, and that the latter will accept the Presidency only on condition that ex-President King is made Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
[“] Ex-President King, who is doubtlessly behind Barclay resignation project, has told me twice that he is flatly against any plan under League of Nations patronage especially since the United States is reported to have agreed to a non-American Chief Adviser. He has told me he favors a Liberian Legislature commission waiting on you in Washington to request some form of all American advisership; although he was not clear as to what authority or scope such advisers should have, he stated that purpose would be to rehabilitate Liberian finances. Obviously, he had in mind again interesting United States directly in Liberia.
“I envisage possibility of such a Legislature commission and would appreciate your instructions for such eventuality.
“I would recommend my being instructed to discourage any commission go[ing] to the United States primarily on account of the expense and I would be inclined to refuse visas on grounds suggested by you.”
If you concur, please send the following telegram to Monrovia as the Department’s No. 48.
“Your 84, October 17, 2 p.m. The American Government believes and is definitely committed to the policy that international cooperation offers the most feasible means of assistance to Liberia. We feel that the Plan of Assistance adopted by the Council of the League on October 14 last is fair and workable, and it is the expectation of the American Government that Liberia will accept this Plan.
“It is not in accordance with our policy for the American Government to accept any exclusive responsibility in Africa and we would thus not receive a ‘Commission’ from Liberia to discuss ‘some form of all American advisership’.
“You will be guided by the foregoing in dealing with any situation which may arise in Monrovia.
“We are sending you this telegram through General Winship.”
If you have any suggestions regarding our proposed reply quoted above, please telegraph them at once.
[Page 962]In order that there may not be any possible misunderstanding on the part of the members of the League-Liberian Committee of our position in regard to this matter, we feel that it is desirable that you write Cecil informally in the sense of these two telegrams.
- McCeney Werlich, Chargé in Liberia.↩