763.72119/4808
The Secretary General of the Commission to
Negotiate Peace (Grew) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Paris,] April 17,
1919.
[Received May
1.]
Sir: With reference to the Commission’s
telegrams of April 7th, No. 1512, 6 p.m.,14 and April 17th, 1639,
noon,14
referring to the informal conference which took place in the African
Section of the French Foreign Office on March 27th, in reference to
Liberian affairs, I have the honor to enclose herewith, for the
information of the Department, the following documents:
- (1)
- A letter from the Secretary General, American Commission
to Negotiate Peace to the American Ambassador, dated March
7th,14
- (2)
- A note verbale dated March 11th
from the American Ambassador to the French Foreign
Office.
- (3)
- A note verbale from the French
Foreign Office to the American Ambassador, dated March
26th,
- (4)
- A memorandum prepared by Mr. Beer and Mr. Stabler of
informal conference at French Foreign Office on March
27th,
- (5)
- Draft of a memorandum to be discussed in a further
informal conference to be held at the French Foreign
Office,14
- (6)
- Draft of a proposed treaty between the United States and
Liberia.14
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure 1]
The American
Embassy to the French Ministry
of Foreign Affairs
With reference to the Note Verbale from
the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, dated February 11th., it is
the view of the Government of the United States that, as the
Republic of Liberia is an independent sovereign state, questions
touching its sovereignty, such as those of financial and
economic rehabilitation and concessions, cannot properly be
submitted to the Peace Conference or to a commission composed of
representatives of Foreign Powers.
The Government of the United States feels, therefore, that the
matter of concessions should be left to the Liberian Government
for determination, in connection with existing Liberian
legislation on the subject. Under their legislation,
impartiality of consideration and equality of treatment to all
applications, not monopolistic in character, are provided for,
and the indiscriminate granting of [Page 471] concessions is guarded against. As regards
financial rehabilitation, the United States, in compliance with
the request of Liberia, has consented to advance a loan covering
the general financial needs of Liberia.
It is felt, nevertheless, that the more expedient method of
procedure as regards the putting into effect of the American
plan for the general rehabilitation of Liberia, embodied in the
Notes of the Government of the United States to England and
France of November 19, 1918, will be to have informal
conferences between those officials of the American, French, and
British Governments conversant with Liberian affairs, now in
Paris.
[Enclosure 2]
The French Ministry of
Foreign Affairs to the American
Embassy
In response to the Note of the Embassy of the United States of
the 11th of this month, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has the
honor to state that the Government of the Republic, like the
Federal Government and the British Government, [is] of opinion
that it is advisable to proceed to a preliminary exchange of
views upon the question of Liberian affairs between the British,
American, and French representatives.
To this end, M. de Peretti de la Rocca, Minister Plenipotentiary,
upon the suggestion of M. Knatchbull-Hugessen, British Delegate,
proposed to Mr. Beer, of the American Delegation, to meet in his
office at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Thursday next, March
27th, at 3 p.m.
[Enclosure 3]
Memorandum of an Informal Conference of
American, British, and French Representatives
As suggested in the answer of the French Foreign Office to the
American Embassy’s note of March 11th, in regard to an informal
conference concerning Liberia, Mr. Stabler and Mr. Beer went to
Mr. de Peretti’s office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs this
afternoon. There were also present, Mr. Duchene, Director of the
African Section of the French Ministry of Colonies, Mr. Sperling
Chief of the American Section of the British Foreign Office, and
Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen of the British Foreign Office.
Mr. de Peretti commenced by stating that it had been agreed that
informal conferences were to take place in regard to the present
situation in Liberia, particularly in the light of the plan of
the Government of the United States for the financial and
general rehabilitation [Page 472]
of the country, presented to the French and British Embassies on
November 19, 1918. He said that this plan of the United States,
whether the United States desired to admit it or not, was
practically a protectorate over Liberia. Mr. Beer said that the
Government of the United States did not consider it at all in
that light, but both the British and French contended that even
if it were not called a protectorate it was virtually a
protectorate as American officials would occupy practically the
same positions as did the French officials in Morocco.
Mr. Hugessen then brought up the matter of the close connection
between the theory of the League of Nations and the present
situation in Liberia, stating that he felt that if the United
States was not willing to accept a mandate over Liberia, the
Powers could be accused of only desiring the League of Nations
to be used as suited them. Mr Stabler and Mr. Beer made a
reservation in this connection that they had no instructions in
regard to the matter of a mandate, but would present the matter
to the Commissioners.
As far as the American plan of November 19th went, apparently the
British had no objections to it and the French only very few.
The French seemed to be particularly interested in adequate
government of the Liberian hinterland, in order that trouble on
the French frontier from incursions of Liberian native tribes
could be stopped.
The French were also particularly interested in the matter of
concession for a railroad which the Société Coloniale pour le
Commerce et l’Industrie, a French Corporation, desired to obtain
to connect Monrovia with Beyla in French Guinea. Mr. Beer
pointed out that the proposed concession would give a
considerable portion of the Republic of Liberia to the
concessionaire, for exclusive exploitation, which was considered
impossible. Mr. de Peretti said that the company was perfectly
willing to change this; that they had only followed in this the
draft of a concession which an American had asked for.
The question was then discussed, if the American plan was put
into effect, when the British and French officials should be
withdrawn and if the American Government would be practically
the intermediary between foreign nations and Liberia. The
British were particularly interested in the question of allowing
the Coast Kru boys to serve as sailors on British ships, and
were also interested in a very minor claim against the
Government of Liberia for property of British subjects
destroyed.
The question of the German cables15 was by general
consent not discussed as the matter had been left to the
Sub-Commission on Cables of the Peace Conference.
[Page 473]
It was decided that Mr. Beer should make a draft of a possible
form of an agreement for the three nations to accept, and a
further discussion then to take place, based on this draft. Mr.
Beer was also to draft an article for the Treaty of Peace, in
regard to German rights and claims in Liberia.
To sum up this informal conference, it may be said that the
British seem favorable to the American plan of November 19,
1918, but desire that the United States accept some form of an
international mandate for the rehabilitation of Liberia; that
the French were not opposed to the United States plan of
November 19, 1918, but desired the United States to accept
responsibility for order in Liberia and, if not in name, to
accept responsibility for Liberia under a virtual protectorate.
All advocated the open door policy in the country.
