882.73/13: Telegram
The Chargé in France ( Bliss ) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received January 16, 8.03 a.m.]
6774. My 6749, Jan. 14, 9 p.m. Following is translation of note dated 10th instant just received from Foreign Office.
[“] By its note of December 29 last59 the Ministry for Foreign Affairs expressed to the American Embassy the desire that it should acquaint the Federal Government with the attitude adopted by the Government of the Republic in regard to the financial aid to be extended to the Liberian Government.
It is desirable that France and England should participate as they have done heretofore in the said financial assistance. If the latter were provided by the United States alone it might indeed be considered that the resulting control over the administration of Liberia would be tantamount to the establishment of a veritable protectorate.
It appears from information received from the French Embassy at Washington that the Federal Government considers that this question of financial reorganization is not one which should be submitted [Page 516] to the Peace Conference, but settled between England, the United States and France. The Government of the Republic, desirous of entering into the view of the Federal Government in this respect, and, like it, aiming only at the financial welfare of Liberia, is disposed to examine in the most conciliatory spirit the propositions which the Dept. of State might make. Moreover, in the event of the proposed loan being granted to Liberia by the United States alone the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will not insist upon an American protectorate being declared over that country. It would, however, be understood that the established control involved [involving], de facto, a sort of protectorate, the Government of the Republic would, henceforward, [for all] demands which it might have to make to the Liberian Govt., have recourse to the Federal Government and request that it support them.
The Government of the Republic has under consideration at the present time two other subjects interesting Liberia, for the settlement of which it would be glad to be able to count upon the cooperation of the Federal Government.
The first is in the regard to a concession requested by a French company the “Société Coloniale pour le Commerce et l’Industrie” for a railroad to connect Monrovia to Beyla in French Guinea. The capital of this company is mainly French, as seems proper for an undertaking which will be operated partly on French territory under the financial guarantee of the French State, but it will accept an important participation of English and American capital. It is manifestly to the interest of Liberia to grant a concession which will result in the development of a large part of its territory without involving any demands upon it liable to prejudice its sovereignty or independence. The request has been submitted to the Liberian Congress, which should reach a decision very shortly. Information received from Monrovia shows that the favorable vote of Congress would be quite assured if, before the 15th of this month, the representative of the United States at Monrovia could notify the Liberian Government that the Federal Government is agreeable to the granting of this concession. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is pleased to hope that instructions to that effect will be sent by the Department of State to its agent at Monrovia according to the repeated requests presented by Mr. Jusserand at Washington.
The next matter is that of landing the German cable which joined Monrovia to Pernambuco and which was severed by the Allies on the high seas, and connecting it to the French cable station. It would be to the mutual interest of the Allies—among which Liberia is to be counted—that the connection of this German cable and French station be carried into effect as soon as possible. But the Liberian Government opposes to that legitimate request of the French Government an inexplicable and singular refusal. This failure in its duties as an ally by the Liberian Government would justify the French Government in overriding its opposition, but where a weak state is concerned the French Government is loth to have recourse to force to impose recognition of its rights.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs does not doubt but that the Federal Government will add its solicitation to those of the French Government with a view to obtaining the necessary authorization to [Page 517] achieve an [operation which would] result in increasing the telegraphic [means of] communication between Liberia and America. Should the Liberian Government decline to be convinced, the Government of the [Republic would,] to its great regret, be obliged to contemplate the connection of this German cable to the French cable lying between Konakry and Monrovia. Such an action would bring about the unfortunate result of isolating Liberia from Europe by obliging the French cable company to suppress the landing at Monrovia of its cable, which would run directly between Konakry and Grand Bassam.”