882.51/1169: Telegram
The Chargé in Liberia (Bundy) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 30—12:45 p.m.]
59. Legislature adjourned August 17th. Financial plan was not approved and no authority was given President to sign it. At the instance of President, Legislature passed joint resolution authorizing him to continue negotiations with United States to render loan credit available upon the basis of the amendments] incorporated in resolution so as to bring loan plan as submitted by the United States more in harmony with President’s interpretation of the Constitution and laws of Liberia. Legation unable as yet to obtain copy of resolution or proposed amendments but understands latter are the same as amendments outlined in Legation’s 48, July 23, 2 p.m. A second joint resolution also passed by Legislature, because of insistence of President, authorizes him to send commission consisting of three members to Washington to carry on negotiations mentioned in first resolution, to obtain from the Government of the United States acceptance of proposed amendments. Legation has no copy of this resolution but it is reliably reported that sum of $12,000 is appropriated to defray expenses of this commission.
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[Page 87]Vice President, who loyally supported Department’s plan to the end, confidentially informed me that an effort would be made to open negotiations with Department through channel other than Legation and no official correspondence on loan plan amendments or matter of sending commission to Washington would be conducted with Legation. This is intended to prevent Department from having official correspondence as basis of expressing through Legation its disapproval of sending proposed commission. Vice President says commission will be sent with least possible delay and none of the arrangements relating to its departure will be disclosed.
Legation regrets to report that it has reliable information that Auditor Ellis and Mr. Miller, two of the American officials, apparently with ulterior motives, encouraged President not to accept plan as drafted by Department, that they insinuated to President that Legation is not trustworthy, that sending commission to Washington was advisable and that Ellis prepared memorandum for President, attacking certain provisions of loan plan.
As President has attempted covertly to discredit Legation and may be expected to exhaust his resources to send commission to United States, it is respectfully suggested:
- 1.
- That Legation be furnished at once with text of formal note to be handed President, definitely informing him that proposed commission will not be received by the Government of the United States and that negotiations with the United States Government on loan plan or any other matter requiring attention of the Department must be carried on through Legation at Monrovia.
- 2.
- That Legation be instructed if commission leaves in spite of this notification, which is quite probable, not to visa passports of members.
- 3.
- That if commission proceeds to Europe en route to the United States without Legation’s visas, which is also quite probable, American diplomatic and consular officers in Europe be likewise instructed not to visa members’ passports.
- 4.
- That cruiser be sent immediately to Monrovia with instructions to impress President that Department’s representations through Legation must be heeded. If cruiser is not sent President likely to send commission despite anything Legation may do.
President King [has so uniformly departed from] his official pledges and flagrantly disregarded Department’s advice that it would seem impossible for the United States to continue assisting Legation [Liberia?] under existing conditions, thereby becoming morally [garbled groups] responsible for the perpetuation of a Government notoriously inefficient, corrupt, and hostile to effective reforms, [under which?] aboriginal population is arbitrarily obligated, ruthlessly exploited, and the practice of selling and pawning [human beings is finding shelter.]
[Page 88]All American officials here except two are so unfavorably impressed by the gross carelessness, deliberate obstruction, and quibbling of the Liberian Government that they have expressed to Legation desire to leave Liberia and have not done so as yet only because they do not wish to complete collapse of Department’s scheme of rehabilitation. It is now quite probable that several if not all of them will resign soon if they cannot proceed with work they came to do.
Legation credibly advised that President King said that only by use of force could authority be obtained which audits (financial?] plan, unless chartered (altered?], would confer on American officials, as he would see to it that such authority would not be granted by parliamentary agreement of Liberian Government. This reported statement is crux of the situation and it moves Legation to say that it has reluctantly come to conclusion that nothing substantial can be done to institute reforms or rehabilitate Republic unless [and] until mandate is established over Liberia or effective intervention undertaken.
If it was thought United States could adopt such a course it would be legitimately [sic] recommended by Legation, Financial Adviser, military attaché and other American officials that immediate steps be taken to put Department’s financial plan in operation here notwithstanding the recent action of Legislature and give the American officials whatever measure of support might be necessary fully to restore decent corrections [sic] which will afford protection to the native population now rapaciously despoiled and without defenders. It seems apparent that effort to aid Ethiopians through suggestion and advice is signal failure. Without exception all foreigners in Liberia openly ridicule and criticise our policy.