File No. 882.51/216a.

The Secretary of State to the German Ambassador.

No. 470.]

Excellency: Referring to previous correspondence concerning the proposals of this Government for the amelioration of conditions in Liberia, and especially to the informal negotiations which have been in progress between the embassy and the Department for the past few months with a view of agreeing upon a mutually acceptable wording of the draft-loan agreement, it gives me great pleasure to state that the Department is now prepared, as an evidence of its sincere desire to meet the wishes of the Imperial German Government with respect to Liberia and secure your Government’s approval of this Government’s proposal, formally to propose the amendments to the original draft agreement (seventh revise, May 21, 1910) contained in the attached schedule.1 It is understood that the loan agreement as thus amended will be acceptable to your Government, and I will be glad to receive an official assurance of that fact.

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In communicating this proposal to you I wish to assure your Government that the United States does not and will not seek for its citizens any exclusive or preferential commercial rights or privileges in Liberia, and as the friendly adviser of Liberia it will counsel the maintenance of absolute economic equality for the nationals of all powers.

In conclusion I may add that if there is now or shall hereafter be established in Liberia a commission for the examination of the claims of private creditors of the Liberian Government, and the claims of German subjects are brought before the commission, the Department will be pleased to recommend to the Government of Liberia that a German subject be placed on said commission.

Accept, etc.,

P. C. Knox.
  1. Not printed.