File No. 741.8215/40.
The Acting Secretary of State to the American Minister.
Washington, March 28, 1912.
The American Ambassador at London has received a note from the British Foreign Office stating, that the officials of Liberia have refused to carry out the terms of the Anglo-Liberian Agreement negotiated last year with the assistance of the United States Minister at Monrovia, and that they have destroyed the boundary marks erected by the delimitation commissioners.
[Page 655]In a memorandum attached to the British note the following facts are recited: That in last November information was received from the Governor of Sierra Leone that in the neutral zone on the northeastern boundary of Liberia, in Districts Tungia and Tengea, which districts were among those, according to the provisional agreement of May 15, 1911, to be protected by both British and Liberian commissioners pending a meeting of the commission, Liberian troops had been destroying property. The Government of Great Britain has learned that Mr. Cooper, in Chargé of boundary commission, and Colonel Lomax, commanding Liberian troops on the frontier, have been acting in most extraordinary and arbitrary manner and were entirety responsible for these disturbances, Mr. Cooper having repudiated the provisional agreement. Upon representations thereupon made by the British Government Liberia promised on January 16 to recall both Cooper and Lomax and gave assurances that the provisional agreement should be strictly observed and the Liberian Secretary of State, Mr. King, was sent to Sierra Leone to investigate the disturbances.
Toward the end of February last the British Government was informed that Liberian troops at Foya had removed cairns which had been erected by British and Liberian commissioners jointly and that the commanding officer refused positively to recognize the boundary fixed by the commissioners. It appeared, moreover, that Mr. King had countenanced these acts.
Furthermore the British Government has received numerous reports from the frontier concerning the unsatisfactory behavior of both Cooper and Lomax. On the 14th of this month the situation on the frontier having grown worse, the British Government was compelled to inform the Government of Liberia that the British commissioners had been withdrawn and that colonial authorities would occupy and administer such territory on the frontier as they deemed proper and that the British Government would demand reparation for the insult offered them.
Subsequently a full report of the circumstances was received by the British Government showing that notwithstanding the Liberian Government’s promise, neither Cooper nor Lomax had left the frontier and that the situation there had gone from bad to worse.
In view of these facts the British Government has decided to advise the Government of Liberia that unless Cooper and Lomax and also Morris, an officer commanding Liberian troops at Foya, are withdrawn within ten days, the Governor of Sierra Leone will be directed to occupy’ territory claimed by Government of Great Britain with a force adequate to deal with any aggression from Liberian side and in case such aggression takes place to follow the aggressors into Liberian territory as far as may be necessary to deprive them of the power of further aggression. (End of British note.)
You will bring this matter instantly to the attention both of the President and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Liberia, urging that Cooper, Lomax, and Morris be withdrawn at once and the incident satisfactorily closed; otherwise both the bankers and this Government may well feel justified in dropping at once all further negotiations regarding loan. Cable as soon as possible results of your protests.