Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917, Supplement 1, The World War

File No. 763.72/5018

The Ambassador in France ( Sharp ) to the Secretary of State

No. 5452

Paris , May 15, 1917 .
[Received May 31.]

Sir: Confirming my telegram No. 2086 of the 8th instant,¹ relative to the attitude of the French Government regarding the breaking off of relations between the Liberian and the German Imperial Governments, I have the honor to enclose herewith a copy and translation of a note from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs sent me following the verbal statement made by that Ministry on which my said telegram was based.

I have [etc.]

W. G. Sharp

[Enclosure—Translation]

The French Ministry for Foreign Affairs to the American Embassy

The American Embassy has been good enough to communicate with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs regarding the steps to be taken to facilitate the severance of relations between Liberia and Germany, and to express the hope that when this severance shall have been accomplished, the Cabinets of Paris and London will entertain the question of the resumption of commerce between France and the United Kingdom and Liberia, under conditions to be agreed upon.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has the honor to inform the American Embassy that a telegram has been received from the French Chargé d’Affaires at Monrovia to the effect that diplomatic relations between Liberia and Germany have been broken off and that the delay granted to German residents to leave Liberia has been limited to a fortnight.

Mr. Baret added that President Howard had expressed the wish to be able to notify the Germans as soon as possible as to the country in which they would be interned and as to the name of the ship which would transport them to destination.

When directing the Ambassadors of the Republic at Washington and at London to bring this information to the knowledge of the Federal and the British Governments, the President of the Council, Minister for Foreign Affairs, requested Messrs. Jusserand and Paul Cambon to inform Mr. Lansing and Lord Robert Cecil that, in his opinion, all mobilizable Germans resident in Liberia should be interned in American, British, or French territory, and that those who are not mobilizable should be sent back to Germany. Messrs. Jusserand and Paul Cambon must have added that the Government of the Republic would be willing to intern the mobilizable Germans on French territory.

On the other hand, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has begged the Ministry of Marine to come to a direct understanding with the American and British Admiralties regarding the transportation of German residents in Liberia to the country on the territory of which they are to be interned.

When the Germans domiciled in Liberia shall have left that country, the Government of the Republic will not raise any opposition to the normal resumption of Franco-Liberian trade, every precaution being taken, of course, in order that the business of German firms possessing establishments in Liberia should not be carried on under cover of native or neutral intermediaries.

Paris , May 10, 1917 .

1. Not printed.