File No. 763.72/5914
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Memorandum
The present situation with regard to the negotiations concerning Liberia is that His Majesty’s Government stated that it would be ready to withdraw all restrictions on Liberian trade provided that all Germans were removed from the country and that the Liberian Government took such measures as would effectively prevent German businesses from being carried on by persons who would merely act as representatives and restore them to their original owners in statu quo as soon as the war is over. The United States Government agreed to these conditions, but they desired that guarantees should be provided of a nature to insure that Liberia would be free from molestation on the part of Germany, both during and after the war.
With regard to this latter point, it is manifest that Liberia can only be attacked so long as the war lasts from the sea, and the British naval forces at Sierra Leone will furnish all necessary protection.
[Page 475]With regard to the post bellum period, His Majesty’s Government would be ready to unite with the Governments of France and the United States in giving a firm assurance to protect Liberia against the attacks from Germany to the best of their power. They have sent instructions to the British representative to join with his United States and French colleagues to make a communication in this sense to the Liberian Government. The French Government have agreed already to this step.
The French Admiralty will doubtless make the necessary arrangement with the Liberian authorities, as soon as that Government accepts the proposed guarantees, for the deportation of the Germans.
As soon as the German subjects in the country have been carried away, and the Liberian Minister states that the German firms are being closed, the restrictions which were placed on trade with Liberia in order to wreck German enterprises there will be cancelled.
[Received July 18.]