File No. 763.72/6869
The Minister in Liberia (
Curtis) to
the Secretary of State
No. 128
Monrovia,
August 14, 1917.
[Received September 14.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith
for the information of the Department a copy of a joint note from
the representatives of the Governments of France and Great Britain,
dated July 21 and marked enclosure No. 1, whereby are conveyed to
the Liberian Government the instructions of the foreign offices of
said Governments anent the guaranties of said Governments as to the
canceling of restrictions on Liberian trade and the protection of
Liberia from German aggression, and subjoined thereto the
acquiescence of the undersigned regarding the statement that said
representatives were so instructed and the accord of the undersigned
regarding the advisability of the deportation of the Germans.
A copy of the answer of the Liberian Government to said
communication, dated August 13 and marked enclosure No. 2, is
likewise enclosed herewith.
I have [etc.]
[Page 490]
[Enclosure 1]
The French Chargé (
Baret) and the Acting British Consul General (
Parks) to the Liberian Secretary of State (
King)
Sir: The undersigned representatives
of the Government of France and the Government of His Britannic
Majesty, duly accredited to the Government of Liberia, have the
honor to reply to the note 194/D of the Liberian Government,
dated June 6, 1917, as follows:
- 1.
- That His Britannic Majesty’s Government and the
Government of the French Republic are not now prepared
to consider the proposal of the Liberian Government that
the treaty of peace should provide to free Liberia from
German aggression after the war, but the representatives
of the two above-mentioned Governments at Monrovia are
now jointly instructed to make a communication to the
Liberian Government, with their American colleague, to
the effect that His Britannic Majesty’s Government and
the Government of the French Republic and that of the
United States are willing to jointly give to Liberia a
firm assurance that they will defend her to the best of
their power against such aggression.
- 2.
- That all necessary protection from the sea, which
appears to be the only side on which Liberia can be
attacked, will be given during the war by His Britannic
Majesty’s naval squadron at Sierra Leone.
The above two paragraphs refer to guaranties against molestation
of Liberia during or after the war.
The deportation of Germans to France will be arranged at once by
the French Admiralty in conjunction with the Liberian
authorities upon the above guaranties being accepted by draft
convention from the Liberian Government.
The danger of German firms in Liberia resuming business after the
war will have been removed by the winding up of such firms,
which we understand is now in progress, and by the deportation
of the Germans.
The removal of restrictions on Liberian trade will follow, as
these were imposed in order to destroy German trade.
Upon the acceptance of the above guaranties by the Liberian
Government, it is hoped that we will be immediately notified, so
that the Chargé d’Affaires of the French Republic may summon a
French warship to effect deportation before the German subjects
become aware of the action of the Liberian Government in this
regard.
With renewed assurances [etc.]
I acquiesce in the foregoing, and am in accord with the
advisability of deporting the Germans.
[Page 491]
[Enclosure 2]
The Liberian Secretary of State
(
King) to
the American Minister (
Curtis), the French Chargé (
Baret), and the Acting British Consul General (
Parks)
No. 274/D
Monrovia,
August 13,
1917.
Gentlemen: I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of your joint note addressed to the
Liberian Government on the 21st of July of the current year,
embodying the guaranties which the Governments of Great Britain
and France, and that of the United States acquiescing, are
willing to give to the Liberian Government with respect to the
deportation to France of the German residents in Liberia of
mobilizable age, and the protection of Liberia against German
aggression during or after the war.
In reply I am directed by the President to say, that the said
guaranties are, in his opinion, quite adequate, and are
therefore acceptable to the Liberian Government, who have,
accordingly, declared a state of war existing between Liberia
and the German Empire, as from the 4th of August 1917, and taken
the necessary steps for the deportation to France of all
unofficial German subjects in Liberia of mobilizable age by the
French cruiser Desaix now within the
territorial waters of the Republic.
I am further instructed by the President to say, that should the
establishment of a naval base in Liberia be found necessary, by
His Britannic Majesty’s Government, in order to afford the naval
protection contemplated in paragraph two of your said note,
permission for same will be immediately granted upon the
understanding that such naval base thus established will be
within the jurisdiction of Liberia and will be promptly
discontinued upon the termination of the war.
Assuring you of my personal devotion to the common cause with
which our respective countries are now identified, I beg to
subscribe myself [etc.]
