File No. 763.72/10939
The Chargé in Liberia ( Bundy) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 5.]
Sir: In continuation of Legation’s despatch No. 224, dated June 22, 1918,1 and in confirmation of its cable of June 27, 4 p.m., relative to the French wireless station at Monrovia, I have the honor to make the following report:
The Legation is reliably informed that President Howard and his Cabinet very carefully considered the whole controversy anew at a meeting on June 24, and that as a result of this consideration it was unanimously decided that the Liberian Government should permit at once the re-opening of the French wireless station. This decision was communicated to the French Chargé d’Affaires, so he informed me, in a note from the Secretary of State dated June 25. The information received from the Chargé d’Affaires was confirmed on June 27 in a communication to the Legation from the Secretary of State, see enclosure.1
From what I have been able to learn it seems that there were two reasons which mainly influenced the action of the Government, namely:
- 1.
- Liberian authorities have finally become impressed that the Allies really regard the use of the station as of great importance in handling their shipping and naval craft along the west coast of Africa, and in her own interest, as well as that of the common cause, Liberia could not afford to keep the wireless station closed any longer.
- 2.
- Adequate protection as it had been interpreted came to be recognized as presenting difficulties that were, under the circumstances, almost insuperable; and moreover to insist on adequate protection simply meant to urge the Allies, perhaps through Great Britain, to fortify Monrovia and this in turn involved international arrangements and understandings which might become very annoying. Therefore it was concluded that nothing more would be said on this phase of the question at present.
Now that the Government has decided that the wireless station may be again operated this particular controversy ought, it would seem, right speedily to become a closed incident, much to the relief of all parties concerned.
I have [etc.]