882.51/1173: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Wallace) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 9—3:47 a.m.]
1670. My 1646, September 3, 3 pm.23 M. Paléologue24 sends me a note stating that he can best reply to my representations by enclosing text of the instructions given to the French Chargé d’Affaires at Monrovia after the interview between Mr. Harrison and M. Peretti. The following is the text:
“The project for an American loan at present before the Liberian Parliament has caused representations to be made to my Department [Page 96] by the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States at Paris who complained that your actions were in opposition to those of your American colleague and he asked the French Government to support the American proposals made to the Government of Monrovia.
Mr. Harrison was informed that you would receive instructions to make no opposition to the action of your American colleague but that you could support him only under one condition, that is that you should receive from him the same support in your representations in recommending to the Liberian Government to accord to the French group the railway concession from Beyla to Monrovia which the Liberian Parliament has at present under consideration. This project, whose terms are already known, has been conceived in a very liberal spirit. It makes a wide appeal to American and English capital and admits Liberians to serve on the board of directors. It reserves for the state of Liberia a share of the receipts, leaves that state free to buy back the concession at the expiration of the first ten years, respects the territorial and domain rights of the natives and provides for the construction of a port at the maritime terminus of the railway line which will be a new outlet for Liberian products. It would be inadmissible that a railway of which at least half of the system would be within French territory should not be conceded to a company containing a French majority. Advantageous as are its proposals the French group has not yet succeeded in having them adopted. In these circumstances Mr. Harrison was informed that my Department would not examine the possibility of recommending to the Liberian Government the American financial scheme until the Government of the United States should intervene at Monrovia in favor of the French railway company and until the latter had obtained satisfaction furthermore thought [sic] that it would be proper at this time that this scheme should be disclosed to the French Government. Mr. Harrison showed a disposition to transmit these suggestions to his Government.”