882.6176 F 51/95: Telegram
Mr. Harvey S. Firestone to the Vice President of the National City Bank of New York (W. W. Hoffman)36
Suggest you send following cable to De la Rue:
“Cables received. Not advisable to leave Firestone matter stand status quo. Already been too much delay and another delay likely serious.
Think Firestone would agree modify his agreement as follows—Change terms from fifty-year lease with Secretary of State as arbitrator on renewal of fifty years, to straight ninety nine years, if that more agreeable to Liberian Government and change loan agreement to read ‘Liberian Government to accept loan of two to five million on terms to be agreed on.’ Then you and others come to America immediately to negotiate loan. Suitable living conditions would be arranged in New York or Washington.
If Liberian Government will not agree to this there would be little hope of negotiating any agreement later.”
- Copy transmitted to the Department by Harvey S. Firestone, Jr., under covering letter of the same date.↩