751.8215/227

The Chargé in Liberia ( Wharton ) to the Secretary of State

No. 330
Diplomatic

Sir: This Legation has the honor, in confirmation of its cablegram number 6 dated February 2, 1926,70 to inform the Department that the Liberian Government has been notified of the appointment of the French Boundary Commission. The Liberian Boundary Commission has been appointed and the French Government duly notified. The Liberian Commission was scheduled to leave Monrovia for the frontier on Tuesday the 3rd or Wednesday the 4th of February. However, the time has been extended to enable the Boundary Commission to be thoroughly informed and prepared to guard the best interests of Liberia.

There is enclosed herewith a despatch from the Department of State of Liberia setting forth the composition of the Commission.70 It should be noted that the third member of the Commission, R. A. Farmer, Assistant Geodetic Engineer, has been placed by the Liberian Government as Chief of the Bureau of Public Construction. William V. Moore will, without doubt, be placed on the Liberian Commission instead of Mr. Farmer.

This Legation has not been notified of any conference between the Secretary of State and the Commission with reference to what basis the Liberian Government proposes to accept for the settlement of the boundary. In other words, whether the settlement is to be an arbitrary one based on nothing except the agreement of the Commission, in which case, no engineer would be necessary or whether it is expected to use Engineer Daves’ calculations as a basis of argument.

Presuming the last suggestion is correct and Mr. Daves’ figures are to be used as a basis of argument, it would appear that these [Page 601] figures are not sufficiently complete to furnish such a basis, because the triangulation work has never been carried to completion, and also because time signals have never been obtained to determine the longitude. According to information received, I presume that latitude can be determined by star observations, but I understand longitude is an arbitrary thing referring to the distance from some given fixed point (Greenwich) and the only way to determine this distance is by scientifically despatched radio time signals, or else by chronometers very accurately tested and checked.

In the course of a recent conversation I was informed that neither Mr. Daves nor Mr. Moore has been officially advised of appointment. Here are two Americans, one of whom was sent out by the American Government at the request of the Liberian Government; the other employed by an arrangement of which I have not been clearly informed. These two men are to form part of a commission to determine the Boundary of a Nation in which boundary settlement, the United States has taken some interested part.

I feel that the necessary copies of treaties, written instructions, etc., of the basis on which they are authorized to act and a thorough understanding and agreement as to how they are to act and conduct the negotiations should be gone into before they leave Monrovia. I shall, of course in a tactful manner, do my utmost to guard against any national responsibility.

It appears to me that if Mr. Daves and Mr. Moore are to be merely technical advisers, they could in each instance advise Mr. Morris, the Secretary of the Interior, in writing on such points as they could accurately answer, and where a question is asked which has not been accurately determined, they could state in their answer what they have done and possibly, if true, state that the question cannot be accurately answered. In this way no reflection could be made on the technical advisers.

I wish to be quite clear to the Department that I appreciate this is a matter in which the Liberian Government alone is responsible.

At my first opportunity I shall have a conference with the Secretary of State on the boundary settlement.

I have [etc.]

Clifton R. Wharton
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