882.51/1925: Telegram

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

16. Department’s mail instruction No. 334, March 4. The Department is surprised to learn that the Liberian Government has construed the remarks made by you at the time of your presentation of this Government’s reply to Barclay’s note of December 9 as implying that the Liberian Government had violated, or intended to violate, the Loan Agreement of 1912, and as casting a gratuitous reflection upon the good faith of the Liberian Government. This Government had absolutely no such thought in mind in instructing you to make those remarks which were intended purely and simply to point out to the Liberian Government the technical legal difficulties which prevented this Government from immediately assuming the functions assigned to it under the new Agreement. These difficulties were fully explained to De la Rue at the time the instruction was drafted and it is understood that he has already cabled the Liberian Government on the subject.

Please explain matters to the Liberian Government in the above sense in order that all misunderstanding may be completely dispelled.

Kellogg