882.51/1977: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Liberia (Francis)
3. Your 3, January 20, 11 a.m.9 National City Bank informs Department that it has received a cable stating that de la Rue has been [Page 242] ordered by his doctor to leave Monrovia by the steamer sailing the 31st. The Department greatly regrets to hear of de la Rue’s illness and hopes that you will convey to him its sympathy and its hopes for his early recovery as well as its high appreciation of the work which he has done in Liberia.
In view of the possibility that de la Rue’s health may preclude the possibility of his returning to Monrovia, the Department intends to name as Acting Financial Adviser a man of broad experience and high qualifications in this particular type of work who will eventually be named as Financial Adviser en titre should de la Rue be unable to resume his duties. The Department is at present in touch with a number of outstanding men of this type and hopes shortly to be able to notify to you the name and qualifications of this Government’s nominee and to inform you how soon he will be able to assume his duties in Monrovia. In the meantime, in order that the work of the Financial Adviser’s Office may be carried on, this Government hereby nominates Bussell to act as Financial Adviser until the arrival of the new Acting Financial Adviser.
You should inform the Liberian Government of the intentions of this Government with regard to the nomination of an Acting Financial Adviser and report Bussell’s nomination to act in this capacity until the arrival of the new man.
It is the opinion of the Finance Corporation and of the National City Bank, with which the Department is inclined to concur, that the remuneration of an Acting Financial Adviser of the type which the Department expects to name should be the same as de la Rue’s, and the Department understands that, in as much as the Loan Agreement makes no provision for such remuneration, it will be made the subject of a Supplementary Agreement to be arranged direct between the Liberian Government, the Finance Corporation, and the Fiscal Agents.
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