882.5048/60: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7 p.m.]
61. Your telegram 83, August 12, 5 p.m. Yesterday I discussed the Liberian matter with Sir Eric Drummond. Liberia has not yet notified the League of its desire for a member of the Commission to be appointed by the League. The normal procedure would be to have Liberia raise the matter in the League Assembly, which then would refer it to the League Council. The Secretary General stated that undoubtedly the League would be glad upon request to appoint a member, but the League cannot undertake paying his expenses, because it is limited by a budget and no fund exists from which such expenses might be met. The League would be obliged to assume that, if the invitation came from the Liberian Government, Liberia would meet the expenses.
Sir Eric inquired regarding the type of man to be chosen by the United States, since he would like to select a man with complementary qualities, thus making the Commission as thorough as possible. He also stated he was thinking of choosing a Netherlander or a Belgian, since a man with colonial administrative experience might be found [Page 300] among them. When I questioned the advisability of picking a man from a country having African possessions, Sir Eric asked whether I could obtain the Department’s views to be transmitted orally by me to him.