882.516/49: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Liberia (Reber)
71. Your 104, August 20, 2 p.m. On August 25 or 26 a representative of the Firestone interests is to confer with the Department. If he should not previously receive from the Acting Financial Adviser in Liberia details of the proposed legislation your 104 described, you are requested to summarize it by cable to the Department. In any event you should confidentially comment by cable as to probability of enactment and as to whether finances and disbursements thereupon would be subject to the Financial Adviser’s adequate and effective control.
The Department also wishes a cable report by you on these points:
- (a)
- The current political situation, referring especially to the Government’s stability in the face of its financial difficulties and of [Page 405] the forthcoming report by the International Commission on forced labor.
- (b)
- The means at the Government’s disposal to maintain its position. To what degree is the Government dependent upon the frontier force, of which the Department understands that one-third is still concentrated at Monrovia? To what degree, similarly, upon police and/or army (if any)? How exactly has the position of Colonel Lewis72 developed, and to what extent is he able to exercise control?
- (c)
- Existing American interests are dependent to what extent upon the present Government for protection?
It is desired that you answer the foregoing by August 25.
- George W. Lewis, commissioned major in the Liberian frontier force on July 1, 1929.↩