882.00/921
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
The United States Government will no doubt have received information, through their representatives in Liberia and on the Liberian Committee of the League of Nations, regarding the conduct of Liberian officials in the Kru country. On the 18th instant His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom instructed His Majesty’s Representative at Monrovia, after allowing a delay not exceeding a fortnight in order that his United States and French colleagues might be enabled to receive similar instructions, to make, if necessary alone, the following communication to the President of Liberia:—
“His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom are satisfied that the proceedings of the Liberian Frontier Force under Colonel Davis in the Kru country last autumn were tyrannical and high-handed in an inexcusable degree.
“According to information which His Majesty’s Government cannot disregard, although they equally cannot as yet regard it as confirmed, these proceedings are being repeated at the present time and are exposing the Kru population to personal violence and outrage and destruction of property.
“The Liberian Representative denied before the Council of the League on February 6th that these events in any way represented reprisals upon people who had given evidence before the League Commissions.21 His Majesty’s Government must, however, irrespective of the motives underlying the measures which have been taken [Page 708] against the Kru, ask for an explicit assurance that such proceedings will be discontinued immediately pending the conclusion of an arrangement between the League, the United States and Liberia for the future administration of the country”.
Mr. Graham was further instructed at the same time as follows:—
“Notwithstanding that your United States colleague and you are not in official relations with the Liberian Government, it would be preferable that all three representatives should seek a joint interview with the President for the purpose of making the communication. In the event of this being refused, the communication should be made by joint or identic notes at the discretion of yourself and your colleagues. As soon as the message has been delivered you should despatch a reliable agent to the Kru country to report on conditions there and on the effect produced by your representations.”
His Majesty’s Government earnestly hope that the United States Government will instruct their representative at Monrovia to associate himself with Mr. Graham in the above-mentioned action. A similar request has been addressed to the French Government.
- See League of Nations, Official Journal, March 1932, p. 526.↩