882.01 Foreign Control/266: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 21—8:50 a.m.]
200. From Reber. Department’s telegram No. 90, May 20, 3 p.m.48
The full text of our reservation as included in the report of the Committee reads as follows:
“The American representative stated that his Government believes that the delegation of adequate authority by Liberia to a single official of an international agency would be the most genuinely practical solution of the problem. This would leave the details of a programme of complete rehabilitation to be put into effect step by step and on a self-supporting basis and would take advantage of all existing machinery with a minimum of lost time and a maximum of results at the smallest initial cost to Liberia. The American Government would, however, be prepared to study a proposal involving more initial changes in Liberian organization and consequently much greater initial expense provided it were clearly understood that there would be the requisite delegation of authority by Liberia as an indispensable preliminary to any adjustment of the present financial situation. In the light of the above the American Government would not be willing to recommend to the Finance Corporation, which is the interested party, any financial negotiations until a satisfactory administrative plan had been agreed to by Liberia. The foregoing constitutes a full reservation of the position of American Government on the points mentioned. It is based upon many years of experience in endeavoring to induce the governing elements in Liberia to improve the condition of the country through ‘advisers’ and upon the conviction that no plan can succeed until it is founded upon principles which will insure its practicability.”
The text of the Committee’s report has been circulated to the members of the Council and has been made available for the press here. In order to give our reservation greater emphasis I believe, however, it might be well to give its full text publicity in the United States.49 [Reber.]