882.01 Winship Mission/67: Telegram
The Special Commissioner for Liberia (Winship) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 8—8:05 a.m.]
41. During lengthy conferences with Barclay yesterday important progress was made. The paramount question of the responsibility of the fiscal officers to the Financial Adviser was definitely and satisfactorily settled, as were a number of minor modifications to the loan agreement desired by the Finance Corporation. Three large items remain:
- 1.
- Liberia desires to use the first $375,000 collected in any one year for the operation of the Government (including the cost of the American fiscal officers) but not to be obligated to make any cash payment for interest from this amount. It is obvious that the first [thing] is to operate the Government, and after careful study in cooperation with the acting Financial Adviser, I consider that this amount is reasonable. It would not be wise to restrict the Government to so small an amount that new difficulties would arise almost before the proposed supplementary agreement had been completed. Lyle is communicating with Akron tonight on the subject.
- 2.
- The reestablishment of the depository agreement. I expect to see Barclay on this again tomorrow.
- 3.
- The desire of the company that there be a Frontier Force adviser who shall command. I recommend that the command feature be withdrawn. See my despatch No. 39, April 26, 3 p.m.
We sail May 12, steamship Canada, due Marseille May 26. Lyle should be instructed to accompany us and Firestone, Jr. should be present in Geneva or else give sufficient authority to Lyle to decide questions as they arise. I intend that a Liberian representative shall likewise accompany us.