882.01 Foreign Control/949
The British Ambassador (Lindsay) to the Secretary of State
No. 140
Washington, May 20,
1935.
Sir: As I had the honour to inform you in my note No. 88 of 4th April15 I communicated to His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs a copy of your note of April 3rd in which you invited His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom to consider the question of the recognition of the Liberian Government in view of the possibility that the United States Government would wish to take such a step in the near future.
- 2.
- Sir John Simon has been informed by His Majesty’s Representative at Monrovia that the Liberian Government are firm in their determination to remove Chief Nimley from the Sasstown area for a period of one year and that they also refuse to agree to a “peace palaver”, the object of which would be a mutually satisfactory settlement with the Krus. This attitude has caused a painful impression on His Majesty’s Government, and Mr. Yapp, who is shortly proceeding on leave from Monrovia, has been instructed to inform the Secretary of State that while he will doubtless discuss the question of Anglo-Liberian relations while on leave in England he can assure him that he knows already that His Majesty’s Government consider a settlement of the Kru problem an essential preliminary to the recognition of the Liberian Government.
- 3.
- In bringing the above information to your notice I have been instructed by Sir John Simon to inform you that, except in so far as the Kru problem is concerned, His Majesty’s Government are in general agreement with the United States Government that the present administration in Liberia are making a serious and sustained [Page 947] effort to improve the internal conditions of the country. In view, however, of the very strong humanitarian interest which has been displayed in England over the Kru question it would not be possible for His Majesty’s Government to defend before public opinion a decision to restore official relations with the Liberian Government in the absence of a satisfactory settlement between the latter and the tribal leaders.
- 4.
- Sir John Simon also instructs me to inform you that he cordially reciprocates your desire for continued Anglo-American cooperation in dealing with Liberian questions and that His Majesty’s Government have noted with satisfaction the collaboration which has taken place between the United States and British representatives in Monrovia. It is Sir John Simon’s hope that this satisfactory state of affairs will continue.
I have [etc.]
R. C. Lindsay
- Not printed.↩