882.635 Neep/44: Telegram
The Minister in the Netherlands (Gordon) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 14—4:34 p.m.]
17. My 120, December 22, 6 p.m.9 The director of the Amsterdamsche Bank therein referred to (Van Nierop, the managing director), having learned that the inquiry made of him was for the information of the Legation, called upon me today and said that he would be glad to acquaint me with the situation.
He repeated that the Neep people were very good clients and he has under consideration the possibility of forming a syndicate to finance the proposed ore concession. He expects that a report by experts sent to Liberia by the Neep people will be finished some time in March and if after study thereof the proposition looks good (as he appears inclined to believe it will) he will then seek to interest the necessary capital.
The managing director proposes in the first instance to approach American capital and then British capital if the Liberian Government has no objection; he said that in a conversation with the Neep people the possibility of interesting German capital had been broached but that he felt it was much more logical to approach his bank’s American and British friends and felt that if sufficiently good prospects were found to exist he could raise the necessary capital with them.
I asked him what amount he had in mind as the total of the proposed syndicate’s investment. He replied that the idea of the Neep people was approximately 10,000,000 florins but that he himself thought that this would not be nearly enough and that the amount would probably have to be upwards of 15,000,000. He added that Neep, of course, did not have sufficient resources to take more than a fractional share in the investment but that they would come in for what in Holland would be considered a handsome participation (I gather that this participation might amount to a fifth or less of the total).
The managing director said that if mutual matters reached the point that he would be approaching his American friends he thought it would be encouraging to tell them that he had discussed the matter with the American Legation here which was interested therein. I replied that I thought it much better to treat this and any other future conversation we might have as confidential and to say nothing thereof to third parties to which he at once agreed.
- Not printed.↩