882.20/478: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 21—2:40 p.m.]
1048. Your 550, July 18, 2 p.m. I have discussed this matter informally with Oliphant who says that he can only confirm the accuracy of the information given the Embassy on July 8 and reported to the Department in telegram No. 956, July 8, 6 p.m., and in a letter from the Ambassador to the Secretary of July 11.37 It is quite evident that the Liberian Minister in London did not grasp the significance of the statement made to him on July 5 by Sir Lancelot Oliphant. Oliphant says that the Minister called specifically to take up the possible visit of Liberian officials to Sierra Leone and that they had a somewhat lengthy conversation about the matter. He thought the occasion a good one to give the British answer to the original Liberian query as to what extent Great Britain would be able to assist Liberia in the event of war and thinks that the Minister [Page 603] simply missed the point of his statement, which he had not at the time thought it necessary to emphasize.
Oliphant further reaffirmed most emphatically that whatever proposals the French had made to Liberia had been in no way concerted with the British and he said that he did not even know in detail what the proposals were.
The Liberian suggestion for a visit of Liberian officials to Sierra Leone has been taken up with the Colonial office.
- Letter of July 11 not printed.↩