740.00112 European War 1939/2887
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. Charles W. Lewis, Jr., of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs
| Participants: | Mr. Harvey S. Firestone and Mr. Larabee of the Firestone Company |
| Mr. Villard | |
| Mr. Lewis |
Mr. Firestone referred to the discussions which took place in the Department on May 13, 1941, with regard to the demands of the British Chargé d’Affaires that the Firestone subsidiaries in Liberia cease banking and commercial relations with German firms and with neutral firms which have been placed on the British Statutory List. He stated that under date of May 20 his company had written a letter to Mr. Helm, of the British Embassy, setting forth the position of the company with reference to the Liberian Proclamation of Neutrality, which, whatever the personal preferences of the management and employees of the company and its subsidiaries, circumscribed the operations of the subsidiaries in Liberia and made it impossible for them to comply with the demands of the British Chargé d’Affaires, Mr. Routh. A copy of this letter is attached.6 Mr. Firestone added that under date of May 23 the company received an acknowledgment of this letter from Mr. Helm, who stated that he was transmitting the letter to the Minister of Economic Warfare, who, he knew, appreciated the cooperation of the Firestone Plantations Company. A copy of Mr. Helm’s letter is also attached.6
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Mr. Firestone then stated that under date of May 22 his company had received a telegram6 from Mr. Seybold7 which indicated that the Chargé d’Affaires was still pressing his original demands and, in addition to refusing to issue navicerts, was now demanding that the Bank of Monrovia relinquish certain of its agencies in Liberia.
A further and even more surprising telegram was received by the company from Mr. Seybold under date of May 26,6 Mr. Firestone continued. This telegram indicated that the British Embassy in Washington had submitted to the British Chargé d’Affaires in Monrovia a list of the company’s navicert applications and that Mr. Routh had stated that he would cable his consent to the issuance of the navicerts on condition that the Bank of Monrovia would agree to the conditions [Page 524] stated in the letter quoted above. The telegram further added that Mr. Routh had also submitted as conditions an undertaking involving the company’s responsibility for goods reaching German firms through intermediaries.
Mr. Firestone said that he could not understand why the Embassy had taken the action indicated, especially in view of the verbal assurances given to him by Mr. Helm that he would cooperate in an effort to bring about a more satisfactory situation at Monrovia. He then asked Mr. Villard’s advice as to what action should be taken, if any, toward bringing this matter to the attention of the British Embassy.
Mr. Villard at this stage reviewed his conversation with Mr. Helm on May 24 and also informed Mr. Firestone of the substance of the Department’s telegram of May 28 to the Embassy at London dealing with this subject. Mr. Villard then said that he thought it might be desirable for the Department, rather than Mr. Firestone, to take up with Mr. Helm the matter mentioned above. Mr. Firestone requested that he be informed by telephone at Akron as soon as that action had been taken.