811.34582/8: Telegram
The Minister in Liberia (Walton) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 9—5:20 p.m.]
68. Department’s No. 37, June 21, 3 p.m., and No. 40, June 30, 9 p.m. In a conversation today between the President of Liberia and the American Minister it was indicated that the Government of Liberia agrees to lease to the Government of the United States areas required for the establishment on Liberian territory of two or more air bases on the following terms:
- [1.]
- A formal declaration of the Government of the United States guaranteeing the territorial integrity and political independence of Liberia during the life of the lease or leases under the arrangement.
- 2.
- That the full sovereign rights of the Government of Liberia over and upon the leased areas shall be reserved and respected, subject to such special arrangements as to American rights in those places including jurisdiction over the personnel of the American military establishments, et cetera, as may be worked out by the two Governments; that the United States military personnel requisite to protect the bases shall be limited to 500 men, but in the event it be deemed necessary to increase this number this shall be done upon subsequent agreement of the two Governments.
- 3.
- That the leased areas or rights incident thereto which may be guaranteed to the United States Government shall terminate on the date on which a peace treaty terminating the war in which Germany is now engaged is ratified by the democratic powers or any one of them, and that the military or naval personnel stationed and employed at these bases be withdrawn as of the same date, and all special rights granted the United States on and in the leased areas be simultaneously terminated.
- 4.
- That in the event the Government of Liberia be forced in consequence of action taken in this arrangement to defend its land and sea frontiers from attack, the Government of the United States will, upon the request of the Government of Liberia, at once accord protection to the Government of Liberia by granting it all aid and military equipment and matériel which will be requisite to insure an effective defense.
- 5.
- That this agreement be understood as in no way affecting the policy of neutrality which the Government of Liberia now maintains or may hereafter continue to maintain or adopt.
- 6.
- That in the event the United States Government becomes a belligerent in the present conflict the Liberian Government be left free without coercion as to what status it will assume in the circumstances. It is of course expected that with the landing of the naval or military personnel required for the construction of the air bases, all measures to protect the country from reprisals will be simultaneously taken.
Personally I am not entirely satisfied with paragraph 3 which seems too indefinite in regard to ratification of peace treaty and too exacting in regard to date of withdrawal of troops.