882.20/599
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Alling) to the Liaison Officer (Wilson)
Mr. Wilson: In a conversation the other day with Mr. Frederick P. Hibbard, our Chargé d’Affaires at Monrovia,24 Mr. Welles requested that a memorandum be prepared for discussion at the next liaison meeting on the subject of our military plans in Liberia.
It will be recalled that Mr. Harry A. McBride negotiated an agreement with President Barclay for certain military rights to be enjoyed by the United States in Liberia during the course of the present war; and this agreement is still to be submitted to the Liberian legislature for ratification. President Barclay is holding the legislature in session for an unprecedentedly long period to receive the agreement, which of course will become a matter of public knowledge as soon as it has been acted upon. For reasons of military secrecy, it is not desired that the agreement should become known until the arrival in Liberia of an adequate defense force, at which time announcement will be made not only of the existence of the agreement but of Lend-Lease aid to Liberia.
So far less than 100 men have been assembled in Liberia to guard the airport at Harbel and the Pan American clipper installations at Fisherman Lake. I understand that the War Department is having difficulty in obtaining adequate escort for the vessels which will carry American troops to Liberia. The sinkings have been numerous off the Liberian coast and it is obvious that the country is exposed to attack both from the sea and from the air.
President Barclay is still awaiting word from us as to when it may be possible to submit the agreement to the legislature. Meanwhile, he and the Liberian people are extremely nervous over the long delay in providing protection by American troops. The question of a suitable air defense for the airport and for patrolling the nearby waters also remains unanswered.
As we shall undoubtedly be pressed by President Barclay for some indication of our intentions, it is believed that the urgency of the matter should be stressed at the liaison committee meeting and an attempt made to obtain from the War Department some idea of the progress being made in sending into Liberia adequate protective forces.
- Mr. Hibbard was in Washington for consultation before assuming his duties in Monrovia.↩