882.7962/118: Telegram
The Chargé in Liberia (Hibbard) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 17—4:09 p.m.]
297. Department’s telegram 229, September 15, 11 p.m. I am delighted that McBride is returning. I shall be glad to accommodate him and Colonel Upston at the Legation.
I saw the President on September 14 for the first time in some weeks as he has been quite ill. I presented Colonel Kirchhoff the new commanding officer to him and the interview which lasted an hour and a half was most cordial, Barclay showing a greater desire to cooperate than he has before evidenced. We asked among other things for an auxiliary landing field at Cape Palm-as which General Fitzgerald31 has decided is necessary and for permission to send [Page 391] small reconnaissance detachments along the coast and in the interior to survey possibilities for other small defense areas and roads. He readily agreed but asked that the request be put in writing adding sarcastically and with some show of indignation that he had already been put in a false position by being accused of making promises he had never made, that he always kept his word and always intended to but in order that there should be no future misconception he would hereafter make his final agreements in writing. As we had previously been discussing the defense of the country about which he had made some very pointed remarks and the presence of the German Consul here there is no doubt that his reference was to the first paragraph of my note to him of August 14 in which mention is made of his promises to McBride to expel the German Consul. Aside from any personal pride he may have in his work I have recently heard that the general terms of my note have been divulged by certain Cabinet members to the Opposition which has made great use of the fact that we are dissatisfied with Barclay for not having kept his word and that if there is any further complaint we will probably use all Armed Forces here to take over the country. This has greatly irritated Barclay and McBride should be prepared for a certain amount of coldness and petulance in his first interviews.
May I suggest that McBride be prepared to discuss the following questions:
- 1.
- Final ratification of the agreement with particular reference to the jurisdiction over non-Liberian civilians in the defense area. I have heard nothing from the Department since my telegram No. 241 of July 24, 3 p.m.32
- 2.
- The lend-lease provisions for road construction. In view of increasing difficulty of contractors in securing workmen for such projects abroad, it may be impossible for any American company to undertake this work. Williams Sand Company who are building the Socony-Vacuum storage base are paying $600 a month and expenses for grader and cat skinner operators and still having difficulty in getting men. Firestone and Pan American having the same trouble. The only alternative may be for the Army to construct these roads which could easily be done as soon as the dry season sets in. The lend-lease provisions for the equipment and training of additional frontier force will also require revision. The economic situation of the country is rapidly growing worse. Not only imported foods are scarce due to lack of shipping, but increased purchasing power among the natives and the influx of the army has created a shortage in local foodstuffs which were never plentiful. It is estimated, therefore, that it will require at least a shilling a day, and probably more, per man to feed the frontier force. If the number is raised to 5,000 as Barclay wants or with the 3,000 we have agreed upon, it is unlikely the Government can raise the money to provision them even if radical budgetary rearrangements are resorted to.
- 3.
- The wild rubber purchasing plan proposed by the Board of Economic Warfare.
- 4.
- Final terms for the lease of land at Bassa Point for the Socony Vacuum bulk storage.
- 5.
- The constitution of a Liberian shipping board as proposed to the Liberian Consul General by Gilpatrick.33 See my letter of September 1 to Murray.34
- 6.
- The possibility of having representative of the War Shipping Administration assigned exclusively to Liberia to arrange for the expeditious shipment of rubber. WSA only has one man on this coast now and the work obviously required more. In my opinion there should be one for Freetown and Bathurst, one for Liberia and one for Accra.
- 7.
- I am more and more convinced of the desirability of having a special representative of the President assigned to the West Coast of Africa to coordinate with British representative Lord Swinton,35 our war effort in this area and our plans for post-war adjustments and I hope that McBride’s instructions will include trip on the coast to investigate the practicability of such an appointment.