882.7982/139: Telegram
The Chargé in Liberia (Hibbard) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 13—10:03 a.m.]
341. From McBride. Department’s 257, October 9, 8 [7] p.m. Hibbard and I had long talk with President Barclay this morning in his bedroom as he is laid up with gout.
1. Barclay is perfectly willing to start censorship, to appoint a chief censor and to accept one or two men from the United States to work under him as well as one or two Liberians. He insists, however, that this is only one of several emergency or war measures he has in mind and he would definitely prefer to initiate all of them at the same time. He feels that censorship as well as the other necessary steps should await some sort of statement clarifying Liberia’s position such as the declaration suggested in Legation’s 319, October 2, noon [1 p.m.], [Page 398] or something along that line. He again stated that if we thought it advisable he would sound out his elder statesmen on a declaration of war. He wants Liberia’s position to be made definite and her interests safeguarded.
We understand that the wide-open and really important leak has been Clipper mail from Natal to Lisbon via Fisherman Lake and Bolama which was not censored for our benefit at all. If that is now covered by censorship in Brazil what Liberia could do now is, as stated in Legation’s 327, October 6, 4 p.m. of less importance. There is no cable service from Liberia. Wireless messages in code from Liberian stations are already restricted to Allied Nations and Vichy, France, and are closely watched, messages from Harbel station are already censored on arrival at Akron. Air and other mail originating in Liberia is very light in volume and goes only to Britain and United States and other Allied territories, so far as we can ascertain.
For these reasons I feel that Barclay’s desires in the matter should be given consideration. [McBride.]