702.6282/27: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Liberia (Hibbard)
189. Your 247, July 30, 4 p.m. We are dissatisfied with the situation resulting from the failure of President Barclay to invite the German Consul to leave Liberia. While the Consul may be under surveillance he is of course in Monrovia for a purpose and as long as he remains in Liberian territory he will be a potential menace to the safety of our installations and of Liberia itself. We should have thought that the protest he delivered to the Liberian Secretary of State on June 17 would have constituted sufficient evidence of the unfriendly intentions of the German Government and afforded ample pretext for President Barclay to request von Waldheim’s departure.67a
The War Department states that the forces now in Liberia or en route should be considered as having largely met President Barclay’s needs of protection, with the exception of the air equipment which is still to be supplied. It strongly concurs in the desirability of removing the danger presented by von Waldheim’s continued presence. Please do what you can to press this viewpoint upon President Barclay at every opportunity and endeavor to check in any way possible the efficacy of the surveillance and the manner in which the Consul may be able to transmit messages.