882.796/47
The Secretary of State to the British Chargé (Campbell)
The Secretary of State presents his compliments to the British Chargé d’Affaires ad interim and refers to the Embassy’s note no. 538 of August 20, 1943, stating that it is no longer necessary for Ensign land aircraft of the British Overseas Airways Corporation to use Roberts Field in Liberia as a refueling halt.
It is noted that the Embassy has expressed the hope that permission to use the refueling facilities at Roberts Field will remain in force if and when it should again be necessary for the British Overseas Airways Corporation to operate over the Liberian route. From a strictly military point of view, there appears to be no objection to this proposal. The agreement between the United States and Liberia, however, granting permission to the British Overseas Airways Corporation to use Roberts Field was made with the express understanding that the permission was strictly temporary and that it would in [Page 719] no way be considered a permanent right, and it appears appropriate therefore that the permission should be regarded as having been terminated. In the event that changed conditions should again make such use necessary in the prosecution of the war effort, this Government will receive sympathetically the advices of His Majesty’s Government to that effect, and will consider the possibility of obtaining a renewal of the permission on the same terms and conditions as previously.