137. Telegram From the Embassy in Liberia to the Department of State1

109. Reference Deptel 89.2 Tubman sending following message Eisenhower; letter handed special Ambassador Upton his departure January 8.3

Verbatim text:

Monrovia January 8, 1956

Your Excellency: It is with a deep sense of gratitude that I extend to you my personal thanks and appreciation for the honors accorded to me and the Government of Liberia by Your Excellency and the Government of the United States upon my third inauguration as President of Liberia by the accreditation of a large delegation composed of high ranking civil and military officials, citizens of your great government, as well as a US Naval vessel.4

I have read in newspapers and listened in to radio broadcasts several comments and speculations concerning the presence in Liberia of the Soviet delegation attending the inauguration.

This is intended to assure you that the Liberian Government and people are not vacillating nor mercenary, and that the century old friendship that has subsisted between our two countries; the assistance and cooperation accorded to us by your government through the years in times of difficulty and stress; your government’s cooperation in entering into agreement with this government for economic and military aid together with the similitude between our frames and forms of government, ours patterned after yours, will not admit for any change whatever on our part at this, and I trust, at no future time.

Our patent regard for the agreement entered into between our two governments for economic assistance in our development programs cannot be bartered nor sold by any new traducing ideology and the visit of the Soviet delegation to Liberia seeking to effect arrangements for exchange of diplomatic representatives and economic assistance will have no effect on the Liberian Government’s attitude and policy.

We believe in the democratic way of life, we are a peace-loving people, a peace pursuing and peace exercising government and a stable one and will remain so.

I thought it necessary to send you this personal note to reassure you that the Liberian Government and people can never be made the subject of speculative artifice.

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With assurances of my highest esteem and personal best wishes, I remain

Sincerely yours, Tubman.

End verbatim text.

FYI since American delegation does not return Washington until January 12, Embassy request Department give special handling this cable until President receives message from Upton.

Jones
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 776.11/1–956. Secret. Priority.
  2. Telegram 89 to Monrovia, January 6, instructed Jones to tell Tubman that the United States was pleased that he had refused to exchange diplomatic representatives with the Soviets and appreciated his expressed satisfaction with U.S. assistance. (Ibid., 661.76/1–556)
  3. Upton delivered this letter to Eisenhower on January 12.
  4. USS N.K. Perry.