139. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Liberia1

106. Deptel 99.2Embtel 129.3 Please deliver following personal message to Tubman from President Eisenhower (signed letter being pouched today):4

“January 27, 1956

“Dear Mr. President:

“Upon the return of the United States Delegation to your inaugural ceremonies, my personal representative, The Honorable Robert W. Upton, reported to me on his pleasant and profitable sojourn in your country, emphasizing the excellent impressions which he gained on Liberian progress under your wise leadership.5

“It is deeply gratifying to me to receive your friendly letters of January 66 and January 87 and particularly to have your assurances that the century-old ties of friendship between America and Liberia, the mutual democratic ideals for which our countries stand, and the economic program in which our Governments are engaged, are not to be bartered or sold for a new and false ideology. I am confident that, thanks to your understanding of international affairs and the motivations of certain governments, your intention to protect the Liberian people and nation from the insidious aims of Communism will enable you to remain firm in your resolve to resist the pressures to these ends now being brought to bear upon your Government.

“Please accept again my heartfelt wishes for your good health and success as you enter upon a new term of office and for the happiness and prosperity of the Liberian people.

“Sincerely, Dwight D. Eisenhower

President has expressly avoided mention exchange diplomatic representatives Liberia and USSR because possible release any time to public of letter with this phrase could result in Soviet propaganda advantage. However when delivering message you should satisfy yourself Tubman clearly understands that matter of exchange diplomatic representatives uppermost in President’s mind when he refers to [Page 397] Tubman’s resisting pressures now being brought to bear on Liberian Government. (As for other USSR pressures you will recall Tubman in January 6 letter stated unequivocally Liberian Government would “not accept economic aid of any kind from the Soviet Union.”)

While letter bears no security classification, Department feels you should indicate to Tubman the President’s message is of personal and confidential nature. Department assumes Tubman has no intention releasing it or his own two letters for publication.

Re last paragraph your 129 you may if you feel necessary or desirable express gratification Tubman’s assurances to you Liberian Legislature will not take action this year on Soviet proposal for exchange. Department did not however believe such statement should be included in President’s reply lest this encourage Tubman to conclude 1) U.S. considered Liberian-USSR diplomatic exchange as problem of short term or transitory nature, and hence 2) if Tubman succeeds in preventing present session Legislature from taking favorable action, further resistance to USSR pressure this end should not be expected of him.

Department feels, on contrary, that USSR will not be put off by hints, delays or Legislative inaction and that task ahead of Tubman in resisting USSR may well prove to be of long haul nature.

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 776.11/1–2756. Secret. Repeated to Moscow.
  2. See footnote 3, supra.
  3. Supra.
  4. When Ambassador Jones delivered the message on February 9, Tubman said he would remain firm in resisting Soviet pressures. (Despatch 294 from Monrovia, April 3; Department of State, Central Files, 661.76/4–356)
  5. The report of the U.S. inaugural delegation, dated January 11, is not printed. (Ibid., 776.11/1–1156)
  6. President Tubman’s January 6 letter, delivered to the Department of State by the Liberian Chargé on January 13, conveyed assurances of Liberia’s “faithful adherence to democracy” and intention not to accept Soviet economic aid. (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File)
  7. See Document 137.