In return for the speedy accomplishment of these acts by the Liberian Legislature, which the Department understands is to adjourn within the next few days, the United States War Department has agreed to assist Liberia in the enlargement along modern lines of its main arterial road system, to an extent to be determined by consultation upon completion of the airport. Moreover, the War Department will undertake to turn over to Liberia without cost, after the termination of this assistance, a substantial amount of equipment for use in maintenance of the Liberian road system. It is believed that as a result of this offer Liberia would acquire a valuable extension of its highways of great benefit to the country as a whole. The undertaking by the War Department would of course be in addition to such other compensation as Pan American Airways is offering to the Liberian Government in return for the airport lease. Please bring this matter urgently to the attention of President Barclay and inform the Department by telegraph as to the results of your interview. You should also inform Seybold of the contents of this instruction. HULL 811.79682/29: Telegram The Minister in Liberia (Walton) to the Secretary of State MONROVIA, December 17, 1941-3 p. m. [Received December 18-9:46 a. m.] 127. Message sent me today from authoritative source at Cape Mount that German agents are watching Pan American Airways development where a considerable quantity of petroleum products are stored. A. Kirstein, who arrived from Germany on Vichy plane December 2, is known to be German agent and suspected of operating clandestine radio transmitter at Cape Mount. Kirstein, formerly a trader at Robertsport, had been in Germany for 1 year. He is in ill health and is said to be well to do. Any business he might transact at Cape Mount would be negligible. Kirstein brought a letter to Doctor Younge sent by latter's wife which indicates that Younge is somewhere in Africa although generally thought to be in Germany. Younge, former superintendent of hospital conducted by American Episcopal Church at Cape Mount, was also in charge of Liberian Government leper station overlooking Fisherman's Lake and is well acquainted with that area. The foregoing and other information regarding German activities in Fisherman's Lake area are grounds for justifiable apprehension concerning possible overt action against Pan American Airways project and I recommend that precautionary measures be taken immediately to forestall sabotage or surprise attack. WALTON 811.79682/29 : Telegram The Secretary of State to the Minister in Liberia (Walton) WASHINGTON, December 20, 1941-6 p. m. 85. Your 127, December 17, 3 p. m. You should discuss the contents of your 127, December 17, 3 p. m. with President Barclay at the earliest opportunity, pointing out the need of supervising the activities of the German agent in question. If the Liberian Government is not in a position to take proper measures in the circumstances, President Barclay might consider the possibility of bringing about his expulsion from Liberia or at least denying to him permission to reside in the Cape Mount area. HULL 811.79682/33: Telegram The Minister in Liberia (Walton) to the Secretary of State MONROVIA, December 22, 1941-2 p.m. [Received December 23-noon.] 131. Department's 84, December 17, 4 p. m.21 While in conference with President Barclay today he transmitted Pan American Airways contract for legislative approval by joint action of Senate and House. At today's conference, President Barclay made the following statement: "The offer made by the War Department to assist Liberia in the construction of an arterial road system will be accepted by the Liberian Government when formally made. In consideration of this offer the question of rent from Pan American Airways for lands on which air fields are established will be waived by the Liberian Government. There are, however, some questions which will arise if, as and when, as now appears, these proposed air fields will be used by the United States for military purposes. The strategic importance of the airfields being established in Liberia is not only recognized by the War Department but indeed is strongly emphasized in the message you were good enough to read to me. This fact gives force to the views advanced, in our last conference and gives point to my claim that the Liberian Government is by every reasonable consideration entitled to some substantial assistance should these air fields be put to military and probably belligerent uses by the Government of the United States. In such an event this country and its inhabitants without any doubt will be liable to retaliatory 21 Not printed. action by the enemies of the United States if, while nominally neutral, the Liberian Government should grant the United States the use of its territories for belligerent purposes. If again the Liberian Government should assume openly a belligerent status and range itself as it would without question do beside the United States and its Allies, the situation for Liberia would be equally if not more serious. Your Government naturally would defend the bases it establishes. It however will rest under no obligation unless it has expressedly and formally undertaken so to do, to protect and defend the whole of Liberia. It could not reasonably be expected to undertake this defense in the absence of any formal obligation. The duty of the Liberian Government to equip its self-defense is obligatory and unavoidable. Even should the United States Government formally undertake the obligation defending Liberia from enemy attack, it surely would expect the fullest cooperation of such forces as Liberia could mobilize for the purpose. Such cooperation would be as obligatory on Liberia as the duty self-defense. This possibility of attack inevitably requires preparations to meet it and would impose upon the Liberian Government the enlargement of its defensive forces, the training, arming, equipping, and subsisting them, the laying out of strategic roads and the increasing of communication facilities at a cost not at present within the unaided financial capacity of the Liberian Government. I shall appreciate it if you could impress the appropriate authorities at Washington with the importance to Liberia of a favorable consideration of this question of assistance in the circumstances mentioned above." 811.79682/34: Telegram WALTON The Minister in Liberia (Walton) to the Secretary of State MONROVIA, December 23, 1941-3 p. m. [Received December 23-12:42 p. m.] 133. Department's 85, December 20, 6 p. m. President Barclay and I have already discussed subject and Legislature will enact law enabling him to deal effectively with situation along lines suggested by Department. 882.20/537 WALTON Memorandum by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Villard) [WASHINGTON,] December 31, 1941. THE PROTECTION OF LIBERIA Under an arrangement with the War Department, Pan American Airways in July 1941 began the construction of an airport in Liberia to provide an alternate landing point in the ferrying of bombing planes across the South Atlantic to the British forces in the Near East. This airport, planned along the most modern lines and equipped with highspeed refueling equipment, was designed to be used instead of present African terminals at Bathurst and Freetown in the event that weather conditions or wartime reverses should make the two latter bases untenable. Being already extensively engaged in rubber-growing operations in Liberia, the Firestone Company was commissioned by Pan American Airways to undertake the construction of the airport at Harbel (about 40 miles from Monrovia) and the work has been proceeding on an emergency basis ever since. Although a tentative and secret approach was at first made to the President of Liberia in regard to the establishment of an American military or naval air base in that country, it was found that the purposes in mind could be served by negotiations then taking place for a commercial contract between Pan American Airways and the Liberian Government. The contract was signed on July 14, 1941, and while it has not yet been ratified by the Liberian Legislature, Pan American has already inaugurated a Clipper service linking Liberia with Brazil on the one hand and the Belgian Congo on the other. This service is carried on with seaplanes which land and take off at Fisherman Lake, some 55 miles from Monrovia. One of the uses to which it is being put today is to return to the United States the pilots and crews of the bombing planes being ferried across Africa to the Near East. After the new landing field at Harbel is completed, it is probable that the Clipper seaplanes will gradually be withdrawn from commercial use and stratosphere airliners introduced instead. These advanced stratosphere planes would land at the Harbel airport instead of on the water, in addition to which the bombing planes of the Ferry Command and a Pan American coastal shuttle service now operating between British possessions on the West Coast of Africa would make use of this important terminal. Owing to the interruption of communications via the Pacific, it is probable that all Pan American air traffic with the Far East will also shortly be routed through Liberia. It is obvious that the development of airplane facilities in Liberia is becoming a major factor in connection with the war, and is thus exposing Liberia to the possibility of attack by hostile powers. Such an important link in air communications as provided both by the seaplane base at Fisherman Lake and the landing field at Harbel is not likely to be overlooked by the enemy. It is therefore logical to expect that an attempt may be made to destroy or damage both land and sea bases and their equipment, as well as to inflict injury on Liberia itself for assisting the Allied war effort in this manner. Another consideration is the fact that Liberia is now producing 10,000 tons of rubber per annum, all of which comes to the United States and enters into our defense materials. The American firm producing the rubber has extensive buildings, a large American personnel and considerable rubber-growing equipment. It also maintains a powerful radio station affording direct communication with its headquarters in Akron, Ohio, which would be of the greatest service to this Government in the event that other communications were cut. The Company's hydro-electric plant and its radio station are located close to the airport at present under construction and would be very vulnerable to air attack. As construction engineeers for Pan American Airways, the Company also has a great deal of valuable machinery engaged in operations connected with the planting and growing of the essential war material of rubber. The question urgently arises, in view of the vital strategic position now occupied by Liberia in the war and the likelihood that it will develop into a leading center for air operations, how the installations in that country are to be protected. With the approval of President Roosevelt, President Barclay of Liberia was informed in November 1941 that if the Pan American Airport were used as an alternate landing field in the ferrying of aircraft to the Near East, precautions would undoubtedly be taken to ensure the security of Liberia. It was also intimated that it might be desirable to station defensive forces in Liberian territory for that purpose. President Barclay was further informed that the protection of the United States Government would automatically be extended to Liberia during the course of the present war if the developments described above should take place, and officials of the War Department at that time stated orally that in the event of an impending Axis attack appropriate measures would be taken to defend Liberian territory. While no actual threat to Liberia has yet arisen, several instances may be cited to show that the possibility of hostile action may not be remote. On October 21, 1941 the American Minister at Monrovia pointed out the need of affording Liberia protection from possible invasion from Vichy-French territory along the southern Liberian border, where troop movements are rumored to have occurred. A short time previously, word had been received of the improvement and development of Vichy-French airports in French Guinea, not far from the Liberian border. Moreover, a German national has within the last two weeks returned to Cape Mount, near the seaplane base at Fisherman Lake, where he had been engaged in trade for many years; this individual has no known reason to be in Liberia at this time and he is in an excellent position to report upon or sabotage the Pan American Clipper base at Fisherman Lake. Owing to the extreme difficulty of landing supplies through the surf along the Liberian Coast, much time is consumed in such operations. Because of the danger they might incur in such an interval, |
