File No. 882.20. No. 10.] The Secretary of State to the American Minister. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, May 25, 1911. SIR: The Department has received your No. 10 (Diplomatic) of the 17th ultimo, in which you transmit copy of a note received by you from the Liberian Secretary of State reminding this Government of its intention to appoint United States Army officers for service on the Liberian Frontier Force and requesting that Lieutenant B. O. Davis, Military Attaché to the American Legation at Monrovia, be detailed for such service as senior officer, if not incompatible with the regulations of the Army. In reply you are informed that the matter will receive due consideration at the proper time. I am [etc.] File No. 882.20/2. P. C. KNOX. The American Minister to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Monrovia, January 10, 1912. The President of Liberia requests, if opportune, that United States Army officers be designated. Exigencies existing on English and French boundaries call for immediate action. File No. 882.20/2. The Secretary of State to the American Minister. [Telegram.] CRUM. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 10, 1912. War Department thinks, on account of climate, at least four officers necessary to rehabilitate border police. Has found four exnoncommissioned officers who are ready to undertake the work, provided they receive from Liberian Government commissions as follows: One major, one captain, two lieutenants, with salaries respectively of $2,500, $2,000, and $1,600 with housing. This must be definitely settled before their departure. Cable decision Govern Department's January 10. Liberian President submitted Department's proposition to Legislature and obtained its approval as to number of ex-noncommissioned officers for border police and amount of their respective salaries with housing. File No. 882.00/443. CRUM. The Acting Secretary of State to the American Minister. No. 21.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, February 13, 1912. SIR: The Department has received your dispatch No. 25 (Diplomatic Series) of the 5th instant,' in which you transmit copies of correspondence concerning the recent disturbances on the Sierra Leone-Liberian border, and suggest the necessity for an early reorganization of the Liberian Frontier Force. In reply you are informed that Captain Charles Young, Ninth Cavalry, United States Army, who has recently been designated as Military Attaché to your Legation, expects to leave for Monrovia as soon as the loan agreement is signed which, it is now anticipated, will be in the near future. The War Department has selected three ex-Army officers who also expect to leave shortly for Monrovia to take up their duties in connection with reorganizing the constabulary. I am [etc.] HUNTINGTON WILSON. File No. 882.20/5a. The Acting Secretary of State to the American Minister. [Telegram.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Ask that authority be cabled Consul General Lyon to sign, for Liberian Secretary of War, after consultation with this Department, temporary contracts for one year with former American Army officers, as follows: Major at two thousand dollars and two captains at sixteen hundred dollars each per annum. Salaries to commence when officers leave homes and to be paid by General Receiver. Actual traveling expenses and free quarters allowed. File No. 882.20/6. WILSON. The American Minister to the Secretary of State. [Telegram.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Department's March 7. Liberian Government requests Department to forward the following telegram to Consul General Lyon: You are hereby authorized to sign for Secretary of War temporary contracts for American Army officers. Consult State Department. Howard. CRUM. 1 See "Disturbances on the Sierra Leone-Liberia boundary," p. 652; the date above given is wrong; it should be January 8. File No. 882.20/6. The Acting Secretary of State to the Liberian Consul General at Baltimore, Md. The American Chargé d'Affaires to the Secretary of State. No. 54.] AMERICAN LEGATION, Monrovia, October 12, 1912. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith for the information of the Department copy of a report made by Major Charles Young, Military Attaché, on the present state of the Liberian Frontier Force. It is my belief that conditions in Liberia are becoming constantly more involved, and feeling that the Department ought to have the fullest and best information on every important factor entering into the situation, I have requested Major Young to make a report on the present state of the Liberian Frontier Force. His relation to the Frontier Force since coming to the country has given him ample opportunity to acquire full knowledge of its condition. His views, I thought, would be valuable to the Department. It was with this idea in mind that I asked for this report, a copy of which accompanies this dispatch. I am [etc.] · RICHARD C. BUNDY. [Inclosure-Extract.] The American Military Attaché to the American Minister. AMERICAN LEGATION, Monrovia, October 9, 1912. SIR: I have the honor, pursuant to your request, to make a report on the present state of the Liberian Frontier Force, the connection and doings of the American officers therewith, and their progress in its reorganization, as follows: These officers, three in number, arrived here May 1, 1912, and were given sleeping rooms in a furnished house by the President, and have taken their meals at my mess. The first week after their arrival they made an official call upon the Presi dent in company with the American Minister and myself. The next day a similar call was made upon the Secretary of War. To both the President and the Secretary of War these officers expressed their willingness to go immediately to work. But they were informed that their commissions would be first issued, and that they would thereafter be duly notified as to the pleasure of the Secretary of War in this regard. The Liberians, following the custom of all tropical peoples, are given to tedious delays. Accordingly the issue of the commissions to these officers was delayed until the end of the month, and thereafter nothing was given them to do until nearly two months later. Fortunately I had upon arrival laid out a course of study for them, which they took up and thus broke the tedium of waiting. In the month of June, pursuant to the request of the President and the Secretary of War, I drew up a plan for the complete rehabilitation of the Frontier Force, which force, upon all sides, was confessedly demoralized and the soldiers of that part of it which were at the camp and about town, their officers having lost complete control of them, were on the verge of mutiny. I found that they were neither fed nor paid. This nonpayment dates, for some of them, three years back. The money for their pay had been "jobbed " by the Interior Commissioners and their officers. Both the President and the Secretary of War were unable to tell the number of men, officers, or guns, or even the whereabouts of the forces. The Secretary of War frankly avowed that he was a preacher and knew nothing of his duties as Secretary of War, and that the portfolio had been thrust upon him. It would be thought that he would have welcomed someone to get the affairs of his office going for him, as he had only two assistants, neither of whom knew his duties as such. I volunteered my services to him upon this confession of his lack of knowledge of how to fit up his office and get things moving right. He seemed extremely glad of such proffer of my services, but aside from my rehabilitation scheme and making some tracings of frontiers and a model pay roll for him, he has delayed this office matter until this date. Although under the new scheme the Government would be saved money both in rations and clothing, there seems to be pressure being brought to bear somewhere to delay things and make the same "jobs" as of old with the resident foreign merchants in this regard. The noneffectiveness of the American loan agreement, a dislike of Americans, and the leaning toward the English on the part of many influential Liberians, all have contributed to the delay of things necessary to put this force fully on its feet, as I desire to see it. The commission of Colonel Lomax, as such in the force, has never been revoked. * Despite the instructions given by letter by the President to the Secretary of War to that effect, Major Ballard is only tacitly in command of the entire force, his instructions from the Secretary of War being that he was to assume charge of Camp Johnson and the troops there according to the scheme submitted. It should be here stated that the President of the Republic has shown every possible interest in the plan for rehabilitation of the force, and has lent all encouragement possible, so far as the exigencies of his position would permit. The failure of the American loan to go into effect has paralyzed his plans, and has had a depressing effect generally upon every project for the betterment of the country. Still they are waiting and hoping for the new receivership, and allowing the undertaking of everything not absolutely obligatory to delay from month to month. The American officers have received, all told, since coming into the Liberian service last March, less than $200 American gold each; and it must be borne in mind that Hving expenses are perhaps greater here than anywhere else in the world. Everything in the way of staple foodstuffs must be imported into the country; bread, butter, meat, sugar, coffee, tea, milk, sometimes even cabbage and potatoes. Add to this the fact that these officers have families in the United States, it can be felt how very discouraging are the circumstances under which they have had to work. They were, by terms of their contract, to be paid by the General Receiver, and what they have received has been through his kindness in making overtures to the Secretary of the Treasury. The trip of Captain Brown into the interior with Secretary Morris; the taking over, reenlistment and reorganization of the Frontier Force, and the training and bringing some order into it by Major Ballard, assisted by Captains Brown and Newton; the second trip of Captain Brown, in August, from Grand Bassa to the interior, under the most trying circumstances, and where he now is with 52 men; the replacing of the mutinous troops commanded by a worthless and disobedient officer at Cape Palmas by Captain Newton, with 100 men, in the month of September; the preparatory departure of Major Ballard for the different frontiers with 100 more, are some of the things accomplished by the American officers which mark the progress made in its reorganization. I submit that this is much, with soldiers that were not really such formerly, but, rather, a set of brigands under officers who were wholly without professional knowledge and who were alone bent on plundering the people. The force at present consists effectively of a battalion having three American officers (one major commanding and two captains commanding the companies), four Liberian lieutenants (of doubtful efficiency), and a rank and file of 354 enlisted men. There are about 400 Mauser carbines and a very little ammunition in the hands of the force at present. The force lacks much yet in the shape of getting it supplied from its regular staff departments conducted with system and according to business methods. It must have guns and ammunition, regular pay, food and clothing; it must have sufficient material for officers who have at least ability to read and write well, good bodies, good common sense, and good intentions. There is a dearth of men from whom to make such officers in the Republic. The old Liberian officers of the old force can not be trusted in it again for service, either on the frontiers or elsewhere. I believe the future officers must come from young men of perfect honesty and having the other qualities before mentioned. Again the separation of the military officers from the purely simple functions of commissioners is a thing that must be brought about right early. Such a dual position is altogether damaging to the Republic, in that it places too much authority in the hands of the same man and brings about the oppression of the tribesmen who are to-day the best asset to the Republic. These officer-commissioners have stolen from the natives their women and children, killed their men, purloined their food, ivory and other possessions; and have in general brought about all the dissensions and wars waged on the frontiers, together with the defection of the natives. The reforms needed in this regard will never and can never be brought about unless the United States undertakes it, and the loan agreement goes into effect. Pursuant to the spirit of my orders, my connection with the force has been that of helper and adviser. I have done everything short of taking actual com. mand of troops in aiding this reorganization. I can promise everything for it if the American loan agreement goes into operation. If the loan doesn't take place, I submit that but little can be hoped for either with respect to the force or anything else that looks to the betterment of things in the Republic. ** No man can lift himself by his own boot-straps, neither can a nation or people. Liberia must be essentially and materially aided, and that right early,, or we shall all be made ashamed, while the English, French, and Germans rejoice at our weakness and discomfiture. Roads must be built, the country explored and surveyed, and I can only see the United States charged with the direction of these things, if they are to be accomplished, for Liberia has not the means nor the men to do so. I am [etc.] CHARLES YOUNG, FINANCIAL AFFAIRS.-CONCLUSION OF THE REFUNDING LOAN OF 1912, TO REFUND THE REGISTERED EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL DEBT OF LIBERIA AS OF DECEMBER 31, 1910.-CONSTITUTION OF THE CUSTOMS RECEIVERSHIP.1 File No. 882.51/286. The Secretary of State to the American Minister. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 11, 1912. Disquieting rumors have reached New York bankers of continued deterioration of Liberian finances, concerning which a full and frank 1 Continued from For. Rel. 1911, pp. 342-347; see also the references in the of the President," ante, page xxii. Message |