File No. 882.00/443.
The American Minister to
the Secretary of State.1
No. 25.]
American Legation,
Monrovia,
January 8, 1912.
Sir: I have the honor to herewith transmit,
for the information of the Department, copies of the correspondence
bearing on an incident which took place on January 1, 1912, on the
Sierra Leone-Liberian border, in which it is alleged that the Liberian
Frontier Force was about to attack the town of Behlu in the neutral zone
along the frontier and was repulsed by British troops; four Liberians
being killed in the action.
Since the subject might become one of international importance, I have
thought it fitting to furnish the Department with this information.
In this connection I have to add that a general state of unrest is
acknowledged to exist along the Franco-Liberian border as well as the
Sierra Leone-Liberian border, and it is very doubtful whether the
[Page 653]
Liberian Frontier Force, under
the officers now having command, are able to effectively cope with the
situation.
The Liberian-British Commission which was sent out some two months ago to
actually delimitate the new Sierra Leone-Liberian frontier, incident to
the exchange of the Kanré-Lahun district,1 has been unable to leave Freetown, Sierra Leone, to
engage in the work delegated to it on account of the unsettled condition
of the frontier country.
The Liberian Government has intimated its readiness to request the
designation of the ex-United States Army officers by the President of
the United States, for the purpose of reorganizing the Liberian Frontier
Force, if in the opinion of the Department the time has arrived when
this can be appropriately done. Present conditions would seem to
indicate that there is pressing need for the reorganization of the
Liberian Frontier Force at as early a date as possible.
Any additional information which I may be able to obtain with reference
to conditions on the frontier I will transmit immediately to the
Department.
I am [etc.]
[Inclosure.]
The Liberian Secretary of
State to the American
Minister.
Department of State,
Monrovia,
January 5, 1912.
Dear Mr. Minister: By direction of His
Excellency the President, I have the honor to inclose herewith, for
the information of your Government at Washington, copies of the
correspondence between the Acting British Consul-General and the
Liberian Secretary of State touching certain recent incidents on the
Anglo-Liberian frontier as reported by the Government of Sierra
Leone.
The Liberian Government has not yet received a report from its agent
on the spot, but hope to communicate the same to you when it is
received.
I have [etc.]
[Subinclosure 1.]
The Acting British
Consul-General to the Liberian
Secretary of State.
British Consulate General,
Monrovia,
January 4, 1912.
Sir: I have the honor to inform your
excellency that I am just in receipt of a telegram from his
excellency the governor of Sierra Leone reporting that on the 1st
instant the Liberian troops attacked the town of Behlu, which is in
the neutral zone of the frontier. The attack was repulsed by British
troops, four Liberians being killed in action, and I beg to state
that I am urgently requested to approach you excellency’s Government
to take immediate steps to prevent further bloodshed and
encroachment by the Liberian troops in the neutral zone pending the
arrival of the boundary commissioners, who are expected to leave for
the frontier to-day.
I beg to point out that if the instructions dispatched by the
previous Liberian President, the Honorable Arthur Barclay, which he
assured me had been sent, had been received and faithfully carried
out by Colonel Lomax, in command of Liberian Frontier troops, and
Mr. Cooper, the Liberian Frontier Commissioner,
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this unfortunate encounter would in my
opinion never have taken place; and that after the serious troubles
and misunderstandings so recently reported from the Liberian-Sierra
Leone frontier wherein the names of Colonel Lomax and Mr. Cooper
figured so prominently through their arbitrary actions in the
neutral zone, these two Liberian officials plainly show to all
concerned that they do not comprehend the great importance of
keeping the peace during the operations of the boundary commission
in the delimitation of the boundary.
The seriousness of the boundary commission being again delayed in
their work under the deplorable circumstances mentioned may cause a
prolonged postponement of the delimitation of the Liberian-Sierra
Leone border, and would therefore beg to earnestly request your
excellency to urge the Liberian Government in their own interest to
take all possible preventive means against this happening.
I beg that your excellency will be good enough to furnish me with an
early reply to this communication so as to permit me to transmit the
same by cable to His Britannic Majesty’s Government of Sierra
Leone.
I have [etc.]
[Subinclosure 2]
The Liberian Secretary of
State to the Acting British Consul
General.
Department of State,
Monrovia,
January 5, 1912.
Sir: Your dispatch of yesterday, informing
me that you were just in receipt of a telegram from the Government
of Sierra Leone reporting that on the 1st instant the Liberian
troops attacked the town of Behlu, and that the attack was repulsed
by British troops, four Liberians being killed, has been laid by me
before His Excellency the President, who now directs me to say that
he exceedingly regrets the incident on the frontier between British
and Liberian troops as alleged by His Britannic Majesty’s Government
of Sierra Leone, as well as the delay which must necessarily attend
the work of the boundary commission in consequence thereof, and to
assure you that instructions will be immediately sent to the
Liberian officials on the frontier to observe most strictly the
terms of the provisional agreement entered into between the
Government of Sierra Leone and the Republic of Liberia in the month
of May last year pending the boundary delimitations.
I am further directed by His Excellency the President to say, that he
is most anxious to put forth every effort to facilitate the work of
the boundary commission, yet he can not permit the incident of the
killing of Liberian subjects by British troops within the neutral
zone on the frontier to pass without recording the solemn protest of
his Government against such actions on the part of the British
troops.
The President, however, hopes that these occurrences on the
Anglo-Liberian frontier will not in any way mar the most friendly
relations which so happily exist between the Sierra Leone and
Liberian Administrations at the present moment.
With assurances [etc.]
