and become British subjects. Great emphasis was laid on the immediate necessity of restoring order, and the Consul General gave it as his opinion that the task would be altogether too great for the Liberian troops now stationed along the border. These number some two hundred and fifty men, who are under the command of Captain Hawkins, one of the American officers. It is admitted that he and his detachment have been and are doing good work, but the distracting activities of the commissioners among the natives have kept up such a turmoil that much of the good that Captain Hawkins could otherwise have accomplished has been nullified by their presence. The intimation was also dropped by the Consul General that the Sierra Leone Government was willing to use its police force to assist in the work of pacification, and from what was said one might readily infer that the next step would be to insist that the use of the Sierra Leone police force had actually become necessary. From the General Receiver I have learned that the Collector of Customs, A. D. Thomas, at Laingedue, an interior station on the Sierra Leone-Liberia boundary, was killed and the customs house looted by rebellious natives in the early part of September. This incident is also a reflex of the same boundary disorder. The delimitation of the Sierra Leone-Liberia boundary has been in progress since March of the current year and is now, I understand, practically completed. Mr. James G. B. Lee, an American of New York City, who has represented Liberia on the Delimitation Commission, has apparently given general satisfaction to the British and Liberian Governments by his work. There are a few undetermined questions remaining which are, I am informed, in process of adjustment. The presence of Mr. Lee on the boundary has been very helpful in preventing the native disorders from assuming far greater proportions. It seems that Captain Hawkins and Mr. Lee have both succeeded in inspiring respect for their personal worth on the part of the British officials with whom they have come in contact. More men of their kind could undoubtedly unravel for the Republic the muddle existing on the boundary. But I very much fear that there are no Liberians of this quality who are likely to become interior commissioners, while the Americans in the employ of the Government at this time are too few to admit of sending even one more officer from their number to the Sierra Leone frontier. The long-continued practice of sending weak, arbitrary, venal agents to the interior and boundaries to perform the functions of Government for their superiors, who remain constantly at Monrovia playing petty politics, will have to cease or disaster will overtake the Government. Just what the Government will do to rectify conditions that have brought about the present revolt along the Liberian side of the border, remains to be seen. Until now its efforts have been confined to talk. I have [etc.] RICHARD C. BUNDY. File No. 882.00/487. The Secretary of State to the American Chargé d'Affaires. No. 62.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 18, 1913. SIR: The Department has received your No. 134 of September 27, 1913, relative to the disturbances which exist among the native tribes occupying Liberian territory adjacent to the Sierra Leone-Liberia boundary, and in reply informs you that it is the hope of the Department that every earnest effort possible will be made by the Liberian Government to restore order in that region. The British Government has cooperated heartily with the Government of the United States throughout the long loan negotiations and it would be most regrettable should Liberia not be able to cope with the situation and force Great Britain to take drastic measures to ensure peace in its possessions along the Liberian frontier. I am [etc.] For the Secretary of State: TRANSFER OF THE DONOVAN TRUST FUND TO THE LIBERIAN GOVERNMENT BY THE AMERICAN COLONIZATION SOCIETY.1 File No. 882.42/2. The Secretary of State to the President of the American Colonization Society. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington June 27, 1911. SIR: I transmit herewith copy of a communication which has been received from Mr. Ernest Lyon, Liberian Consul General in this city, in which he states that he has been informed by you that there is $60,000 in the custody of the American Colonization Society belonging to the Government of Liberia and that in following out a resolution passed by the Society the President of Liberia has been requested to designate an officer of the Department to approve the account of your Society for the Donovan Fund, to receive the balance due, and give proper acquittance to the Society. The Department will be glad to be fully advised upon the subject of Mr. Lyon's letter in order that the matter may receive proper consideration. I am [etc.] [Inclosure.] P. C. KNOX. The Liberian Consul General to the Secretary of State. LIBERIAN CONSULATE GENERAL, SIR: By direction of the President of Liberia, I have the honor to inform your excellency that the President of the Colonization Society at Washington, See reference to this subject in the message of the President of Liberia, ante. D. C., has notified him that there is a balance of sixty thousand dollars in the custody of the Society belonging to Liberia, which he is ready to turn over to the proper authorities. The Colonization Society, unaware of the presence of a representative for Liberia at Washington, has by resolution requested the President of Liberia to “designate some officer of the United States Department to approve the account of the American Colonization Society for the Donovan Fund, to receive the balance due, and to give a proper acquittance to the Society." In compliance with the Society's request, I have been instructed by the Liberian Government to request your excellency to designate such an officer, to act in the manner suggested in said communication. The service of said officer and any other expenses arising therefrom will be a proper charge against the fund. I have been instructed further to sign all agreements with the State Department and the Society necessary to carry out their intention, in order to secure to Liberia the amount now due her. Dr. Johnson, the President of the Society, has informed me that he will be leaving the United States in a few days and will be absent for some months; therefore respectfully requests that action be taken before his departure. With the assurance of a favorable reply, I have [etc.] File No. 882.42/6 ERNEST LYON. The Liberian Consul General to the Secretary of State: LIBERIAN CONSULATE GENERAL, SIR: I have the honor to request that the inclosed, which are copies of original instructions now in my office, be filed with previous communications sent to the Department, touching the accrued Donovan Fund, now in the possession of the Washington Colonization Society, and for the settlement of which we have asked the State Department to lend us, or to designate, one of its accountants to audit the Society's accounts, in order that it may be given acquittance. I shall be glad to learn if the Department has favorably considered the request. I have [etc.] [Inclosure 1-Telegram.] ERNEST LYON. The General Superintendent of Public Instruction of Liberia to the Liberian Consul General at Baltimore, Maryland. MONROVIA, July 17, 1911. BARCLAY. Department Education authorises you agent Donovan Fund. [Inclosure 2.] The General Superintendent of Public Instruction of Liberia to the Liberian Consul General at Baltimore, Maryland. MONROVIA, July 24, 1911. SIR: Confirming my telegram of the 17th instant I have the honor to hereby appoint you agent of the Department of Education with full power to conclude all necessary arrangements with the American Colonization Society with reference to the Donovan Funds. I have [etc.] [BARCLAY.] Acknowledged Oct. 7, 1911, by the Acting Secretary of State, Mr. Adee. File No. 882.42/6. File No. 882.42/9. The Acting Secretary of State to the President of the American Colonization Society. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. Washington, October 7, 1911. SIR: Your attention is invited to the Department's letter of June 27 last, enclosing copy of one received from Mr. Ernest Lyon, the Liberian Consul General at Baltimore, relative to the payment to the Liberian Government of the accrued Donovan Fund, for the purpose of which the Department has been asked to designate an official to approve the Society's accounts, to receive the balance due, amounting to about $60,000, and to give the Society proper acquittance. No reply has been received by the Department to this letter of June 27, 1911. From the files of the Department it appears that on February 20, 1909, you wrote to Mr. Robert Bacon, then Secretary of State, to the effect that the American Colonization Society had approximately $22.000 which was available for educational purposes of the public schools of Liberia, and an annual income of about $3,500 which, under certain conditions, might also become available for the same purpose. To insure this money being applied to the specific purpose mentioned by you, it was suggested by you that the funds be received by the Department and by it transmitted to the American Minister at Monrovia subject to the order of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of Liberia to be expended solely for educational purposes of the public schools and that in the event of doubt and misunderstanding arising in connection with the expenditure or disbursement of the moneys thus transmitted, all such questions should be submitted by the American Minister to a committee of three, composed of himself, the Secretary of State of Liberia, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Your proposal was referred to the Liberian Government through the American Minister at Monrovia who, in reply, forwarded to the Department copy of a note from the Liberian Minister for Foreign Affairs suggesting certain modifications to your proposition. It appears that a copy of this despatch from the American Minister at Monrovia, with its enclosure, was transmitted to you in a letter dated May 14, 1909, which was addressed to you at 1821 Jefferson Place, but that no reply has been received to that letter. The Department now transmits copy of a recent letter which has been received from Mr. Ernest Lyon enclosing copy of a telegram and a letter from the General Superintendent of Public Instruction of Liberia, appointing him agent of the Department of Education of that Republic with full power to conclude all necessary arrangements with the American Colonization Society with reference to the Donovan Fund. . I am [etc.] The letter of Sept. 27, 1911, printed ante. ALVEY A. ADEE. File No. 882.42/7. The President of Liberia to the Secretary of State. The Consul General of Liberia to the Secretary of State. LIBERIAN CONSULATE GENERAL, SIR: At the request of the American Colonization Society, Washington, D. C., I am instructed to leave with the State Department the duplicate of documents demanded by the Society necessary for the settlement of the Donovan Fund, which is now held for Liberian public education. I have [etc.] [Inclosure.] ERNEST LYON. To all to whom it may concern, but in particular to the Trustees of the Ameri can Colonization Society, Washington, D. C., United States of America: Know ye by these presents: That, Whereas Caroline Donovan, late of the City of Baltimore, State of Maryland, in the United States of America, deceased, by her last will and testament did give and bequeath unto the Republic of Liberia for the maintenance of public schools in Liberia, a legacy, the principal and interest accruing thereon amounting to the sum of sixty-five thousand five hundred and eleven dollars and eleven cents ($65,511.11) to be paid unto the said Republic of Liberia, said amount being in the hands of the American Colonization Society of Washington, D. C., United States of America, and, Whereas, the Government of Liberia has enacted a law creating a Board of Education (a copy of which law is hereto attached),' at the head of which board is the Honourable B. W. Payne, Secretary of Public Instruction, and which board is the custodian of all public school funds. Now therefore, know ye: That I, B. W. Payne, Secretary of Public Instruction of the Republic of Liberia, for myself and on behalf of the Board of Education, by the power vested in me by the vote of said board taken, have made, constituted and appointed, and by these presents do make, constitute and appoint the Honourable Charles B. Dunbar of the City of Monrovia, and Dr. Ernest Lyon, Consul General of the Republic of Liberia to the United States of America, our true and lawful attorneys, for me, and in behalf of the Board of Education, in our name and for our use and benefit, under the law governing the same, to ask, demand and receive of and from the American Colonization Society of Washington, D. C., United States of America, the legacy given and bequeathed unto the said Republie of Liberia by the said will of the said Caroline Donovan as aforesaid; and upon receipt thereof, or payment thereof to our attorneys, of the full amount as aforementioned with the interest accruing thereon, I do authorize them to approve the account, give the proper and full receipt and release for the money as they may see proper and fit to do so. 1 Not printed. 140322°-FR 1913-44 |