Permanent Mandates Commission > Communication from the Liberian Government

[Communicated to the Council and
to the Members of the League.]
Official No.: CB fSO- M* 27.1931. VI.
Geneva, January 10th, 1931.
LEAGUE OF NATIONS
INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY IN LIBERIA
COMMUNICATION FROM THE LIBERIAN GOVERNMENT,
DATED JANUARY 9th, 1931.
Note by the Secretary-General:
1 he Sect etai y-General has the hono.ui to communicate to the Council and Members of
the League a letter, dated January 9th, 1931, from the Permanent Delegate of the Liberian
Republic accredited to the League of Nations.
[Translation.]
Geneva, January 9th, 1931.
In continuation of my letter of December 15th last (LL.1072) J, which you circulated
with the report of the International Commission of Enquiry, I have the honour to inform
you that my Government, being desirous of giving evidence of its sincerity by definite acts
at the earliest possible moment, has instructed me to make the following declaration to you :
“The Government of the Liberian Republic accepts in principle the recommendations
made by. the International Commission of Enquiry in its Report on Slavery and . Forced
Labour in Liberia and adopts these recommendations as a basis for regulating any improve¬
ment which may be made in the social policy of the Republic, to the full extent of its resources.”
You will observe that my Government, again acting in the frank and loyal spirit in which
it set up the International Commission of Enquiry, is firmly resolved, so far as its resources
will permit, to adopt the recommendations of the Commission, although they are merely
recommendations and suggestions submitted for guidance which no Government could/legally
or politically, be compelled to accept, more particularly since the Convention for the Abolition
of Forced or Compulsory Labour, concluded in 1930, has not yet come into force.
I said “ so far as its resources will permit ”, because the Commission, in making its recom¬
mendations, seems to have ignored the world economic crisis which is particularly severe
in Liberia, and the very precarious financial position of the country.
I feel sure that, in view of this declaration, no Member of the League and no non-Member
State can now question my Government’s good faith and sincerity.
I would ask you to bring the foregoing as rapidly as possible to the knowledge of the
Members of the Council and of the League of Nations and publish it.
{Signed) Antoine Sottile,
Charge d’Affaires, Permanent Delegate of the
Liberian Republic to the League of Nations.
1 Note by the Secretariat: See document C. 658. M. 272. 1930. VI.