§ 1. Mr. ORMSBY-GOREasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has communicated with the Government of the United States of America with regard to co-operating with the latter in ensuring administrative reforms in Liberia; whether the European personnel to be added to the administration of Liberia will be exclusively American or whether British officials with experience of African administration will also be eligible; and what machinery is to be set up to examine, as in the case of mandated territories, what progress is annually made in suppressing slavery in Liberia?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. Arthur Henderson)The answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the second and third parts, I am glad to be able to inform the right hon. Gentleman that the Council of the League of Nations, in response to a request by the Liberian Government for the administrative assistance of the League in carrying out 940 the reforms recommended by the Commission of Inquiry into Slavery and Forced Labour in Liberia, decided at its recent meeting to set up a committee to examine the manner in which that assistance could best be rendered. The United States Government are being invited to co-operate with the Council in this matter. It is hoped that the committee's report will be available for consideration at the next meeting of the Council.
§ Mr. ORMSBY-GORECan the right hon. Gentleman say anything about the last part of the question, as to whether any suggestion has been made that there should be an annual report in respect of Liberia to the League, as in the case of mandated territories?
§ Mr. HENDERSONThat is one of the subjects that can be taken up in the inquiry.