Show protecting LIBERIA AMERICAN CRUISER A SECRET VISIT TO REPUBLIC new york dec 29 A to anc new york herald from washington says it developed today that the united states cruiser montgomery has been on a secret mission to liberia africa performed it is believed with a view to displaying the american ilae i waters and the location of a site tor an american coaling station on the liberian const while officials of the navy department maintain that the coulso was of an ordinary character it is signify cant that it has been kept a profound mystery up to tills time none of the vessels movements have been recorded in the daily bulletin published by the bureau ot navigation whilo dur aug her apparently prolonged stay at it was stated on several occasions that the vessel was simply cruising up and down the south african coast looking out for american li Is further regarded as significant blat the coulso in ll 11 waters was made at a time when reports were in circulation that cibat britain germany and italy had designs on the territory of the little and these were fco persistent bat secretary hay deemed it advisable to make inquiries of the powers named these inquiries resulted in as that none of the foreign gov contemplated interfering with liberian affairs the secrecy regarding alie movements was carried to buch an extent that it was not until late this afternoon that secretary long stated that after making inquiry of the bureau of navigation he had been in that the montgomery had vis bed monrovia the capital of liberia abad free town the capital of alie colony of sierra leone while at the former point commander J P merrill of the montgomery called upon alie american minister it is understood and met the and his cabinet it Is no eacret here that liberia lias long de sl cd an active american protectorate and has made representations which lead the authorities to understand that she desires the establishment of an american Amei ican coaling station on her shores believing that it will give her additional reason for from this government the reports which have been receiver at the navy department regarding ae liberian coast show it does not a satisfactory place for a coal station many years ago the unit el states possessed a coal pile at sierra laoue which point it la believed the montgomery also visited though simply for alio purpose of taking coald on board senator mason who lias a idler from an officer of the montgomery states that he proposes to introduce a lebo lulion calling upon the of cabe navy to inform the senate eliy the montgomery was ordered to sierra leone and if the mission was in pursuance of any understanding with great Hrit ain in the representations made by soc carry hay he has given european pow to understand eliat the policy of 0 united states with respect to the li of liberia has not been naval officials decline to positively alien tho cay was in liberian waters intimating that she left tor the african coast about november 1 it is understood on the other hand that the cruiser arrived at fernambuco pernambuco albut october 14 and after coaling pro oded directly to freeport where she coaled and then went to monrovia ic buining to fernambuco pernambuco about november 1 and sailing tor rio on november 4 the vessel remained at rio until november 15 when she sailed for ayris where she arrived on december 1 and has been since there is no doubt that this government Is seriously contemplating the establishment of a coaling station on the west coast of africa and the observations made by commander merrill of the montgomery will be considered in connection with the decision reached |