The_Open_Door_deel1

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line running parallel to the Atlantic Coast line o-f
the. RepuLlic and two (2) miles south of the first
rapids in the Loffa River, and on the north Ly a line
parallel to said last mentioned line and thirty (30)
miles north therefrom; (...) but excluding therefrom,
however, the exploitation lots heretofore selected
under the Liberian dining Concession of 79 45," (8)
The same Article II of the concession agreement states that:
"The Government warrants that within the above mentioned
Concession Areas no other concession or right of any kind
heretofore granted to any third party is now in effect
and agrees during the iesim hereof that none will be granted
to any third party and that it will defend and protect
the Concession Areas for the sole and exclusive use of
3.7. Goodrich." (9)
Should the company not have started the development of a minimum
of 10,000 acres (a Development Area) within five years of the
effective date of the Agreement, all rights would be cancelled and
the agreement terminated. Also, should no start have been made
with the development of at least 10,000 acres in each of the two
concessions areas within ten years after that date, the concession
area in which the required activities had not taken place would be
forfeited, provided that in each case the Government had given
notice to the company and BFG still had not commenced any of such
development within one year o¥ this notice.
Though this provision was certainly an improvement compared with
previous concession agreements with other (foreign) investors, the
proposals and suggestions of the cabinet members and other experts
who advised President Tubman during the negotiations for this
agreement with BFG were completely ignored. The Secretary of
Agriculture and Commerce proposed in this respect the substitution
of "five years" by "two years", and of "ten years" by
"five years" respectively, as had the Secretary of the Treasury,
the Secretary of State, and the Director of the Budget
Bureau. In both of these cases, the Assistant Secretary of State
had been in favour of a period of seven years, within which operations
would have to have started. It is noteworthy that the original
draft (of March 1954) did not contain a provision such as
the one year term (after the Government had sent notice) before
the rights in a concession area were definitely cancelled.
As it never started any activities in Grand Bassa county, BFG gave
up its rights in its concession area there. Though no proof could
be found that the Government ever gave notice to the company the
latter considers itself only entitled to a concession area of
300,000 acres in Montserrado/Grand Cape Mount counties (10). The
provision of Article II of the Concession Agreement, stating
that:
"B.7. Goodrich at any time hereafter may alter the Concession
Areas by substituting for any part Or all thereof
any other areas, or by including any additional a/teas not
originally included within the Concession Areas as de-