The_Open_Door_deel1

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In case of war or other emergency the Government had the right to
use the telegraph lines, telephone lines and wireless stations
outside of the lands selected, constructed and established by
Firestone . These lines of communication were exempt from all
taxation during the 99 year Hfe of the agreement, except in the
| case that they would be used by the company for general commercial
| purposes to serve others (the company however was not allowed to
s provide public utility or common carrier services, which activity
| it was expressly denied when granted the right to build and
^ operate a railroad or to use the highways and waterways, and the
•j right to construct and maintain telephone and telegraph lines and
wireless stations). The Government also reserved the right to
:i construct roads, highways, railroads, telephone and telegraph
i lines and other lines of communication through any and all
J plantations owned and operated by Firestone, but in such cases it
i would be obliged to pay the company all damage which would be
j caused to its property.
j The Government•'s rights to end or cancel the agreement were
j extremely limited: initially, i.e. immediately after the signing
j of -the contract, the Government had the .right to end the agreement
I should the Firestone Plantations Company have failed to notify the
! Government of its acceptance of the conditions of the agreement
•j within six months after its execution by the Government, or in
case the company would have failed to commence the selection of
I lands within one year thereafter* Once this had been done, the
i only way of cancellation of the agreement was in case the company
| would cease its operations for three consecutive years. Even in
I case of default by the company the Government's rights were
'i limited. In case of cancellation of the agreement, or at the
expiration of the term of the lease or of any extension thereof
! buildings and improvements erected by the Firestone company upon
j the lands selected - if not removed before the expiration or
; cancellation of the lease - would become Government property
J without any charge or condition. The company was not allowed to
sell, transfer, or otherwise assign the rights it had under this
agreement to any person, firm, group or trust without previously
| obtaining the written consent thereto of the Government. Important
:j to note is also that tribal lands were excluded from the operation
I of the agreement.
If any dispute were to arise from the agreement, the Firestone
company had the right to appoint one arbitrator out of a team of
•j three, the other two being nominated by the President of Liberia
: and the Supreme Court of Liberia respectively, while the
j Government agreed to arrange with the U.S. Department of State for
;' further arbitration if one of the parties would feel aggrieved at
I the decision taken by the three arbitrators (19).
| j Harvey S. Firestone who fought against the Stevenson Plan because
a restrictive arrangement was against his principles, signed
agreements with the Government of Liberia that gave him exclusive
I rights and that laid the basis for a situation which would become
j the archetype of neo-colonial exploitation. Through the Planting
; Agreement he acquired virtually unlimited rights over an area