Minister Northcott
to the Secretary of State.
American Legation,
Bogota, May 13,
1910.
No. 81.]Sir: I have the honor to report that on
Wednesday last, May 11, while calling on the Colombian minister for
foreign affairs, in company with Secretary Frazier, the minister handed
me a note dated December 20, 1909, dealing with the tripartite treaties.
The minister stated at the time that he had held the note hoping that
something would come of his suggestion as to a plebiscite, but that he
now thought it best to deliver it.
Copy of note referred to and translation, together with my reply thereto,
are inclosed.
I have, etc.,
[Page 408]
[Inclosure
1—Translation.]
The Minister for Foreign
Affairs to Minister Northcott.
Foreign Office,
Bogota, December 20,
1909.
Mr. Minister: Referring to the esteemed
note which your excellency addressed to me on the 26th of October
last regarding the views of the Government of the United States upon
the treaties of January 9 last, it is my duty to allude to the
friendly sentiments which have suggested to the the Government of
Colombia the idea of omitting the treaties of Washington rather than
to ask of the Colombian Congress an approval which in all
probability would be refused.
The Government of Colombia does not consider it an opportune moment
to explain to your excellency the motives of the obligations
incurred in the treaties in behalf of this Republic, but in view of
the declarations made to the Cabinet in Washington from 1903 until
last year, in relation to the events which in 1903 determined the
independence of the Isthmus of Panama and of the solemn agreements
binding the two Republics, they (the Government of Colombia) believe
it necessary to state that the true purpose of these treaties is, in
their opinion, to define the legal relations which have arisen
between the three contracting parties as a result of the events
above referred to; that is to say, the monetary advances to
Colombia, stiplated in the treaties of the 9th of January, did not
have and can not have the character of favors but of compensation or
indemnity for acts which in their judgement, have inflicted
predudice and caused injury to their duly acquired rights.
Without reproducing at present the extensive and weighty arguments of
various kinds, with which Colombia has supported her demands before
the Government of the United States, I believe it nevertheless to be
my duty to remaind your excellency that the character which must be
given to negotiations through which an agreement may be reached upon
pending questions is not a matter of the first importance to the
Government of Colombia, so long as the honor and vital interests of
the contracting parties are not compromised.
In the meantime I beg your excellency will accept the manifestations
contained in this dispatch as an expression of the sincere desire
which animates the Government of Colombia to facilitate an agreement
which may satisfy every legitimate right and every consideration of
honor involved in the differences existing between the two
States.
[Inclosure
2—Translation.]
Minister Northcott to the Minister for
Foreign Affairs.
American Legation,
Bogota, May 12,
1910.
No. 41.]Your Excellency: I have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt of your excellency’s esteemed note of
December 20, 1909, which your excellency was good enough to hand to
me personally yesterday. In reply I beg to say that I have noted
your excellency’s sentiments in regard to the treaties of
Washington, and that I will duly transmit them to my Government.
I avail, etc.
