File No. 722.2315/597.
The American Minister to
Peru to the Secretary of
State.
No. 225.
American Legation,
Lima,
July 23, 1918.
Sir: I have the honor to report that upon the
receipt of the Department’s cablegram of July 11, concerning the
Ecuadorian boundary dispute, a paraphrase thereof was submitted to the
President and to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Shortly thereafter
the latter asked that I call at his office; and, after expressing his
Government’s appreciation of the Department’s attitude, he read the
enclosed memorandum, commenting as he proceeded. Copies have also been
given to the Brazilian Minister and Argentine Charge. I asked whether
the rescue soldiers had actually been withdrawn from the Morona, as the
memorandum implied. The Minister said that he could not state positively
that they had. I replied that the President had said that lie refused to
withdraw them at the behest of Ecuador because admitting the right to
demand it, but that he would do so if Ecuador would agree to arbitrate
the boundary dispute. My purpose was to ascertain whether Peru would be
unyielding [Page 1156] in this small
matter, a racial trait; but the Minister was not disposed to depart from
the last known expression of the President. The latter, as reported, has
denied himself to visitors for many days in the preparation of his
message to Congress, and I have no news of a change in the Peruvian
attitude as reported in recent cablegrams. As the enclosed memorandum
adds nothing thereto, I have not had it translated.
I have [etc.]
[Inclosure—Translation.]
memorandum.
The Government of Ecuador having protested to the Mediating Powers
against the maintenance of a Peruvian detachment sent to the Morona
River region for the purpose of rescuing the persons captured by the
savages following the massacres committed by the latter, and said
Powers having manifested a desire to secure a satisfactory solution
of this incident, the Peruvian Foreign Office hereby declares:
- 1.
- That the Peruvian Government duly and fully complied with
the suggestions of the mediators with respect to a reduction
of its military forces to a peace footing.
- 2.
- That the detachments which the Loreto Prefecture has kept
in the river region have been for the sole purpose of
maintaining internal order and affording security to persons
and property.
- 3.
- That on the Morona River internal quiet was threatened by
the attempt at colonization carried out by an European
enterprise to which the Ecuadorian Government granted a
concession of lands owned by Peru and occupied by Peruvian
inhabitants.
- 4.
- That the extermination by savages of a detachment of
settlers on the shores of the Morona not only justifies the
procedure of the Loreto Prefecture but also clearly
demonstrates the fact that the forces detached there were
still insufficient in number (about thirty men) to
accomplish the purpose of maintaining internal order as
announced above.
- 5.
- That, always deferring to the wishes of the Mediating
Powers and desiring to avoid any cause of obstruction of the
final settlement of the boundary dispute with Ecuador, the
Peruvian is ordering the Loreto Prefecture to keep on the
Morona River only mere police officers subject to the civil
authorities, charged with guarding civilized inhabitants of
that region from fresh attacks by the savage tribes,
preventing at the same time by their presence a repetition
there of events similar to those that occurred on the
Putumayo.
- 6.
- That it is the most earnest hope of the Peruvian
Government that the Mediating Powers may accomplish their
generous purposes by inducing the Government of Ecuador to
accept the recommendation, already unconditionally approved
by Peru, that the pending boundary controversy be left to
the decision of the Tribunal of The Hague.
Foreign Office,
Lima, July 15, 1913.
