File No. 822.5048/1.
The Secretary of State to
the American Minister.
No. 10.]
Department of State,
Washington,
September 8, 1913.
Sir: The Department encloses herewith, for
your information, a copy of a personal note from the British Ambassador
relating to the alleged traffic at Iquitos in slaves from the Napo river
region of Ecuador.
I am [etc.]
For the Secretary of State:
John E. Osborne.
[Inclosure.]
The British Ambassador
to the Secretary of State.
British Embassy,
Dublin, N, H.,
August 12, 1913.
Dear Mr. Secretary: Sir E. Grey desires me
to bring to your notice the following information which has just
reached him in regard to the alleged traffic [Page 524] at Iquitos of slaves from the Napo region of
Ecuador. You will recollect that a note on this subject was
addressed to me by Mr. Moore (No. 85) on July 21.
A copy of the despatch from His Majesty’s Chargé d’Affaires at Quito,
which was forwarded to you in my note No. 183 of July 5th, was also
sent to the British Consul at Iquitos, who was instructed to furnish
a report on the subject. The Consul has now replied that, as stated
by Mr. Jerome, some rubber hunters, mostly not Peruvians and working
independently, have brought about four hundred Indians through
Iquitos during the last two years. In the Consul’s opinion these
Indians are slaves inasmuch as they are practically the absolute
property of the rubber hunters; but they are not necessarily
ill-treated or unhappy. They are not sold to others but accompany
their owners. There is now on the lower Napo a party of one hundred
to one hundred and fifty Indians, owned by an Italian born in
Ecuador, which is expected to arrive at Iquitos about October. Our
Consul thinks that it should be possible to enforce regulations for
the prevention of such traffic, as all these parties pass through
Iquitos.
I venture to suggest that this information may be of use to the
United States Legation at Quito in connection with the report you
have called for on the subject.
I am [etc.]
