Office of the Historian

711.21/328a

The Secretary of State to President Wilson

Washington, July 31, 1915 .

My Dear Mr. President: I have been studying the proposed Colombian treaty,1 of which I have had a very superficial knowledge since Mr. Bryan handled the matter without discussing it with me. As a result I know very little of the objections raised by the Senate. Whatever they were they seem to have been effective thus far in preventing consent.

As I recall the press reports, one of the objections, of which much was made, was the so-called “apology” (expression of regret) by this Government; and another was that the amount to be paid to Colombia was considered excessive.

The first objection might possibly be removed by an expression of mutual regret instead of one by our Government alone. Perhaps it will not be thought politic to do this, but I am so anxious to see the treaty accepted by the Senate that any suggestion which would remove objections seems to me worthy of consideration. I append a tentative redraft of Article I in line with this suggestion.2

In view of the known opposition in this country to the amount to be paid to Colombia might not the consent of that government be obtained to reduce it? Would it be worth while to attempt to have that government agree to such reduction? I believe that in view of the present financial situation of this Government as a result of the European War, the objection as to amount will be stronger than before. I would suggest, therefore, that whatever the total sum may be, this objection would be weakened by amending the terms of payment in some manner such as the following:

(a)
Change method of payment of the indemnity in Article III. Instead of payment being made “within six months” the article to read “immediately upon the exchange of ratifications etc. the sum of five million dollars gold, U. S. money, and a similar sum on the same day of three successive years thereafter.” If necessary, this might be changed to four successive years; again making the total twenty-five millions.
(b)
To pay the indemnity not in U. S. gold but in Panama Canal Bonds.
(c)
Make the following a condition precedent to the payment of any indemnity; by stipulating that
(1)
the “material reparation” consist in the United States presenting Colombia with certain public works to be jointly agreed upon; such as the sanitation of Buenaventura and/or Cartagena; and/or the construction of a railway to link the capital with a port on the Pacific and/or the Atlantic; and/or a railway between Cucuta and Tamalamque; and/or a railway from Bogota to deep water on the Magdalena River; or
(2)
The indemnity to be paid to Colombia under United States supervision. An American Financial Advisor will be appointed who shall jointly approve and countersign drafts on the money which the United States will pay by installments into the Colombian Government’s account with some reputable Trust Company in the United States.

I am writing you at this time in regard to possible changes in the treaty because as you know I am sending Mr. Leland Harrison to Colombia . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Faithfully yours,

Robert Lansing
  1. For correspondence previously printed on this subject, see Foreign Relations, 1914, pp. 146 ff., ibid., 1915, pp. 259 ff., and later volumes.↩
  2. Not printed.↩