File No. 711.21/221.
Chargé Harrison to the Secretary of State.
Bogota , January 17, 1914, 7 p.m.
Article I of your December 19, 6 p.m, accepted.
Article II. The Minister for Foreign Affairs proposes the following modifications:
Section 1. Accepted.
Section 2. The first sentence to read: “Colombian merchant ships, whatever be their port of departure or destination, and the products of the soil, etc.” And after the word “payable” insert “by merchant ships of the United States of the same class and”; also, after the words “to entry in the Canal Zone” insert “islands and lands accessory thereto.”
Section 3. Accepted.
Section 4. After the word “interrupted” insert “or whenever it shall be necessary for any other reason to use the railway.”
Section 5. After the word “coal” insert “petroleum”; and for the word “ordinary” substitute the word “lowest.”
The Minister feels confident of obtaining the Commissioners’ approval of Article II thus modified. He hopes that after their acceptance of your draft for Article I it will be found possible to [Page 147] grant Colombia equal treatment in the use of the Canal and, especially, similar privileges for the Colombian merchant marine. He believes that this would greatly assuage Colombian feeling, create an identity of interest in the Panama Canal and preclude the desire for a Colombian canal.
If the word “lowest” is substituted for the word “ordinary” in section 5, I would respectfully suggest insertion of the word “similar” before the word “products.”
I venture to hope that in making reply the Department will, in the event of non-acceptance of the proposed modifications, again be willing to give reasons therefor.
If and when the time comes for the discussion of Articles III and IV, would you go above 25 millions? And would you concede a rectification of the boundary, the lines to run from the heights of Aspave direct to Cocalito?