811.822/64
The Minister in Colombia (Philip) to the Secretary of
State
Bogotá, September 17,
1919.
[Received October
9.]
No. 144
Sir: With reference to my cable message of
September 12:11 a.m. I have the honor to transmit herewith copy and
translation of a note
[Page 799]
from
the Colombian Minister for Foreign Affairs, dated the 13th instant,
relative to an official report received by the Ministry of
Government to the effect that light towers have been installed on
the cays known as Roncador, Quita Sueño and Serranilla and which
belong to the Republic of Colombia.
[Here follows summary of the enclosed note.]
In my conversation with the Foreign Minister on the subject he called
my attention to the press notices in regard to it. I said that I was
in entire ignorance of any such action having been taken and felt
very confident that the work had not been undertaken at the
instigation of the Government of the United States unless some
misunderstanding may have existed as to the ownership of the rocks
in question.
The opposition press is using this report as one of its points of
attack against President Suarez as well as against the policy of the
United States towards Colombia.
It is very regrettable that the incident has arisen at this juncture
and I very much hope to receive from the Department such information
as will have the effect of allaying all cause for criticism here in
regard to it.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure—Translation]
The Colombian Minister of Foreign
Affairs (Holguin y Caro) to
the American Minister (Philip)
Bogotá, September 13,
1919.
Mr. Minister: By official
communications which have reached the Ministry of Government and
which have been transmitted to the Foreign Office the Government
has learned, not without surprise, that some light towers have
been installed in the Cays of Roncador, Quita Sueño and
Serranilla, which belong to the territorial domain of
Colombia.
Under date of March 1st last, Your Excellency addressed himself
to this Ministry in order to solicit for your Government a
permit for the instalation of light towers in the islands of
Providencia and Courtown. Nothing was said at that time about
the existence of light towers or the proposal to establish them
on the Cays above mentioned. The Government of Colombia brought
to the attention of Your Excellency’s Government several years
ago the titles which make good its right to proprietorship over
the Cays, as can be seen
[Page 800]
in the lengthy note which the Chargé d’Affaires in
Washington, General Julio Rengifo, transmitted to the Department
of State under date of January 18, 1893.71
Previous [subsequent] to this note, Your
Excellency’s Government recognized explicitly the sovereignty of
Colombia over the Cays, for it supported through its Legation in
Bogota a request from the Government of Sweden that the
Government establish a light tower in those places.72 Upon transmitting this desire the Minister
of the United States employed the following words: “I am
instructed to advise Your Excellency that the Government of the
United States warmly seconds the idea of the Government of
Sweden and that it would be pleased to learn that the erection
of that light tower which is of such great necessity has been
determined upon.”
In view of the above, my Government cannot explain the existence
of light towers on the Cays, without requesting its consent or
having given notice of that proposal; and therefore, I take the
liberty of calling Your Excellency’s attention to this matter in
order that Your Excellency may deign to seek information about
the origin and circumstances of a work carried out on territory
the proprietorship over which the Government of Colombia once
more sustains, thus leaving its rights there unimpaired.
I renew [etc.]
