721.2315/85

The Minister in Venezuela ( McGoodwin ) to the Secretary of State

[Extract]
No. 1,839

Sir: Referring to the Department’s No. 490 of September 17, (file No. 721.2315/82), enclosing for my confidential information an extract from a despatch, No. 113 of August 8, 1919, from the American Minister at Bogotá and instructing me to use my good offices, orally and informally, with the Minister for Foreign Affairs with a view to securing a continuance of the negotiations for the settlement [Page 84] of all questions covered by the Convention of November 3, 1916 between the Governments of Venezuela and Colombia, in addition to those to be decided by the arbitration of the Government of Switzerland now pending in virtue of the provisions of that Treaty, I have the honor to report that Doctor Gil Borges, Minister for Foreign Affairs, several times has broached the subject of relations between Venezuela and Colombia and on all such occasions he has attempted to impress upon me that he is disposed, very earnestly, “to respond to the desire of General Gomez88 for a settlement of all matters mentioned in the Convention of November 3, 1915 [1916].” …

. . . . . . .

As to the proposed treaty of navigation and commerce, the Minister said that … Venezuela could not be expected to take up this subject until the boundaries of the two countries have been determined.

. . . . . . .

I have [etc.]

Preston McGoodwin
  1. Juan Vicente Gomez, President of Venezuela.