711.21/646
The Secretary of State to the Colombian Minister (Urueta)
Sir: I have received your note of September 27, referring to the Resolution incorporated by the Senate of the United States in its Ratification of April 20, 1921, of the Treaty of April 6, 1914, between the United States and the Republic of Colombia, which reads as follows:
[Here follows the text of the resolution quoted in the Minister’s note supra, and a paraphrase of the note.]
In reply, I take pleasure in advising you that this Government understands the Senate Resolution, above mentioned, to mean that [Page 641] the Republic of Colombia would not have the right of passage, free of tolls, for its troops, materials of war and ships of war, in any case of war between Colombia and some other country. The effect of that would be to place the Republic of Colombia, when at war with another country, on the same footing as any other nation under similar conditions, as provided in the Hay–Pauncefote Treaty concluded in 1901. The Republic of Colombia will not, therefore, by operation of the declaration of the Senate of the United States, above quoted, be placed under any disadvantage as compared with the other belligerent or belligerents, in the Panama Canal, in case of war between Colombia and some other nation or nations.8
Accept [etc.]
- By telegram no. 29, of Oct. 4, 6 p.m., the Minister in Colombia was instructed to inform the Colombian Minister for Foreign Affairs of this interpretation of the Senate Resolution (file no. 711.21/643).↩