721.2315/171: Telegram

The Ambassador in Peru ( Poindexter ) to the Secretary of State

6. Minister for Foreign Affairs Salomón promises to send instructions to Ambassador Velarde today with modifications changing the words “repeating at the same time its recommendation that it approve” to “allow to take its constitutional course in Congress”. Minister of Foreign Affairs stated further that even though the President should recommend to Congress the approval of the treaty [Page 448] as it stands Congress would refuse to do so. He stated there was great intensity of feeling against that portion of the treaty giving to Colombia the tract of land bounded by the Amazon on the south, the Amazon-Tabatinga line on the east, the Putumayo on the north and the line established by the pending boundary treaty on the west. He further states that if Colombia would agree to a modification of the treaty so as to leave this tract of land under Peruvian dominion and to fix instead the Putumayo River to the Tabatinga-Amazon line as the boundary between the two countries, the Peruvian Congress, he felt sure, would ratify the treaty within 15 days and that the Peruvian Executive Government would use all means in its power to bring that about. The Minister stated that he would cable Ambassador Velarde to call this suggestion to your consideration informally. He further stated that his latest advices from Brazil were to the effect that the latter country would not establish free navigation of the Amazon in favor of Colombia if the Peruvian-Colombian treaty should be ratified as it now stands, but that Brazil would agree to establish such free navigation in favor of Colombia if the modification in the treaty suggested above should be made. The Minister expressed the deep appreciation of the Peruvian Government for the friendly offices of the Secretary of State in attempting to bring about an agreement in this matter.

Poindexter