821.6363 Barco/116: Telegram
The Third Secretary of Legation in Colombia ( Matthews ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:45 p.m.]
For the personal and confidential information of the Chief of the Division of Latin-American Affairs.
I trust, under the existing unusual circumstances, that you will pardon this carefully considered personal message regarding the Barco case. From the last part of the Department’s telegram No. 33, July 3, 3 p.m., it is my understanding that the Department takes the position in effect that a denial of justice has already occurred, and that the matter cannot now justly be referred to the court. If this be the case, I feel strongly that the only action, if any, which would result from a delivery of the note quoted in the Department’s telegram No. 38, July 19, 6 p.m., would be to force the President to confirm the decree of expropriation; and make the situation vastly more difficult, with the matter then necessarily thrown into court for years with no decision. I feel certain that the President will not rescind the expropriation decree unless he is forced to do so by a strong definite demand to that end, especially in view of the present political attacks on his administration.