821.7961/1: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Colombia (Caffery)
11. The Department has been having conversations recently with the Colombian Minister to come to an agreement for an exchange of notes for reciprocal permission for aircraft of United States registry to fly in Colombia and for aircraft of Colombian registry to enter the Canal Zone.
The Colombian Minister is requesting authority from his Government to enter into the following agreement:
“With reference to the conversations which you have had recently with the Department of State regarding the facilities which aircraft of Colombian registry will enjoy in the Panama Canal Zone for commercial aviation service and, reciprocally, aircraft of United States registry in Colombia, I take pleasure in confirming, by means of the present note, the understanding at which we have arrived, to wit:
Commercial aircraft of Colombian registry will have permission to land on land or water in the Atlantic and Pacific ports of the Panama Canal Zone, fuel, service, and ship and discharge passengers, mail and cargo, subject to the regulations and provisions which are enclosed with the present note.
Reciprocally, commercial aircraft of United States registry will have permission to fly along the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts of Colombia and over the territory immediately adjacent thereto; to land on land or water, fuel, service, and ship and discharge passengers, mail and cargo, in the ports of Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Santa Marta on the Atlantic, and Buenaventura and Tumaco on the Pacific, subject to the regulations and provisions which will be enclosed in the reply to this note.
All aircraft must carry out the respective Governmental regulations of both countries.
If either of the two Governments decides to terminate the permission to which this agreement refers or to modify the regulations or provisions, it will give ninety days’ previous notice thereof to the other Government.
It is understood that the two Governments agree and will endeavor to give the greatest possible facilities to aircraft in international commercial communication service in order that they may land on [Page 880] land or water, fuel, and carry out the other services above mentioned with all desirable speed and efficacy.”
Please take this matter up with the appropriate authorities and endeavor to obtain their agreement as soon as possible.
[Paraphrase.] Post Office Department has called for bids for carrying mail from the Canal Zone to Chile. The bids will be opened February 28. Under the terms of the advertisement, bidders must show that they have authority to operate in the intervening countries. The Pan American Airways is already in a position to operate to the Panama Canal, and through its subsidiaries it can operate in Ecuador and Peru. It is necessary to obtain an agreement to operate in Colombia. If this is not reached before February 28, all bids will, of course, have to be rejected.
Inform Department of all developments. [End paraphrase.]