821.51/891
The Minister in Colombia (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 1.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to my confidential despatch No. 2323,34 submitting a report on the relations of the United States with the Latin American republics, with particular reference to Colombia, and to invite attention to the fact that the best efforts of the Department of State and our diplomatic missions abroad may be almost nullified by prejudicial activities of American business concerns. I have in mind especially the recent action of the group of American bankers, which has had such an unfortunate effect on our interests here in general in Colombia. Without question, activities of this kind have played a great part in creating the undercurrent of hostility against us which exists in Latin America; and I do not believe that that hostility will cease until some way is found to have American business concerns understand that it is imperative for them to act towards the Governments and peoples south of the Río Grande in the same manner as they act towards people and concerns in the United States; and we are only deceiving ourselves if we pretend that the majority of American concerns act in these countries as they do at home.
Respectfully yours,
- Dated March 11, 1931; not printed.↩