821.6363/925
The Minister in Colombia (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 15.]
Sir: Referring to my recent reports concerning the new oil bill, and with special reference to my despatch No. 1695 of September 27,5a in which I reported that Dr. Olaya was considering calling Mr. Haskell of the Texas Oil Company to come to see him, I have the honor to report that Dr. Olaya summoned Mr. Haskell on the 2nd instant, and, in the presence of the Ministers of Government and Industries, had a two hour and a half conference with him; a conference which was followed by another two and a half hour conference yesterday and is to be succeeded by another similar one on Monday next. During a part of the first conference, Dr. Luis Felipe Latorre, attorney of the Unión Colombiana de Petróleos, was present. Although Dr. Olaya has not yet shown Haskell the bill, he has asked his opinion on all the main points involved, and especially on titles, royalties, taxes and pipe-lines; Haskell assures me that he has given them his views in full; he seems satisfied that he has made considerable progress.
(Along the lines of his revised policy of talking to American oil men on the bill, Olaya is seeing Mr. Dodson of the Andian National Corporation today at 12:30: Mr. Dodson, however, knows nothing of what Dr. Urueta and Mr. Metzger6 have already done about the bill.)
Respectfully yours,