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  3. Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1932, The American Republics, Volume V
  4. Document 285

721.23/78: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Colombia (Caffery)

Washington, September 17, 1932—1 p.m.

39. Your 69, September 16, 2 p.m.9 Lozano yesterday showed White Olaya’s draft note which Olaya was contemplating sending to the Presidents of the other American countries that signed the August 3 declaration. White advised against this saying that the telegram from Olaya to the Presidents of the other American Republics would undoubtedly become public and might well create an incident whereas his endeavors should be to avoid an incident. It was suggested that the best way to approach the matter would be to have the Colombian Legations abroad discuss the matter frankly, informally and discreetly with the Foreign Ministers of the other American countries and endeavor to see whether they would not instruct their diplomatic representatives in Lima to make representations to the Peruvian Government in the same sense as Dearing has been doing.

Today Lozano said that Olaya thought it preferable that the message be sent only to the Presidents of the United States and Brazil and he was told that this would be a great mistake. For instance, if the message came that way to the President of the United States, about all he could reply would be that this was a matter between Colombia and Peru; that he regretted that they were having difficulties, and that he hoped they would find a peaceful solution thereto.

Lozano was told that there was no reason why the United States should be singled out as the only one to protest and maintain the doctrine of August 3 nor of picking out only the United States and [Page 280] Brazil. The United States is willing to do its part but it should not be asked to carry the whole burden alone and therefore it would seem to be very much more effective and less likely to cause resentment in Peru, which would react unfavorably to the Colombian objectives, if as many as possible of these signers of the August 3 declaration would make some statement to the Peruvian Government in the sense in which Dearing has done.

Stimson
  1. Not printed.↩