721.23/670: Telegram
The Minister in Colombia ( Caffery ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:50 p.m.]
8. My January 7, 5 p.m. To avoid misunderstanding Olaya telegraphed Colombian Legation at Rio de Janeiro last night (forwarding copy air mail) summary formula agreed to:
- 1.
- Leticia territory to be turned over to Brazilian delegate who will within 20 days turn it over to Colombian authorities;
- 2.
- Following this a conference to meet at Rio de Janeiro with Brazilian Minister for Foreign Affairs18 as Honorary President “to study the possibility of reaching an agreement establishing the tranquillity of the Amazon regions on solid bases”. Representation of Ecuador at conference acceptable to Colombia if Peru agrees.
Olaya adds:
“We offer to attend this conference with a sincerely open and conciliatory spirit and with the belief that there is sufficient basis for reaching an agreement taking into consideration not only the territorial but also the economic and commercial aspects of the question. The foregoing does not mean that we refuse to examine the possibility and advisability of changes by freely discussed compensations, but we must make it clear and definite that we consider the boundary treaty to be the legal bond between Colombia and Peru and that the revision of the treaty is not a necessary element of and even less the basis for the formula.”
Reports from Colombian Legation, Santiago, state that Cruchaga19 is resuming efforts at conciliation. Olaya has informed Colombian Legations at Santiago and Rio de Janeiro that he is not interested in Cruchaga’s intervention.