721.23/912: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 30—1:45 p.m.]
30. Drummond has imparted to me informally the gist of a conversation with Santos67 and Calderón68 on January 28. It appears that Calderón had submitted to Drummond on his own responsibility and without consulting his Government certain “proposals” on which, in his opinion, a settlement of the controversy might be based (I can telegraph them if desired).
Drummond suggested, and the Colombian and Peruvian representatives fully concurred, that in view of the definite proposals now before the Peruvian Government, among them that of the United States of January 25, it would be advisable at present to abstain from further action here having the aspect of “negotiations”, thus allowing the governments which are intervening in the dispute sufficient time to develop their action particularly as it was felt that any new suggestions emanating from Geneva now might create confusion and result in a misunderstanding.
For the Department’s information, however, I submit the following two points brought out in the course of the conversation:
- (1)
- Santos said that he had “definite information that the Colombian Government could not accept to begin negotiations with Peru until the territory in dispute has been restored to the Colombian authorities”.
- (2)
- Apropos of a statement by Calderón expressing fear that the continued advance towards Leticia of the ships sent by Colombia would be considered by Peru as a method of pressure and therefore render the negotiations more difficult, Santos said that he had already telegraphed personally urging that the ships remain as far as possible where they were. He had made it clear, however, that this was his own suggestion and did not come from the League.