721.23/1363
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (White)
The Colombian Minister and Señor Guzmán came in to see me. They left with me a copy of Doctor Maúrtua’s letter to Señor Varela as Chairman of the Permanent Commission of Washington. I told them that I would have copies made and return their copy to them as they said it was the only one they had. Copy is attached hereto.37
The Minister and Doctor Guzmán both said that they were very much alarmed by the delay of the Colombian Government in taking [Page 495] the Putumayo ports of Peru. They thought that Peru was stalling for time in order to improve its military position and that if these ports should be taken by Colombia, which they said could be done very readily and quickly, Peru would then be brought to terms.
I told both gentlemen that this was a matter which would have to be determined by the Colombian Government itself—that neither I nor this Government would make any recommendation whatsoever in the premises. I said that I had seen a report from Geneva which indicated that the League would wait a certain time for Peru’s answer and implied that if the answer did not come within a reasonable time the League would proceed to draw up its report on the situation. I said I presumed that the Colombian Government would take that phase of the matter into consideration in any decision which it might make.
- Not printed.↩