721.23/1610
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Phillips)
The Peruvian Ambassador left with me the accompanying memorandum58 and referred in particular to the last paragraph thereof to the effect that “any friendly suggestion to the Colombian Government would be appreciated.” He indicated that that language means the desire of the Peruvian Government that this Government should intimate to Colombia the hope that the Government of Colombia would accept the League plan. The Ambassador described the difficulties of the situation in the Amazon region, the dangers of having a Colombian force occupy that region on behalf of the League because of the fact that the population, which was largely Peruvian, could not understand the presence of Colombian soldiers, even though they were there under orders of the League, etc., etc.; he felt that President Olaya would need some friendly council, in order to overcome the political drive which might be made against him if he should decide to accept the League proposal. The Ambassador expressed the thought that, in the circumstances, probably the League would invite Brazil to send 50 soldiers into the Leticia region and he thought that, in view of the scarcity of the population, this hand-full of soldiers would be ample to keep the peace.
The Ambassador admitted that a backward step had been taken in this whole dispute and said that his Government was prepared now to take a forward step; he referred to the President’s use of the term “good neighbor,”59 the Secretary’s reference to “good neighbor” yesterday, and said that he hoped the United States would now use its influence as a good neighbor in an appeal to Colombia.