721.23/1614: Telegram
The Minister in Colombia (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:15 p.m.]
46. Colombian Government has telegraphed to Santos at Geneva formula together with two separate notes to be addressed to the League as proposed settlement of the Leticia controversy.
The President of the Advisory Committee of the League of Nations with a view to carrying out the recommendations approved by that body at its meeting of March 18 last in such a way as to preclude any incident tending to aggravate relations between the Republic of Colombia and Peru has submitted to the delegates of the two countries the following proposals which those delegates duly authorized by their respective Governments have accepted:
1st. As in Lester formula.60
2d. The Council shall proceed to the formation of a commission which should be in Leticia within a period of not more than 30 days. Upon its arrival the Peruvian forces now there shall immediately withdraw and the commission in the name and representation of the Government of Colombia shall take over the administration of the territory evacuated by those forces.
The commission shall use military forces of its own choosing to maintain order in the territory and may add such other elements as it may deem necessary;
3d. The commission shall have the right to decide any question concerning the execution of its mandate. The maximum period for the duration of the commission shall be one year;
4th. As in Lester formula;
5th. The Council of the League of Nations reminds the parties that it has declared its willingness to lend its good offices upon the request of one or the other of the parties in case of disagreement, either with regard to the procedure to be followed or with regard to any question of substance which may arise, and that the Council considers that it can not cease to concern itself with developments in the case;
6th. The Government of the Republic of Colombia will pay the expenses required in the operation of the commission and the administration of the territory referred to in the mandate conferred by it upon said commission;
7th. Consequent upon their acceptance of the foregoing proposals, the Governments of Colombia and Peru will issue the necessary instructions in order that every act of hostility shall cease on both sides.
Note 1.
The approval by the Government of Colombia of the foregoing formula requires as a basis the assurance which the Committee will [Page 521] give it that the military forces mentioned in clause 2 shall be Colombian forces only. This assurance shall not be made public for the time being.
Note 2.
In furtherance of clause 4, Colombia declares that it is disposed to enter with utmost diligence and the highest spirit of equity upon the discussions concerning problems now pending and the best way of finding a just, lasting and satisfactory solution for them on the basis of respect for treaties now in effect. Likewise it is disposed to examine all the legitimate interests of Peru and to consider with entire liberty the proposals which Peru may wish to make to it.