721.23/1614: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain (Atherton)
80. Our Minister at Bogotá telegraphed the following:
(Here quote Telegram No. 46, April 21, 5 p.m., from Bogotá)
The “Lester Formula” referred to therein was proposed by the League Advisory Committee on Leticia and proved inacceptable to Colombia partly because it was not so worded as explicitly to confirm Colombian sovereignty over Leticia and partly because it did not specifically provide that the “international forces” to be employed by the League Commission should be Colombian forces.
The Department considers that this new Colombian proposal modifying the Lester Formula offers an eminently fair and reasonable solution and desires that you so inform the Foreign Office expressing the hope that the British Government will urge its acceptance at Geneva.