Office of the Historian

721.23/2153: Telegram

The Minister in Switzerland (Wilson) to the Secretary of State

Geneva, March 23, 1934—1 p.m.
[Received March 25—10:40 a.m.]

231. Department’s telegram No. 135, March 17, 1 p.m.

1.
The Secretariat has recently discussed the Leticia question both with Santos, the Colombian representative, and Najera, the Chairman of the Committee of Three. It is probable that the Advisory Committee will be called shortly to meet approximately at the time the Bureau of the Disarmament Conference5 is in session, that is to say on or about April 10 or 12.
2.
The Secretariat hopes that a definite settlement of the Leticia question may be arrived at by means of the Putumayo compromise [Page 329] mentioned in paragraph 4 of my telegram No. 230, March 4 [14?], 6 p.m. and that fact of the summoning of the Advisory Committee will contribute to this.
3.
With regard to the question of a prolongation of the Commission’s mandate the Secretariat seems not only to be opposed on general principles but fears that if proposed by Peru it would probably be refused by Colombia. This would start another strained situation. Thus the Secretariat is strengthened in its desire that some definite settlement of the whole matter may be arranged before the termination of the Commission’s mandate.
Wilson
  1. See vol. i, p. 1 ff.↩