611.2131/287

Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Latin American Affairs (Wilson)

Dr. González-Fernández, Chargé d’Affaires of Colombia, being ill, I asked Mr. Sáenz, Commercial Attaché of the Legation, to come to see me. I said to him that I wished to keep the Legation informed of everything pertaining to the pending trade agreement, and I therefore wished to advise him that last night we had cabled our Chargé d’Affaires in Bogotá of our interest in receiving an early reply from the Colombian Government to the proposals contained in our note of last December to the Colombian Legation. I said that we appreciated [Page 434] fully that recent events in Bogotá had made it difficult for the Colombian authorities to study our proposals. Time was very important, however, as we hoped to sign an agreement with Brazil within the next few days and we would therefore greatly appreciate receiving as soon as possible any suggestions or modifications which the Colombian Government might wish to present. I said we were prepared to give the most sympathetic consideration to such suggestions. I explained that, as Doctor Sáenz knew, it had been necessary to make one or two changes of substance in the new proposals as compared with the agreement signed in December 1933, in order to bring the proposed agreement within the limits of the authority granted the Executive under the Trade Agreements Act; I said that, subject to such necessary changes, we would be prepared, if the Colombian Government so desired, to restore as nearly as might be possible the phraseology used in the agreement of December 1933. In order, however, to give consideration to the Colombian views it was of course necessary that we should be informed as to their views, and we would therefore greatly appreciate it if it were possible to expedite consideration of the matter. I added that we were prepared to send an expert to Bogotá to explain the technical reasons why certain changes had been proposed, if the Colombian Government felt this would expedite consideration of the matter and desired this be done. Dr. Sáenz said that his information indicated that his Government also desired to expedite action on the matter and that he had not heard of any reason why the proposals which we had recently made might not be accepted by Colombia. However, he would cable his Government of our interest in hearing something definite from the Colombian Government at the earliest possible moment.

Edwin C. Wilson