701.2111/292
The Colombian Minister (López Pumarejo) to the Secretary of State
Mr. Secretary: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency’s kind note of the 9th of the current month, in which you are good enough to reply to mine of the 4th numbered 919.
Your Excellency is good enough, in the note which I am answering, to express to me your regret at the violation of the immunity of my Legation, and relate the steps taken by Your Excellency with the Assistant Attorney General to clear up the facts and adopt appropriate measures to prevent them. Your Excellency adds that you expressed to the said official your surprise and regret at the occurrence, and you communicate to me also the explanations and satisfactions given by the Attorney General to you in a note of the 8th instant, the pertinent part of which you transcribe, in addition to sending me a copy of the said note.
[Page 371]Your Excellency refers to the offer made by the Department of Justice to turn the accused, Mr. … over to the Legation to reestablish the status quo ante, which was done on the 8th, and you also express the confidence you have that the measures taken by the Department of Justice will tend to prevent the repetition of similar incidents.
Lastly, Your Excellency is good enough to express to me your deep regret for the violation of the immunity of this Legation and for the consequent vexations caused me, expressing also the disquietude caused you by the occurrence of this incident, in the midst of the cordial and friendly relations firmly established between our two countries, and the hope that it might be considered as a manifestation of excessive zeal on the part of subordinate employees and never as an act of disrespect for the dignity and immunity of the Legation.
The steps taken by Your Excellency to establish the facts brought to your knowledge in my note No. 919 dated the 4th instant, the explanations given by the Department of Justice to me personally by the Assistant Attorney General and to Your Excellency directly by the Attorney General; the assurance that you have in the efficacy of the measures taken by the Department of Justice to prevent the repetition of similar occurrences, and the sincere manifestations of regret that Your Excellency makes to me in a manner so cordial and in harmony with the principle of mutual respect for our reciprocal interests, for the cordial relations existing between our two countries and the high degree of cooperation and friendship governing them, are received and accepted by me and by my Government with the most complete satisfaction.
Your Excellency’s very satisfactory explanations having been received, I can assure you that this deplorable incident will in no way affect the course of the increasing development of the cordial relations between our two countries, which being based on the principles already established, are destined to be a source of great benefits for them and for the American community.
I desire to express to Your Excellency my very sincere thanks for your friendly interest in this matter, and to renew to you at the same time the assurances of my most distinguished consideration.