711.21/929½
The Under Secretary of State (Welles) to President Roosevelt1
My Dear Mr. President: The Minister of Colombia came to see me this morning with a confidential message from the President of Colombia. President Lopez wants us to know that about ten days or two weeks ago a Japanese mission visited Bogotá ostensibly for the purpose of furthering trade between Japan and Colombia. The President is informed, however, that during the course of the visit of this Japanese mission the members thereof were in close touch with certain German nationals in Colombia, particularly with those who reside on the Colombian coast between Cartagena and the Panamanian boundary as well as in Buenaventura on the Pacific coast. Dr. Lopez states that he has these German nationals now under surveillance. The suggestion was made that because of the Far Eastern situation, this Government might care to discuss with the Colombian Government certain matters of common interest to the two Governments, namely, the surveillance of portions of the coast of Colombia adjacent to the Republic of Panama and certain measures in which both Governments might cooperate regarding the surveillance of waters adjacent to the Canal.
I told the Minister that I was highly appreciative of this suggestion and that I would convey it to you. I inquired of the Minister the methods which his Government would consider the most appropriate for the purpose of carrying on such conversations should they be deemed desirable. I further asked the Minister whether his Government would prefer having a representative of the Navy Department take a trip to Bogotá or whether it would prefer having some representative of his Government come to Washington in order to take the matter up here. He told me that he would consult confidentially with his brother, the President, and let me know if they had any preference in the matter.
[Page 439]It would seem to me that a step of this kind could do no harm and might in fact prove advantageous. Will you let me know what your wishes may be so that I may inform the Minister accordingly. I, of course, took the precaution of telling him that we must consider our conversations strictly confidential, and he told me that no one except his brother, the President, knew anything about the matter.
Believe me
Faithfully yours,
- Photostatic copy obtained from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, Hyde Park, N. Y.↩