711.21/930: Telegram
The Ambassador in Brazil (Caffery), Temporarily in Colombia, to the Secretary of State
[Received August 10—6 a.m.]
50. For the Under Secretary. President Santos in an informal conversation this afternoon made several interesting observations. (1) He could not have emphasized more strongly his desire for cooperation and understanding in all fields with us; (2) at the Lima Conference1 the Colombian delegation will go through the motions of supporting the plan for a league of American nations but as he informed the Dominican Special Ambassador today will not insist on its adoption. He himself realizes that the plan is not practicable at this time; (3) the British Minister here and Sir Thomas Hohler saw him today and urged him to ask for a British naval mission here. He parried their suggestion and will not accept it; it is his intention after waiting sufficient time for the matter to die down to ask for an American naval mission. He remarked that he hoped (and I was able to assure him our own policy coincided with his views) that an American naval mission would not encourage the sale of armament here. In this connection he mentioned the case of two Swiss missions here, one a communication mission which had unloaded more than a million dollars of worthless material on them; the second an aviation mission which had sold planes which had been acquired in France and had paid duties, et cetera; (4) he spoke of Japanese, German and Italian activities in this region and expressed a desire to pursue a policy along lines in that connection satisfactory to us; (5) he hopes to open in due time the question of raising his Legations at Washington and Rio de Janeiro to Embassies; (6) he would like to see a more practical development of the activities of the Pan-American Union; (7) he is opposed to the institution of a Pan-American Court of Justice; (8) he strongly desires to see more American capital enter the country and will welcome an expansion of American industrial activity in Colombia. [Page 463] However he hopes that American companies operating here will cooperate with him in an effort to raise the standard of living of the Colombian laborers and that the companies will realize that their own best interests reside in a sincere effort to understand the Colombian viewpoint and to assist in the Government’s efforts to increase the general prosperity of the nation; (9) he expressed gratification with the visit of American aviators here (who by the way conducted themselves with much decorum and dignity); (10) he emphasized his confidence in you and that [you?] will understand his general point of view.