722.2315/1382: Telegram
The Ambassador in Peru (Norweb) to the Secretary of State5
[Received 4 p.m.]
11. Reference our 6, January 9, noon.6 During a conversation with the Foreign Minister7 last evening he confirmed the fact that the plane flights over Ecuadoran territory reported as Peruvian were carried out by a Lufthansa plane lent to SEDTA8 and on which the Peruvian insignia had not been completely erased. The authorities have fined Lufthansa 2,000 soles for infraction of the aviation regulations.
The Minister then commented upon the political difficulties in Quito and observed that Peru and Ecuador should make a contribution toward inter-American solidarity by some arrangement to settle the boundary controversy between themselves. He expressed the opinion that the matter is not one in the first instance for international [Page 214] action, and outlined a plan which he said he hoped to put into effect within a very few weeks. I stressed the importance of the time element and he agreed. He said that his first effort would be to endeavor to tranquilize and stabilize the border situation by creating an atmosphere of real friendship and confidence. His idea is that this can be done by means of treaties of friendship and commerce, exchange of students and professors, et cetera. He proposes as a first step a meeting between himself and the Ecuadoran Minister for Foreign Affairs possibly aboard a ship off the coast of Ecuador or Peru to discuss the whole matter in a friendly atmosphere and to develop the plan he has in mind.
- Repeated to the Ambassador in Brazil as Department’s No. 22, January 15, 9 p.m., with the following instruction: “Please communicate the substance of this message to Aranha for his confidential information. It seems to me that Aranha may wish to consider facilitating the initiative discussed by Dr. Solf.”↩
- Not printed.↩
- Alfredo Solf y Muro.↩
- Sociedad Ecuatoriana de Transportes Aéreos.↩