810.20 Defense/2581: Telegram
The Ambassador in Colombia (Lane)10 to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:47 p.m.]
574. For the Under Secretary. With reference to your letter of April 18,11 to Keith,12 I discussed with General Andrews and Admiral [Page 148] Van Hook,13 on April 21, the position of General Pablo López as Colombian liaison officer with the United States military authorities in the Canal Zone.
As the Department is aware, the problem at present is that General Andrews in the event of an emergency would wish to obtain immediate approval direct from General López for the immediate despatch of airplanes, troops or other craft to Colombian territory and, on the other hand, President Santos under the constitution cannot delegate authority to General López to give such permission. As the time element would be all important in the event of an anticipated attack on the Canal Zone or on Colombian territory, it would be impracticable from our point of view for General López to communicate with his Government in order to obtain authority for United States forces to enter Colombian territory on the request of the United States Commanding Officer in the Canal Zone. For obvious reasons, it would be impracticable to advise General López long in advance of the specific military or naval plans which we might contemplate in the event of a hypothetical enemy invasion.
After discussing the situation with the Military and Naval Attachés and with Lt. Colonel Hersum of the War Department, now temporarily in Bogotá, I recommend for the Department’s consideration the following procedure.
- 1.
- The United States military and naval authorities should draw up a general plain [plan] for submission to the Colombian Government which would embrace such general movements as might be contemplated in the event of an anticipated attack against the Canal Zone or Colombian territory, such as the flight of military and naval planes over Colombian territory, the landing of troops necessary to prevent hostile invasion of Colombia, the entry of vessels into Colombian waters and the right to follow enemy planes or naval craft into Colombian waters under the doctrine of hot pursuit. The foregoing is in harmony with the step which is envisaged in paragraph 2 of Ambassador Braden’s telegram number 242, of February 21, 5 p.m., to you and which apparently has not as yet been taken.
- 2.
- Once such a plan were formulated, it would be presented by the Embassy to the President of Colombia with the request that he authorize General López that, in the event of an emergency, United States military or naval forces might act in accordance with the general provisions of the plan adopted. It would be understood that, at the time of making the request as a result of an emergency, specific information would be immediately furnished to General López by the United States authorities in the Canal Zone regarding the number of planes, men, vessels, etc., and the exact destination and scope of the movement. Assurance would have to be given by the Embassy that military or naval steps along the foregoing lines would be [Page 149] taken only in the event of extreme danger to Colombia or Canal Zone territory, and that the operations would be withdrawn as soon as the danger had subsided.
I recommend that the Department discuss this situation with the War and Navy Departments with a view to issuing joint instructions this Embassy and to the Army and Navy commanders in the Canal Zone in order to insure complete understanding and agreement in the future. From what I was able to learn in the Canal Zone General López’ mission is under present conditions of little value to our military authorities unless he can act with authority in an emergency. It seems advisable therefore to regularize the situation at the earliest possible moment, especially in view of telegram received by the Military Attaché from General Andrews on April 27 requesting permission for two army planes to arrive here on April 29, with permission to make various reconnaissance flights in Colombia. Minister of War has informed Keith that these flights would be “inadvisable” at the present moment (probably due to forthcoming election). The Minister’s decision has been conveyed to General Andrews by the Military Attaché.