800.85/837: Telegram
The Ambassador in Colombia (Lane) to the Secretary of State
Bogotá, April 7, 1943—4
p.m.
[Received 6:52 p.m.]
[Received 6:52 p.m.]
616. Department’s A–600, April 2, regarding Italian tankers. In drafting the proposed alterations, I request that the following points be considered with reference to the objections raised in the War Shipping Administration’s letter of February 25 enclosed with the Department’s instruction No. 1107 of March 15:91
- 1.
- Paragraph third. Full information regarding the privileged debts referred to in this paragraph was sent to the Department with this Embassy’s despatch No. 1529 of January 30.91 For us now to demand from the Federation photostatic copies of the documents disputed [disputing] the nature and amount of these debts would in my opinion be resented, and I am strongly of the opinion that no such request should be made since it could give the impression that we doubted the Federation’s good faith.
- 2.
- Paragraph fourth. I trust that it will be possible to accept the provision in the draft requiring payment to the Federation within 5 days following the signature of the contract. The Department will recall that the original draft required that payment be made in New York on the date the contract was signed and that no objection was then raised by the administration.
Please telegraph the English text of the desired alterations.
Lane