710 Conference W and PW/1–3045: Telegram
The Ambassador in Colombia (Wiley) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 31—1:50 a.m.]
143. ReDeps circular telegram January 19, midnight. At the forthcoming conference in Mexico City I believe that the Colombian delegation will place before the conference proposals intended to give practical effect to the ideas contained in the Colombian memorandum of January 8 to the Pan American Union and the Colombian note of January 19 accepting the Mexican invitation. While I am not informed at this time as to whether or not the Colombian delegation will present draft resolutions on any of these points, it is probable that in one form or another the following specific proposals will be advanced:
- 1.
- Resolution providing for regular periodic meetings of Foreign Ministers of the American Republics, in addition to such special emergency meetings as may be deemed convenient.
- 2.
- Inter-American agreement regarding uniform bases for extending recognition to new governments, to avoid uncertainties and confusions which from time to time arise. (There is a strong tendency in Colombia to favor the Estrada doctrine).33
- 3.
- Strengthening of inter-American organization by creating a central body empowered at any time to discuss political and juridical questions, or by broadening the functions of the Pan American Union to enable it to consider such questions.
- 4.
- Desirability of reincorporating Argentina into the inter-American system to preserve hemispheric solidarity and increase effectiveness of inter-American participation in the proposed world organization.
In addition to the foregoing points which Colombia may be expected to introduce within the proposed agenda of the conference, the following specific matters may be taken up with the American delegation alone:
- 1.
- Increased allocation of urgently needed materials essential to Colombia’s economy, particularly trucks, tires, machinery, and agricultural equipment.
- 2.
- Purchase of rifles and other equipment for national police (reEmbstel 2063, December 23, 1944, 8 p.m.).34
- 3.
- Lend-lease matters including possibilities of obtaining additional military equipment for the army, with attention invited to what Colombia considers to be preponderantly heavy deliveries of lend-lease equipment to Peru.
- 4.
- Undoubtedly the coffee problem35 will be discussed, with particular reference to prices and inflation.
The foregoing represents merely our best conjectures regarding matters which may be of primary interest to the Colombian delegation. If specific information is subsequently received the Department will be promptly informed by telegraph.