821.85/9–2347: Telegram
The Chargé in Colombia (Warner) to the Secretary of State
644. From the Ambassador. Foreign Minister8 called me this morning to discuss note 598, August 27,9 Department’s instruction 1273, August 20, concerning shipping discriminations in favor of Flota Mercante Gran Colombiana.
He referred to delicate position of Government as result of premature and inaccurate publicity concerning note. … inquired informally and in very friendly way if our Government would be willing to eliminate from note reference to provisions of United States code which to Colombian people would sound like a threat.
I told Minister I was under impression note already known to certain people in United States and that any effort to modify it now might lead to undesirable complications. He did not press point.
[Page 561]With reference to remainder of note he said he believed our objections to exemption of Flota from income and inheritance taxes not well taken but our objection to exemption from ports dues, etc., was well taken.
He thought whole matter of Law 10 might be handled in one of two ways, either by decision of Council of State declaring law invalid or by decreeing regulations which would remove discrimination.
I agreed solution one of these methods desirable. In reply to my inquiry he said he thought President might press Council of State for early decision on law.
Minister then said he considered Coffee Federation a private entity and our objection on that score therefore unfounded. I told him that after studying statutes of Federation and its contract with Government I could assure him our Government would not recede from its view that Federation is official entity.
I told him my Government wished Colombia to have healthy merchant marine as it wished Colombia to have healthy economy and that I would do everything appropriate and desirable to assist Colombia to these ends but it must be on basis of no discrimination. Discrimination would only hurt Colombia in long-run and make it impossible for our government to be of help. I added that in United States as in Colombia there were interests seeking quick victories and easy solutions and that when Colombia discriminated against United States it was giving support to forces in our country which would be willing to discriminate against Colombia and other countries. I said Colombia would be in bad way indeed if United States began to discriminate against it. Minister agreed and said it was in Colombia’s interest to settle this right away. He said I could inform my Government that matter would be settled in manner satisfactory to it. [Beaulac]