Editorial Note
On December 1, 1950, at 4:30 p. m., Mr. Michael J. McDermott, Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Press Relations, made this statement orally:
“Edward G. Miller, Jr., Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs, received the Colombian and Peruvian Ambassadors today to discuss the tensions prevailing between those two countries, arising out of the asylum which has been granted in the Embassy of Colombia at Lima to Victor Raúl Haya de la Torre, leader of the now outlawed APRA party in Peru.
“Mr. Miller expressed to both Ambassadors the hope of this Government that the energies of their countries would be united to those of the entire free world in combating Communist aggression and that they would find a means of resolving their difficulties in a manner which would preserve friendly relations between them.
“Now as background, it would be premature at this time to discuss any specific proposal for solving the Haya de la Torre asylum case. Mr. Miller’s conversations were of an exploratory nature with the view to encourage the two countries to seek a mutually satisfactory solution.”
Mr. McDermott was asked by a reporter whether the conversations mentioned indicated that Columbia and Peru were using or preparing to use the good offices of the United States. He replied: “We are prepared, of course, to be of any assistance we can in aiding the two partes to come to an agreement and Mr. Miller so informed the two Ambassadors.” Mr. McDermott explained his answer by stating:
“Off the record, I go around the barn because this Government doesn’t offer good offices unless they are quite sure that they are going to be accepted. So this is really not exactly a tender of good offices but is [sic] prepared for such a tender if it would be acceptable to the other side, and phrased that way so far as possible so that they may accept the good offices, and I am sure that it shows the other countries that we are willing to be of aid and assistance.” (723.00/12–150)
Both memoranda, not printed, of the separate conversations which Mr. Miller held (at his request) with the Peruvian and Colombian Ambassadors on the morning of December 1 are filed under 723.00/12–150.