Office of the Historian

795B.5/9–1454

Memorandum of Conversation, by Joseph J. Sisco of the Bureau of International Organization Affairs

confidential
[Washington,] September 14, 1954.

Subject:

  • General Assembly Comments; Colombian Reimbursement for Logistic Support in Korea.
  • Participants: Dr. Jose Chaves, Counselor, Colombian Embassy
  • IO—Mr. Sisco
[Page 811]

[Here follows discussion of support for certain candidates seeking election to General Assembly offices.]

Dr. Chaves said he wished to convey a message to the Department from Amb. Zuleta relating to the problem of Colombian reimbursement for logistic support provided to its battalion in Korea by the U.S. He said that Amb. Zuleta had been told by the President at a White House tea, at which the For. Minister of Colombia was present, that a decision had been taken by the U.S. Government that no reimbursement was expected from the Colombian Government. Dr. Chaves went on to say that Secretary Dulles at Caracas had visited the Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs and had made a similar statement to him. Dr. Chaves also said that Messrs. Cabot and Holland had likewise given similar assurances to Amb. Zuleta. In light of these commitments, Dr. Chaves said he was requesting that the Department put the above assurances in writing. Dr. Chaves also said that this matter has been under consideration within the U.S. Government for over a year and that in his view it cannot be left up in the air. He said that Amb. Zuleta intended to go to the President on this matter if necessary.

I said I was aware that we had informed the Colombian Government previously that we had the matter under consideration and that we were looking into ways in which the Colombian reimbursement problem might be solved. However, I was not aware of any specific commitment given to the Colombian Government which freed it entirely from reimbursing the U.S. I acknowledged that the matter had been under consideration for some time, and I indicated to him that the Department would give early consideration to his request for a written assurance.1

  1. The issue of reimbursement to Colombia for logistic support in Korea was not resolved during 1954.↩