721.23/723
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (White)
I got Mr. Thurston14 in Rio by phone at 11:00 a.m. and told him, with reference to the Embassy’s telegram No. 1 of January 6, 1 p.m., it was not clear to us exactly what Brazil has now proposed to Peru and Colombia. In the Embassy’s telegram of December 3015 it was stated that the Brazilian proposal was, first of all, that Peru turn Leticia over to a Brazilian representative who should then immediately thereafter turn the territory over to Colombia on the understanding that both countries would then agree to open conversations in Rio regarding their outstanding difficulties. This was accepted by Colombia and rejected by Peru. Now, in the telegram of January 6, it was stated that Peru having objected to the Brazilian proposal to return Leticia to Colombia subsequent to Brazilian occupation thereof and before conversations have occurred at the Brazilian Foreign Office looking to a permanent settlement, Brazil has now proposed that conversations shall take place before and not after Leticia has been returned to Colombia. I said I was not clear whether this means that conversations are to take place after Peru gets out of Leticia and before Leticia is turned back to Colombia, that is, while it is in the hands of the Brazilians, and that this was what we wanted to know. We wanted to know definitely whether Colombia has accepted that proposal because our information was to the effect that Colombia accepted the original proposal which was that conversations would take place after Leticia was returned to Colombia, which is the position the Colombian Government has taken all the way through.
I said that we were willing to take action in Lima, as requested by the Brazilian Foreign Office, on two conditions: one, that we know definitely what this second proposal is, and two, that Colombia has accepted it. On that basis, we will support the second Brazilian proposal, or, if Colombia has not accepted it and Brazil will revive, if she can, her original proposal, then we will support that original proposal in Lima. I said it was very important that we know definitely within the next hour, if possible, as Colombian forces were advancing [Page 390] and we had information that Colombia was contemplating taking other action; that we could not advise her to hold off taking other measures unless there was some proposal up that she had definitely accepted and we did not know that she had accepted the modified Brazilian proposal.
I repeated that what we want to know is what is the new Brazilian proposal? Does it mean that negotiations are to take place with Brazil holding Leticia; secondly, what happens to Leticia if the countries do not agree, and third, has Colombia accepted that as a basis of discussion? If Colombia has accepted the new proposal, then we will support it in Lima; if not, then we would like to know if Brazil will revive her first proposal and we will support that.
Mr. Thurston stated that he had just returned yesterday from leave and was not familiar with the matter but that he would get in touch with the Ambassador at once and he thought the Ambassador could give us an answer within the hour. He repeated the information I had requested and I told him that was correct: if Colombia has not agreed to the second proposal we would like to know then whether Brazil is going to revive her original proposal—we are perfectly willing to support the original proposal which Colombia has accepted—that is, support it in Lima. However, if Colombia has accepted the modified proposal, which is more favorable to Peru, and there would seem therefore to be more chance of its being accepted in Lima, we will support that, provided Colombia has accepted it. I said it was very important for us to know exactly what the proposal is and whether Colombia has accepted it.
- Walter C. Thurston, Counselor of Embassy in Brazil.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1932, vol. v, p. 313.↩