810.20 Defense/3234: Airgram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Colombia (Lane)
A–79. In a communication dated August 22, 194232 the War Department has informed this Department that it considers it highly desirable that on matters of military cooperation with Colombia General Andrews should communicate direct with you. The War Department suggests that should you believe in any particular case that it would be unwise to transmit to the Colombian Government any request received from General Andrews, you should inform General Andrews to that effect and endeavor to reach an agreement with respect to the action to be taken prior to referring the matter to Washington in order to avoid the necessity for consultation between the State Department and the War Department.
This Department concurs with the War Department’s proposal for direct communication between you and General Andrews but desires that, in the event that you do not deem it advisable to follow the course of action proposed by General Andrews in any given case, you should transmit to the Department all of the pertinent correspondence in order that the Department may inform you of its views.
- Not printed.↩