710.J/4–2548: Telegram
The Ambassador in Colombia (Beaulac) to the Secretary of State 1
Bogotá, April 25,
1948.
Delbog 121. Daily Summary No. 20 for Friday April 23.
- 1.
- Recognition: Steering Committee approved following two
resolutions:
A—“Conference declares that
- 1.
- Continuity of diplomatic relations among American states is desirable.
- 2.
- Right of maintaining, suspending or resuming diplomatic relations with another government cannot be employed as instrument for individually obtaining unjustified advantages in conformity with international law.
- 3.
- Establishment or maintenance of diplomatic relations with government does not signify judgment concerning internal policy”.
B—“Considering, that juridical committee has not presented report on recognition de facto government; and that is desirable that statute be prepared on matter, conference resolves entrust juridical council with preparation of project and report on recognition de facto governments for studying inter American conference”.
- Resolution A approved unanimously. Resolution B by 13 affirmative votes including US.
- 2.
- Organic Pact: Subcommittee Committee I approved several acceptable articles for chapter on principles. No prospects on drafting chapter on rights, duties, states.
- 3.
- Economic matters: Full text economic agreement in present form being sent separate telegram.2 In Steering Committee Dihigo (Cuba) gave lengthy defense of proposal on economic aggression, referring Rio treaty proscription of aggression as parallel to cardinal principle non-intervention and citing economic aggression as one of worst forms of coercion.
- Similar Brazilian proposal for rights, duties, states provides that no state may exercise or stimulate economic or political pressure on another to obtain any advantages whatever. Corominas (Argentina) opposed proposals on ground all types aggression adequately covered by Rio treaty. Working Group Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cuba, Panama, Salvador, US appointed resolve question.
- Private investment Working Group approved Chapter IV, except Article 21 and deleting Articles 19A and 22. Tentative agreement reached on following text Article 21: “American States shall take no discriminatory action against investments by virtue of which deprivation of property rights legally acquired by foreign capital or enterprises is carried out for causes or under conditions different from those which constitution or laws of each country established for expropriation of national property. In carrying out expropriation prompt, adequate, and effective compensation shall be provided”.
- Bolivian proposal for protection of natural products from synthetic competition was withdrawn. Special Working Group approved proposal on commodity agreements and, with US dissenting, approved article permitting trade preferences between contiguous countries.
- US draft Articles 24 and 25 approved by Working Group with acceptable amendments.
- Working Group on maritime transportation eliminated Articles 28, 29, 31, 32; approved Article 27 as drafted and Article 30 with US amendments. Approved inclusion Article 1B of Geneva Shipping Convention. Approved Argentine resolution calling for further discussion maritime matters at forthcoming IA economic conference.
- 4.
- Pacific settlement: Steering Committee unanimously approved conclusion working group to include in both pacific settlement treaty and Organic Pact, “an obligatory procedure for definite solution to any controversy in such manner that no controversy can fail to be resolved within reasonable time.” US, Argentina, Nicaragua and Paraguay [Page 62] made reservations US reservation states: “US accepts obligatory pacific settlement procedures for juridical matters and only in optional form for non-juridical matters”. Argentina reservation stated that procedure shall only apply to future conflicts and for causes not heretofore existing. Paraguay reserved regarding juridical problems affecting national sovereignty and not covered existing treaties.
- 5.
- Social matters: Committee V approved satisfactory statute IA commission women, with article confirming terms of fiscal and administrative relationships with PAU contained in governing board report February 1948.
- Committee unanimously approved US resolutions on improvement social services, Beaulac (US) making clear that US does not believe that governmental social service agencies should have exclusive control and that we had no intention of detracting in any way from highly important services rendered by such private agencies as Red Cross and various social service foundations.
- Committee deadlocked on Uruguayan project of convention for equal political and civil rights for women. Beaulac explained US position and proposed confining convention to right to vote and be elected to national office. Mexico, Haiti, Peru, Honduras, and Chile also stated unable accept convention.
- 6.
- Rights, duties man: Committee VI approved preliminary considerations, preamble and 23 articles of proposed declaration: (1) right of life, liberty, security and integrity of person; (2) right to equality before law; (3) religious freedom and worship; (4) freedom investigation, opinion, expression and dissemination; (5) protection of honor, reputation, private and family life; (6) family and family protection; (7) mothers and children; (8) right to residence, movement and not to be required to leave country of [which he is a national] except by own will; (9) inviolability of home; (10) correspondence; (11) health; (12) education; (13) right to benefits of culture and scientific progress and protection to inventors, authors, et cetera; (14) right to work and just remuneration; (15) right to rest and use of free time; (16) right to social security; (17) right to juridical personality and civil rights; (18) right to justice; (19) right to nationality; (20) right to suffrage; (21) right of assembly; (22) right of association; (23) right to property.
Tate (US) proposed deletion of right of protection to authors, inventors, et cetera, on ground this not essential human right of all people. Although strongly suported by Cuba, article was left unchanged.
Beaulac