721.2315/247
Memorandum by the Secretary of State of a Conversation With the Colombian Minister (Olaya), October 31, 1925
The Colombian Minister called and notified me of the ratification of the Colombian-Peruvian Boundary Treaty and to thank the United States for its generous and helpful attitude in relation to this matter and all South American matters. He left a formal note, in Spanish,20 which should be translated and answered.
[Page 469]I told him that I had suggested to the Peruvian Ambassador yesterday that he urge his Government to have the Treaty ratified. I told him confidentially that the Special Representative of the Ecuadorian Government (Elizalde), now in Washington, called on me the other day and wanted a copy of the Peruvian-Colombian Boundary Treaty and I told him that I could not give it to him because it would not be published until it was ratified; that I thought there was nothing secret about it. He seemed to understand the terms and protested that it was contrary to Ecuadorian interests because it gave Peru the territory to the north of Ecuador and would make it more difficult for Ecuador to agree with Peru as to the boundary between Ecuador and Peru. I told him that it seemed to me that the question of whether Peru conceded territory to Colombia or Colombia to Peru was a question purely between those countries; that I could not see how it could legally affect Ecuadorian interests; that the territory belonged to those countries and they had a right to settle their disputes. He said that Ecuador had conceded certain territory to Colombia but did not expect Colombia to give it to Peru. I told him I could not see that this would make any difference. If the territory belonged to either one of those countries, they were at liberty to agree on their boundaries as they saw fit. In any event, I told him the United States could not interpose or offer its good offices to settle any dispute unless all the countries involved should request it and that it was not a matter in which we had a right to interfere. I told him he could convey this information in a confidential manner to his Government.
- Not printed.↩