810.79611 Pan American Airways, Inc./657: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Peru (Mayer)
92. Your 173, September 17, 2 p.m. Today Colonel Lindbergh conferred at the Department. He then continued his journey to Miami to inaugurate the mail line to Paramaribo. On his return he will inspect the Pan American Airways line in Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and Central America.
This winter Colonel Lindbergh will make a flight to South America and for this purpose he is now having constructed a special plane which, if all goes well, will be ready sometime in November so that his flight will take place probably in December or January. This flight will embrace all countries of South America and prior to making it he does not want to visit any of the countries of South America [Page 589] which he has not already visited. He will fly down the west coast stopping first in Ecuador and then in Peru where he will stay longer perhaps than in the other countries.
You may inform President Leguía in confidence that Colonel Lindbergh will visit Peru this winter. Sometime ago Colonel Lindbergh received a tentative invitation through the Peruvian Embassy in Washington with the statement that a formal invitation would be issued if it was known that he would accept. Colonel Lindbergh did not have all his data with him regarding this, but when he returns to the United States he will immediately take this up with the Department so that he may answer the invitation, and it may be possible to have the official announcement of his South American trip come first as an acceptance of the Peruvian invitation. Perhaps it may even be possible to have the announcement come from Lima. These questions of detail, however, will be gone into thoroughly upon his return.
Please advise the Department by cable whether you think that this confidential statement to President Leguía will cover the situation at the present time or whether it would be of material help to have a public announcement made of Colonel Lindbergh’s impending visit. It is the feeling of the Department that it would be sufficient merely to inform President Leguía confidentially. The Department would prefer not to make the official announcement until Colonel Lindbergh returns unless there is other reason to do so.