721.23/1556: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 7—1:35 p.m.]
165. My 164, April 6, 8 p.m., last paragraph. In accordance with the decision reached yesterday by the Advisory Committee on Leticia affair Lester, chairman of the Committee, has addressed following letter dated April 6 to the Peruvian representative.
“In a letter dated March 30th you were good enough to inform me under instructions from your Government that on March 27th the Colombian military forces had attacked and taken Güepi a Peruvian post on the upper Putumayo at a distance of about 1,000 kilometers from Leticia. You asked that the Advisory Committee set up by the Council’s resolution of March 18, 1933 to follow the dispute between Colombia and Peru should examine this situation. The Advisory Committee met on April 5th and 6th and examined your communication. It heard your oral explanations and those of the representative of Colombia. It appears from your explanations [Page 514] that the Peruvian Government intends, in conformity with article 8 of the treaty of 1922 between Colombia and Peru, to respect the free passage of Colombian vessels military or otherwise on the River Putumayo. The representative of Colombia on his part declared that the Colombian Government had no designs on Peruvian territory and would evacuate Güepi as soon as the Leticia trapezium had been evacuated by the Peruvian forces.
After discussing the matter the Committee thought it saw some possibility of making further efforts to secure with the cooperation of the two parties the speedy execution of the Council’s recommendation dated March 18, 1933.
In these circumstances the Committee has thought it expedient to defer its reply to your letter of March 30 and has instructed me to follow the further development of this affair, keeping in contact with the parties and with the members of the Committee, who will be able to supply me with information that may contribute to the desired result.
The Committee has also empowered me to convene it when I think fit and in any case before the Council’s next session in May.”