721.23/1796
The Chargé in Colombia (Dawson) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 31.]
Sir: I have the honor to report that I am informed by Señor Alfredo Lozano, private secretary to President Olaya, that Dr. Eduardo Santos, Colombian delegate to the League of Nations, has reported that the Commission to be appointed to administer the Leticia territory will be composed of an American army officer, a Brazilian naval officer and a Spanish diplomat, the first two to have the rank of colonel or lieutenant colonel and equivalent naval rank.
[Page 539]Dr. Santos reports that there was never any question as to the appointment of an American and a Brazilian but that both the British and Italians evinced interest in having a person of their respective nationalities appointed to the third place. The Colombian authorities were opposed to the appointment of a Britisher because of their suspicions regarding the attitude of the British Government during the latter stages of the negotiations for a settlement of the Leticia incident (the subject of a number of despatches from the Legation85) or to the appointment of an Italian because of their fear that the Italian Government might be influenced by the British Government or by the Italian Minister at Lima, who is alleged to be affected by the ideas of the pro-Peruvian manager of the Lima branch of the Banque Française et Italienne pour l’Amérique du Sud (page two of despatch No. 2753 of April 7, 1933, from the Embassy at Lima).85 Dr. Santos further reports that he suggested that a Swiss citizen be given the third position but that he feels a Spaniard will be entirely satisfactory.
Respectfully yours,