Office of the Historian

Roosevelt Papers: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the President1

[Washington,] 30 November 1943.

From the Secretary of State for the President

Following the sinking by a German submarine of a small Colombian Vessel in the Caribbean (The second such sinking) the Colombian Government with the approval of the Senate proclaimed a state of belligerency with Germany. This will involve the adherence of Colombia to the United Nations declaration.

President Lopez of Colombia is in the United States on leave of absence. The reason for his trip is his wife’s need for medical attention. However, the President’s political position, while improved, has not entirely recovered from the recent political crisis. It is generally believed that he will return to Colombia to resume his office within a few weeks.

Senator Butler’s article in Readers Digest and his address and reports to the Senate on his trip to the other American Republics2 have caused a sensation. However, his charges which are as sweeping as they are unfounded have been vigorously challenged by the Vice President and by Nelson Rockefeller. The general effect in the other American Republics cannot be minimized although the majority of those commenting have shown a good understanding of the situation here. Senator Butler’s elaborate report will when available be analyzed in detail by the different agencies concerned.3

  1. Sent by the White House Map Room, via military channels. A copy of this message in the Hull Papers is labeled “Secret”.↩
  2. Hugh A. Butler, “Our Deep, Dark Secrets in Latin America”, Reader’s Digest, vol. 43, December 1943, p. 21; address before the Senate, November 26, 1943, Congressional Record, vol. 89, pt. 8, pp. 10002–10006; country-by-country report and other material printed as Senate Document No. 132, 78th Congress, 1st session (1943). Butler was critical of United States aid programs in Latin America.↩
  3. For statements on the subject released by the Department of State in December 1943, see the Department of State Bulletin, vol. ix, December 18, 1943, pp. 430–431, and December 25, 1943, pp. 443–447.↩