Evening star., 1933-02-06
Advice to Peru ON Leticia
Believed to Set Precedent

South American conflict over the
small community Of Leticia, on the
headwaters of the Amazon, has been
made the subject Of proposals to Peru
from the United States and the League
Of Nations, acting under the provisions
Of the Kellogg BRAND treaty. The
setting Of a precedent is seen in the
concrete action on decision that Peru
has been the aggreSSor, because treaty
establishes the right of Colombia to the
contested community. Since several
nations touch the area involved, it is
assumed that what appears to be a
minor matter might have serious con-
sequences. The hope of Brazil to serve
as peacemaker Is made part of the
incident.
"The peace Of half Of South Amer
ica," according to the Louisville
Courier journal, "has been threatened
by the most trivial of incidents, the
seizure of a mud town on the upper
reaches of the Amazon That paper
observes that "the seizure was made
by mob Of civilians and Peruvian SOL
diers, and the Peruvian government has
tacitly approved the lawlessness of its
nationals, ignoring the fact that the
Colombian Peruvian treaty of 1924 def
nitely prescribed the border between the
two countries and accorded Leticia to
Colombia"
'eIhere is q situation which might
easily break into sizable war;" thinks
the Charleston Is c. Evening Post, al
though 1t feels that, "as neither Peru
nor Colombia can be classified among
the great nations, they can doubtless be
disciplined into respect for an inter-
national treaty, If the powerful nations
make strong representations" The
Evening Post adds that this disciplintng
will not compensate for the failure to
halt Japan, nor, 1t Is likely, serve
greatly to impress the Japanese with
the power OF the treaty nations"
Although our State Department and
the League Of Nations have taken cog
nizance of several other disputes and
have called the attention of the quar-
reling nations to their obligations under
the Briand-Kellogg and other treaties,
this is the first time they have named
the aggressor and hidden 1t cease its
aggressions.'' The News adds that
boundary lines in that area are not
clearly Defined" and records that Peru
protests that Colombia is controlling
navigation to the detriment of Peru
vians farther up the river" The New
ark paper concludes: THE area is one
of those South American regions where
title to the land is in question and
which are incipient trouble breeders.
John Barrett, who speaks with consid-
cradle authority on South American
affairs, sees six nations, an area of
10000 square miles and 50,000,000
people involved. For the headwaters of
the Amazon, tapping the natural wealth
of the eastern slope of the Andes, have
vast economic possibilities. Some day
these will be developed and it is Just
rs well to settle the rights Of the various
nations directly interested before that
development becomes too far ad-
vanced."
"It Is all very mixed and there is
no logic In It," according to the San
Francisco Chronicle, but neither is
there any logic In the trouble between
Bolivia and Paraguay, in witch men by
hundreds, perhaps thousands, are being
killed in the Chaco." The Chronicle
gives the description: 'Leticia is a mid
jungle town, but port Two thousand
miles Of mosquitoes separate Leticia
from the ocean, yet it Is a seaport.
Leticia Is far inland burg with a
maritime complex. Most Of its inhabi-
tants never saw the sea, yet the sea
Is the reason for its existence Leticia
Is only TOO miles from the Pacific and
1000 from the Atlantic, but 1t Is an
Atlantic port. Mules come I'D to
Gehoia fram HE Pacific. but ocean