Evening star., 1933-01-26
Text of Note on Leticia
Secretary of State Stimson in Communication to
Pernvian Foreign Minister Hopes for Peaceful
Solution in Controversy With Colombia.

Ill uIctIuCIlOn 1TOm you Oh JduuhIy q,
that your government feels that If
ing to find a satisfactory solution of
{this situation. insists that Leticia
should be delivered to Colombia, she
viii tail in her endeayor to prevent war
because the Loretanos are decided to
oppose forcibly any use of force by
Colombia and shat Peru cannot stand
by passively when the interests of
Loreto are at stake.
Summary Of Case.
Let us examine the situation in the
| light of these statements: -
1T is admitted that Peruvian individ-
uals seized Leticia and the surrounding
| territory and deposed the Colombian
authorities. It is also admitted that
Leticia and the adjacent territory is
| Colombian. 1t is stated in your excel
| lency's telegram of the fourteenth in
stant under consideration that one can
not speak of the forcible retention of
Leticia by the Peruvian government as
it is not the Peruvian government which
has occupied that town and Is holding
it up to the present. In other words.
the Peruvian government quite per-
ing of Leticia. On the other hand,
however, it would appear that other
| statements Of your government just
referred to are unfortunately susceptible
Of the Interpretation that your govern
ment will use force to support these in
vaders Of Leticia and to prevent the
Colombian authorities from re-estab-
fishing their authority in this Colom-
bian territory. Furthermore, your tele-
grams of January 18 and 81 to th2
Peruvian Ambassador in Washington
! indicate not only that your government
has not yet accepted the very equitable
solution Of this difficulty proposed by
the government Of Brazil. but that it
has insisted that the Leticia territory
shall no be returned to Colombia until
the boundary line established by the
Salomon-Lozano treaty of 1922 is mod
ifled. I venture to hope that these
latter statements do not correctly ex-
press the intention of your eXcellency's
government. For if it were conceivable
that Peru was seeking to obtain her de-
sire to modify the treaty of 1922 not by
pacific means, but by fOrcible and
armed support Of the illegal occupation
of Leticia, would such position not
be entirely contrary to the provisions
of article II of the Kellogg BRAND pact,
which provides that ne solution of a
controversy shall be sought except by
pacific means? At least this govern
ment sees no alternatives to such con-
clusionS. And If so. as set forth in the
preamble of that pact. such violation
of it would entail denial of the bene-
fits furnished by that pact to the sigma
tory power which violated it,
Consistency Questioned.
Furthermore, If the statement by the
Peruvian Ambassador to which I have
referred. to the effect that the Loretanos
are decided to appose fcrcibly the efforts
by Colombia to restore her authority In
Leticia and that Peru cannot stand by
passively when the interests of Loreto
are at stake, correctly represents the
intentions Of your government. would
not such action by Peru constitute
recourse to war for the settlement OF
an international controversy and the
employment of war as an instrument
of national policy in its relations with
another signatory power and be con-
trary to Article I of the Kellogg BRAND
pact?
Il am encoura ged, however. to believe
that your categoric statement reaftlrm-
ing the validity of the boundary treaty
between Peru and Colombia Of 1922
and the intention of your government
to abide by that treaty as we'll as all
the other treaties in force, among which
is the BRAND Kellogg anti-war pact.
may be taken to indicate that your
government does not intend to take
such a step as to oppose the re-estab-
lishment Of lawful Colombian authority
in Leticia.
The government Of Brazil, interpret
ing most clearly the feeling of the
American nations that there should not
be recourse to hostilities in this hemis-
phere. has drawn up and submitted TO
the Peruvian and Colombian govern
ments a proposal which in the opinion
of nv government offers peaceful and
honorable means of terminating this
situation.
Points of Proposal.
The essence of this proposal is as
follows:
- The Peruvian government, al
though it had nothing TO do with the
origin of the uprising of the first OF
September in Leticia, will give its entire
moral support and will use its persuasive
influence with its nationals residing in
that region so that the territory in ques-
ton may be confided to the keeping OF
the Brazilian government, which will
administer it Professionally through
delegate or delegates in whom 1t has
confidence.
"'2. AS soon as possible the Brazilian
authorities will replace in their positions
the Colombian officials deposed by the
tnsurrectionists.
"'3. In compensation the Colombian
government agrees that Immediately
afterward delegates from the two coun-
tries shall meet in Rio de Janeiro with
the technicians they deem necessary
for the purpose OF considering the
Solomon -Lozano treaty in broad spirit
of .conciliation for the purpose OF find
ing a formula susceptible to reciprocal
acceptation and which shall include
economic, commercial and cultural
measures which may constitute closer
moral bond in the form Of territorial
statute adequate for such purpose and
peculiar to that region
Accepted by Colombia.
MY government has been advised
that the government of Colombia has
accepted this proposal d the Brazilian
government.
THE Brazilian government, feeling
that this formula offered an equitable
solution of this difficult situation,
asked my government to support it be-
fore your government. My government
was very glad to do so, as your ex-
cellency is aware, through the American
Ambassador in Lima. Once again my
government most earnestly urges your
government to abide by the commit
ments undertaken by 10 in the pact
of Paris and that it accept the solu-
ton proposed by the Brazilian govern
ment for settling peacefully and in
accordance with the international COM
mitments of Peru this unfortunate
situation.
In the same connection permit me
also to remind your excellency of the
resolution voted at the sixth Interna-
tional Conference of American States
aggression. and also of the declaration
on February 20, 1928, in opposition to
which Peru signed with 10 other Amer