231. Memorandum of Conversation1
SUBJECT
- Belize Dispute: British Request for our Support
PARTICIPANTS
- The Secretary
- Harry W. Shlaudeman, Assistant Secretary Bureau of Inter-American Affairs
- Ambassador William S. Mailliard, U.S. Permanent Representative to the OAS
- Norman T. Shaft, USOAS (notetaker)
The Secretary: What else did you have?
Mr. Shlaudeman: You wanted to talk to me about Belize.
The Secretary: Well I don’t understand why—I don’t think the Guatemalans will negotiate without getting some territory.
Mr. Shlaudeman: It’s all a show on their part. Everyone knows that these could not be serious negotiations.
The Secretary: Well then what can we do?
Mr. Shlaudeman: Not much, Mr. Secretary. We like option #3.
The Secretary: You mean to tell both sides to negotiate in good faith.
[Page 634]Mr. Shlaudeman: The British have been troublesome on this all along. They think we can convince the Guatemalans to give up their claims.
The Secretary: But they have given me to believe, the British, that when pushed to the wall they will agree to give up some territory.
Mr. Shlaudeman: But Price, no. (Shlaudeman opening a map) It’s the southern part that is at issue. It is occupied mainly by Price’s opposition so he would like to give it away but of course he couldn’t agree to any such thing.
The Secretary: What’s Price; is he pro-Cuban as the Guatemalans say?
Mr. Shlaudeman: No, he doesn’t seem to be pro-Cuban but there are people around him who are.
The Secretary: Is he black?
Mr. Shlaudeman: Yes.
The Secretary: What is the population?
Mr. Shlaudeman: 150,000.
The Secretary: The whole country?
Mr. Shlaudeman: Yes.
The Secretary: Those crappy countries. The Prime Minister of Grenada was a towering figure in Santiago, trying to get the next General Assembly in Grenada.
Amb. Mailliard: That’s right. If we were to hold it in Grenada we would have to put all the necessary facilities there.
The Secretary: Where is the next General Assembly, back here?
Amb. Mailliard: No we agreed to have it there in Grenada and now we are trying to find a way to get out of it and have it somewhere else.
The Secretary: You’re kidding?
Amb. Mailliard: No.
Mr. Shlaudeman: If we tell the Guatemalans to be reasonable they might get some territory.
The Secretary: But if you say Price can’t do it, it can’t happen.
Mr. Shlaudeman: We can’t force him.
Amb. Mailliard: But some of the other Caribbean countries might be able to force him.
The Secretary: But why would they do it—that’s not clear to me.
Mr. Shlaudeman: I don’t know.
The Secretary: But will you make sure that I raise this with Callaghan.
Mr. Shlaudeman: Yes.
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Summary: During a discussion with Secretary Kissinger on the Belize issue, Assistant Secretary Shlaudeman observed that the Guatemalan Government would not negotiate unless the British would agree to give up some of Belize’s territory.
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P860084–2039. Secret; Nodis. Drafted by Norman T. Shaft of USOAS and approved by Collums in S. The meeting was held in the Secretary’s office. During a visit to the Office of Central American Affairs, British Embassy political officer Joseph Millington indicated that enormous progress had been made in negotiating an agreement on Belize, noting that the Guatemalan Government “seemed more sincere and serious than previously.” When asked if the issue of territory had been discussed during the negotiations, “Millington replied that this problem was being left until the end, by tacit agreement.” (Memorandum of Conversation, August 12, ibid., P850183–2447) In telegram 5867 from Guatemala City, August 20, the Embassy reported that Laugerud expressed “cautious optimism” that the Belize issue would be resolved, while noting “that the two principal barriers were Premier Price of Belize and the MLN Party here in Guatemala.” (Ibid., D760320–1009)
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