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  4. Document 23

810.24/64: Telegram

The Minister in Guatemala (Des Fortes) to the Secretary of State

Guatemala, July 7, 1939—6 p.m.
[Received 10:10 p.m.]

20. Department’s circular telegram of June 27, 7 p.m. The Foreign Minister informed me today under instructions from the President:

(1)
That Guatemala did not wish to buy any war material in the United States at the present time inasmuch as it already has sufficient material available for its peacetime needs.
(2)
That in the event of war Guatemala expected to cooperate with the United States as it did during the World War. In this case if necessary it could put from 100,000 to 200,000 well trained men in the field. It has at present equipment for a maximum of 100,000; but little of this is modern. It would consequently require equipment for the men to be put in the field and it trusted that inasmuch as such a war presumably would be one in which Guatemala would be involved through solidarity with the United States, the United States would be willing to furnish the necessary equipment without cost to Guatemala.
(3)
That Guatemala had no objection to the general plan of selling war material to other Latin American Republics.

Des Portes