714.44A15/48

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State

The Minister of Guatemala called on his own request. He said that he had called to keep this Government reminded of the suggestion that it informally confer with the British Government in an effort to promote progress in the settlement of the boundary controversy between Great Britain and Guatemala. He also handed me a large bound volume called the White Book,2 which, he said, contained the entire record in the controversy. I thanked him for this book and added that naturally since I had been suffering from an attack of influenza during the past three weeks and more, I was able to give attention only to the emergency matters arising in the Department. I then said that recalling my conferences with Dr. Salazar, the Foreign Minister of Guatemala, on the subject, I had planned to discuss the matter in an entirely informal way, not on its merits, of course, but from the standpoint of endeavoring to facilitate the settlement of the controversy. The Minister said he appreciated the situation as did his Government and that they would be very appreciative of anything I might thus say to the British.

C[ordell] H[ull]
  1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Guatemala, White Book, Controversy Between Guatemala and Great Britain Relative to the Convention of 1859 on Territorial Matters: Belize Question (Guatemala, October 1938).