714.44A15/183
The Minister in Guatemala (Des Portes) to the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
My Dear Mr. Secretary: The negotiations regarding the Belize dispute have unfortunately made little progress in recent weeks. Referring to the Department’s telegram No. 25, of April 12, 1940, the British Minister informs me that these instructions have not been received by him. The most encouraging feature with regard to the matter is the hope expressed by President Ubico that even if his proposals [Page 439] were unacceptable to Whitehall, the negotiations would continue, leaving aside the question of sovereignty (eludiendo soberania). It is not clear yet, however, whether the President is thereby tacitly acceding to the British contention, from which the latter have shown no signs of receding, that they can not discuss or submit to an arbitral tribunal the question of their title to Belize.
In the meantime, the violent Guatemalan propaganda campaign continues, and Guatemala has been enlisting support in other Latin American countries, notably those of Central America.26
I gathered in a conversation with the British Minister yesterday that he was disturbed at the amount of anti-British sentiment which it has created in Central America. There is of course, as the Minister said, the danger that this campaign will sting Whitehall into discontinuing the negotiations, and a reciprocal danger that some of the Minister’s more testy comments may get under President Ubico’s skin.
I have taken the liberty of writing you principally to tell you of a remark which has been made to me on several occasions by the British Minister: That he had received a communication from Lord Lothian stating that you had advised the latter to string the negotiations out as long as possible, because it would be easier to settle the matter when everyone was sick and tired of it. I feel that the emphasis which is being placed on this alleged remark should be brought to your attention.
Chief, it is my opinion that under the present world conditions this dispute should be settled immediately. There is no doubt but that the matter is causing considerable anti-British sentiment in Guatemala and, to a lesser extent, throughout Central America.
General Stone, General Dargue and General Brett27 have all impressed upon me the great importance of keeping the fine friendship which they believe General Ubico holds for the United States, and the necessity of holding this friendship. I know of no better means of securing the continuation of this splendid friendship than by our securing the settlement of this unfortunate dispute.
With very warm personal regards [etc.]
- See Guatemala, Continuation of the White Book, VII: Central American and Mexican Solidarity (Guatemala, C. A., September, 1942).↩
- Presumably Maj. Gen. David Lamne Stone, Department Commander, Panama Canal Department since 1938; Brig. Gen. Herbert A. Dargue, Air Corps, Commanding General 19th Wing since 1938; Brig. Gen. George Howard Britt, Commanding 19th Wing, Albrook Field, Panama, 1934, Assistant Chief of Air Corps, Chief, Material Division, Wright Field, Ohio, since 1939.↩