Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1941, The American Republics, Volume VI

810.20 Defense/1771a: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Guatemala (Dwyre)¹

Washington, December 13, 1941—8 p.m.

228. Resolution XV, adopted at the consultative meeting in Habana,² provided that, in the event of aggression, “all the signatory nations, or two or more of them, according to circumstances, shall proceed to negotiate the necessary complementary agreements so as to organize cooperation for defense and the assistance that they shall lend each other.” The contingency foreseen in that resolution has now taken place, and our two countries are now engaged in a common effort to defeat the aggressor nations. It is desired to initiate at once certain types of military cooperation, and you are therefore instructed to approach the Foreign Minister and reach an agreement with him regarding the following measures:³

A. The stationing of United States Air Corps detachments consisting of 15 technicians (7 non-commissioned officers and 8 privates) each at Guatemala City and San José. These will be service detachments, the purpose of which is to facilitate the movement of aircraft.

B. Permission to fly over and land on Guatemalan territory without limitation as to number or type of plane or personnel and armament carried. There would not be the usual notification through diplomatic or military channels but only such as is required for technical reasons, probably direct to the airport involved except in emergency cases or should military necessity require it.

C. Permission to use Guatemalan airports together with their facilities, such as servicing installations, repair shops, radio, telephone.

D. Permission for the unrestricted circulation of military personnel, uniformed and armed, or otherwise, as is necessary in connection with servicing aircraft, sheltering and rationing personnel, and sending and receiving necessary communications. This would include permission for the use of roads adjacent to airports and to arrange for the shelter and rationing of personnel (at United States Government expense) as may be necessary when flights are required to stop at any airport.

E. Permission to photograph the territory of Guatemala as may be necessary from a tactical point of view or as may be desirable for the compilation of air navigation charts.

This Government is confident that there will be full and continuing cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries for the attainment of the common objectives.

In the event that the Government to which you are accredited is prepared to grant the above privileges and wishes to formalize the agreement you are authorized to exchange written communications.

Please keep the Department closely advised of the progress of your negotiations.

Hull

1. Sent, mutatis mutandis, to Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, and Nicaragua.
2. For correspondence regarding the Second Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the American Republics convening at Habana on July 21, 1940, see Foreign Relations, 1940, vol. v, pp. 180 ff.; for text of Resolution XV, see Department of State Bulletin, August 24, 1940, p. 136.
3. Agreement along these lines was reached before the end of 1941 with Ecuador, and, in principle, also with Cuba. For correspondence, see vol. vii, pp. 258 ff. and 97 ff., respectively.