810.00/6–2349

The Ambassador in Guatemala (Patterson) to the Secretary of State

confidential

No. 314

Subject: Transmitting Text of Embassy’s Note of June 22 to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Renewing Previous Requests for an Investigation of Reports with Regard to the Presence of Certain Aircraft and American Citizens at the San Jose Airbase in Connection with Caribbean Legion Activities.

Sir: Referring to the Embassy’s telegram No. 257 of June 23,1 I have the honor to enclose for the Department’s further information a copy of my Note No. 81 of June 22 which was drafted and delivered pursuant to the instructions contained in the Department’s telegram No. 185 of June 21.1 Also enclosed is a self-explanatory memorandum1 covering the oral representations made on the above-captioned matters earlier in the day by First Secretary Wells.

Respectfully yours,

Richard C. Patterson, Jr.
[Enclosure]

The American Ambassador (Patterson) to the Guatemalan Minister for Foreign Affairs (Muñoz Meany)

No. 81

Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the Ministry’s note No. 9330 of June 17,1 in reply to the Embassy’s note No. 69 of May 28,1 transcribing a communication from the Ministry of Defense with regard to the investigation conducted by that Ministry concerning the presence at the San Jose airbase of two airplanes, which, there is strong reason to believe, may have been flown out of the United States in violation of its laws. It is noted that the investigation disclosed that the airplanes in question landed at San Jose due to defective engines, that no irregularities were found, and that the planes are of Mexican registration, numbers C47–XA–HOS and C46–XB–HUB.

With respect to the identity of these aircraft, an inquiry is being made through official channels of the Mexican Government to obtain the desired information concerning their former United States registry and manufacturer’s serial numbers in an effort to ascertain if they were exported illegally from the United States, and, if so, the responsibility therefor.

[Page 449]

In this connection, reference is made to the recent conversations between the Sub-Secretary of Foreign Affairs and the First Secretary of this Embassy, in which the latter requested a further investigation into subsequent reports to the effect that (a) two or more American citizens were among the crew members, and (b) other aircraft whose movements appear difficult to account for, including one amphibian, also had landed at the San Jose airbase.

Under instructions from my Government, I have the honor to renew the request for the specific identification data on the aircraft mentioned in the Embassy’s note No. 69 of May 28,2 in the event such information has since become available to Your Excellency’s Government, and to confirm the oral requests for the further investigations made by the First Secretary of Embassy. My Government particularly desires to obtain all available information with regard to the unsubstantiated reports of the presence of American citizens among the plane crews.

My Government has instructed me to inform Your Excellency that it views seriously numerous and repeated reports from several countries concerned with the possibility of disturbances of the peace of certain of the American Republics and the possibility that several aircraft, the movements of which appear difficult to explain, may be engaged in prejudicial missions. My Government assumes that the Government of Guatemala shares this concern and that it will therefore wish to cooperate to the fullest extent to forestall activities which may be contrary to inter-American obligations to maintain the peace and security of the American Republics.3

I avail [etc.]

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  7. For further information on Guatemalan responses to the U.S. requests for investigation of the reports mentioned in this note, see the memorandum by Mr. Siracusa, August 4, p. 454.