123 Patterson, Richard C., Jr.
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Public Affairs Officer of the Embassy in Guatemala (Barrett)2
| Participants: | President Juan José Arévalo |
| Ambassador Richard C. Patterson, Jr. | |
| Mr. John A. Barrett, Public Affairs Officer, who acted as interpreter. |
The Ambassador was received at 11 o’clock. After the usual greetings he presented to the President the compliments of President Truman, stating that although his government fully appreciates the problems of President Arévalo, it is nevertheless disturbed at the continued mistreatment of United States business concerns by Guatemalan labor. The President interrupted to point out that the Ambassador was right about his having trouble with labor but stating that the United States was also having its labor troubles. The Ambassador did not argue this but pointed out that cordial relations between Guatemala and the United States cannot continue if the persecution of American interests does not cease. He said he feared that an outburst against Guatemala might be made in the United States Senate and asked the President pointblank if he had any suggestions as to what could be done. The President, who was impressed with this statement, stated that that was precisely what he would like to ask the Ambassador; namely, if he had any suggestion to make regarding what he could do about his labor troubles other than what he was doing. The Ambassador replied that he could not intervene and that a solution of this problem belonged solely to the President.
The Ambassador further said that he didn’t doubt but that labor leaders like Pinto Usaga were taking orders from the World Federation [Page 866] of Trade Unions. (I added that it was a world organization which received its orders from the Kremlin.) The President said that he did not think labor problems in Guatemala stemmed from Communist influence, but rather from strictly American influences, and he mentioned Mexico, Cuba, the United States, Colombia and Costa Rica as sources of inspiration for Guatemalan labor action. He went on to say that it was difficult for him to hold up the United States as an example for labor management and labor-government relations in view of the difficult time the United States Government had solving the steel and coal strikes. The Ambassador dropped the subject but reiterated his concern over a possible outburst in the Senate, and the President stated that “we would be extremely sorry if that happened”, adding that if and when it did occur he would like to go and present Guatemala’s case personally before the Senate, adding that he was sure that body would understand the problem, since the world cannot be ruled as it was in 1920, because times have changed.
[The remainder of the conversation was devoted to discussion of the Central American Olympic Games and the Roosevelt Hospital of Guatemala City.]
- Copy transmitted to the Department by the Ambassador in his despatch 40 from Guatemala, January 11, in which Ambassador Patterson stated: “The immediate purpose of this interview was to pay my respects upon returning to my post from the United States. However, I took the occasion to discuss a number of matters, as indicated in the enclosed memorandum.”↩