[Attachment—Translation]
Great and Good Friend: My desire to
contribute to the extent of my ability to the great ideal of
continental solidarity and democracy prompts me to write you
this letter. No one in America is better qualified than you to
represent and defend these high ideals.
I have been worried lately by the apparent disagreement, which at
times has become strenuous, in the relations between the
representatives of your Government and that of some of the Latin
American countries; and it came to worry me deeply the
reiterated accusation of some newspapermen and news agencies,
who at times have tried to make those Governments appear as
engaged in an alliance with the Communist parties and the agents
of Stalin. I refer particularly to Guatemala, a country of my
affection, with whose rulers I have a close personal friendship.
Enough reason for it, is the fact that said Government
represents—as I myself try to do it—the opposite pole of
totalitarian dictatorships of antiprogress, of anti-democracy
still afflicting America. This similarity in the fundamental
lines of our ideology and our politics makes it easier for me to
understand the real situation in Guatemala and the reasons for
certain incidents.
My antiSovietic convictions are unalterable. My responsibility as
Chief of the Cuban State increases those convictions, and if
possible, they are even more increased by the danger of a war in
which Cuba may have to play a predominant part in the family of
American nations which are both antiCommunists and democratic.
For this reason, [Page 915]
although I surmised that there were misstatements in the press
propaganda above referred to, I treated the problem in a
personal way, which I did in a six hour interview with President
Arévalo. Up to this moment, neither in Guatemala nor in Cuba,
has this meeting been made public, and I prefer that it be
maintained in the strictest secrecy. It is my democratic
obligation and as a friend, to make you acquainted with the
truth, as you will be the person most interested in knowing the
conclusions which I derived from this meeting, because as
President of the United States, the greatest responsibility in
the action now being engaged in and that which will be engaged
in the future by the democracies in order to survive in a world
so seriously threatened falls largely upon you.
Once the object of our meeting was disclosed, I spoke very
frankly and I was responded in like manner. Neither President
Arévalo nor myself left anything unsaid. That is why I am in a
position to explain to you what is happening in Guatemala. In my
opinion, neither the President nor the Presidential candidate,
Colonel Jacobo Arbenz sympathize with Communism, although none
of the two is in a position to persecute the small Communist
organizations of that country, because they do not want and are
not able to increase the number now of enemies of the
Government, which up to now has had to face over twenty
dangerous conspiracies against the life of the President and
against the stability of the present Government. The position of
certain North American firms that have headed the movement of
protest against the laws in benefit of the workers has made the
situation worse in Guatemala and in a way, has strengthened the
very few Communists there. And because Guatemala is a country
where exploitation of the great majorities has reached great
extremes, the Government has to defend those legislated benefits
on behalf of the workers, among other reasons, because
patriotism and an elementary sense of justice demand it, but
also for political reasons, because its best defenders are the
nucleus of workers favored by law.
Unfortunately there has been a lack of the necessary serenity and
tact by some diplomats to pass judgment on this conflict, and
they have come to seem as hostile elements to the national cause
and dangerous to the Government. As I said before, certain press
has seen fit to poke the fire, and from this, harmful and
painful incidents have arisen.
Experience has demonstrated that in those places where popular
aspirations are trampled without hope, where the progressive
political forces are attacked and intimidated with passion, the
leaders and the people seek to find support anywhere that it is
possible to find it. And this support is very often offered by
the communists, to whose tactics it is very convenient to appear
as allies and saviours of the people against capitalists and
imperialism, or against the national tyrannies suffered by
them.
[Page 916]
With these antecedents, and overlooking my personal conveniences,
and beset by the desire to find a harmonic solution that might
unite the security and the dignity of our friends with the
urgency of a close solidarity among the democracies of the
Continent, I went personally—in a quick, and of course secret,
trip—to see by myself the situation in Guatemala and to obtain
first hand impressions about the rumors that an understanding
with Stalin existed there—supply of fuel to its submarines—and
in short, a Soviet fifth column supported by the Government.
I have been able to verify, with great relief, that this is all
pure fantasy, and still worse a selfish campaign, maintained by
subsidized newspapermen. I have been able to verify that doctor
Juan José Arévalo’s greatest desire is to defend democracy and
social justice which you yourself, President Truman, praise and
defend so sincerely and have so proved.
Therefore I went personally to feel the Guatemalan reality and I
believe it my duty to tell you that I consider that it is in
your hands, by an able and clear-sighted intervention, to bring
solutions entirely adequate and desirable to all. I consider it
not only feasible but easy, to add solidly and sincerely the
Government of Guatemala to the number of wills that are to be
established in order to defend the Continent.
I think it would suffice if you sent a capable and open-minded
observer, of your entire confidence, familiarized with the
ideology and psychology of our problems and peoples, who might
be in a position to give you thorough and true information, of
what happens in Guatemala, so that you might then formally
dispatch a diplomat with definite instructions from you on the
objectives to be reached and the methods to be used in order to
surmount the restlessness and suspicion prevailing in the
country.
This letter ends the purpose of my trip to Guatemala. It is my
most vivid desire that my trip may prove useful, my great and
good friend. And may the Almighty God of our Nations enable me
to aid you in some manner in the great and historical task that
has befallen upon your shoulders as a world leader in this
moment of distress.
I pray for your health and personal welfare, and remain your
sincere friend,
