162. Telegram From the Embassy in Guatemala to the Department of State1
759. Up to this morning, 69 carloads of material unloaded from Alfhem had arrived in Guatemala City and unloading and shipments were continuing regularly. Ship may finish unloading Monday.
Charnaud MacDonald, Minister of Interior, revealed last night that attempt to blow up train morning of May 19 had cost lives of one Guatemalan soldier and one saboteur. Three other soldiers were wounded in battle described as lasting half hour between soldiers armed with rifles and saboteurs armed with submachine guns. Latter then retired toward Honduras frontier and escaped.
Press this morning carried photographs nitroglycerine cartridges which failed to explode and were used to connect charge with detonator. Minister reportedly emphasized this type explosives not used by [Page 298] any branch of Guatemalan Government and “possibly not in any Central American country”.
- Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Job 79–01025A, Box 84, Folder 3. Official Use Only; Priority.↩