Office of the Historian

55. Memorandum1

Washington, September 25, 1953.

SUBJECT

  • Tasks for Chief of Station, Guatemala
1.
Your priorities for development of KUFIRE assets are as follows:
a.
Controlled penetration of the Communist Party.
b.
Controlled penetrations of the major labor unions.
c.
Controlled penetrations in the major anti-Communist organizations.
d.
Controlled penetrations in the armed forces, or controlled agents with access to current planning both in senior and junior officer groups.
e.
Controlled agents with access to high-level Guatemalan Government political propaganda planning.
2.
The Station will transmit any rumors re: Arbenz government officials, actions taken or to be taken by the Army, government-army relationships, revolutionary activities, relationships among the Communists and any bad morale factors among the ruling clique to Headquarters. The rumors will be accompanied by Station comments re plausibility, where rumor was overheard and any suggested restrictions on re-use in other countries throughout the Hemisphere. (Weekly report, unless no rumors are overheard.)
3.
The Station will clip and send, with appropriate comments, the column, “Boqueras” to Headquarters whenever it contains rumors of value to the anti-Guatemalan campaign.
4.
ESCONSON I will write a “psychological barometer” report on local conditions, PW activities.2 This report will be sent Headquarters each week.
5.

The Station will make a continuing study of morale factors (complaints, desires, etc.) among the following groups:

a.
Students
b.
Laborers (farm & industrial)3
c.
Army Officers
d.
Enlisted Men
e.
Government Officials
f.
Farm owners & operators4
g.
Business and professional men5

As complete a report as possible on each group should be in Headquarters o/a 15 November 1953. Thereafter Morale Factors should be included with the Rumor Report.

6.
The Station will prepare a list of the 25 most dangerous Communists and pro-Communists6 and attempt to gather data re these targets which could be used for character assassination (either within or outside Guatemala). This study should be as carefully done as possible, but should be in Headquarters possession o/a 1 December 1953.
7.
When Mexican and/or other exile anti-Communist propaganda is found in Guatemala, it should be sent to Headquarters as soon as possible with a covering dispatch describing details of distribution, where found, any reactions, etc.
8.
A bi-weekly flow of negatives, with captions, re conditions in Guatemala will be sent to Headquarters. More pictures of comparisons of living conditions of the top Commies and the peons will be of special value.
9.
Chief of Station will prepare an operation designed to attack the October Feria, sending copy to [place not declassified] and original dispatch to Headquarters.
10.
Headquarters is relying upon Station Guatemala for the checking of propaganda issued by exile groups and will expect all reports to be forthcoming as requested above.
11.
Any propaganda to be placed through Hediger will be forwarded to Headquarters to prevent any crossing of objectives within Guatemala.7
J.C. King8

Chief, WHD
Seen and Approved by:
[name not declassified]
  1. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Job 79–01025A, Box 151, Folder 5. Secret. The memorandum appears to be a draft prepared for King’s signature; it includes several handwritten revisions. No final copy was found.↩
  2. The final phrase “and give ideas on possible PW actions” was deleted by hand.↩
  3. The parenthetical phrase was added by hand.↩
  4. This item originally read “Farmers” it was revised by hand.↩
  5. The last item was added by hand.↩
  6. The phrase “and pro-Communists” was inserted by hand.↩
  7. The sentence originally read: “Any propaganda placed through Hediger will be cleared through Headquarters (Excepting that already in the mill) to prevent any crossing of objectives within Guatemala.” It was changed by hand to read as printed here.↩
  8. Printed from a copy that bears these typed signatures.↩