714.00/5–1154
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State 1
Subject:
- Situation in Guatemala
- Participants: The Secretary
- Ambassador João Carlos Muniz of Brazil
- Mr. Holland, ARA
Mr. Dulles told the Ambassador that he had come to the conclusion that the time had arrived when we must consider joint action regarding the Guatemalan problem. He said that it appeared to us that the penetration of communism in that Government was steadily extending and that it appeared to be spreading to surrounding countries. He pointed out that there were aspects of the Honduran strike which seemed to link it with Guatemala. He said that he did not want to invoke the consultative procedure without first consulting fully with the Government of Brazil and asked the Ambassador whether he would be willing to go to Rio to submit the problem to his Foreign Minister2 and his President.3
The Secretary said that we must realize that it will be impossible to produce evidence clearly tying the Guatemalan Government to Moscow; that the decision must be a political one and based on our deep conviction that such a tie must exist.
The Ambassador said that he would be glad to go, and asked that we prepare for him a statement of evidence4 which he might submit to his Government.