414.608/5–2254
The Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Holland) to the Deputy Secretary of Defense (Anderson)1
Dear Mr. Anderson: As the Department of Defense is aware, a large quantity of arms originating behind the Iron Curtain has arrived at Guatemala on May 15, 1954 aboard the S.S. Alfhem, a Swedish flag vessel. Cables to the Department of State, all of which have been distributed to the Department of Defense, have given details concerning this shipment of arms and efforts made to prevent their final delivery, inasmuch as predominant military power in the hands of the pro-Communist Guatemalan Government would create a situation dangerous to the peace and security of this hemisphere.
Information has also been received by this Department, and promptly furnished to the Department of Defense, that two other ships bearing arms are believed coming from the same port, Stettin, to Guatemala, and that their arrival is anticipated in the very near future; these ships may fly the Finnish flag, and one of them was reported to have been seen outside Puerto Barrios on the night of May 14, 1954. In addition to these two ships, the American Consulate at Kingston, Jamaica reported on May 19, 1954 that a German vessel, S.S. Sajma, was sighted off the coast of Cuba on the morning of May 18, 1954, bound for Belize, British Honduras, and carrying twelve crates of arms or explosives, according to a … source; this latter information was sent to the Department of Defense on the same night, and the request made that immediate steps be instituted to locate and identify this vessel. On May 20, 1954, the office of the United States High Commissioner for Germany reported that this ship is probably the Finnish M/S Sajmaa, and this information was sent to the Department of the Navy.
In order that effective steps may be taken to prevent delivery of arms of Soviet or Iron Curtain origin to Guatemala, it is necessary that the Department of State have information as far as possible in advance of the arrival of any such shipments. Confirming our telephone conversation and the previous data furnished to the Department of Defense, it is therefore requested that action be instituted to make available to the Department of State the following information:
- a)
- The identity and location of the two ships reported to be bound for Guatemala from Stettin, carrying arms and ammunition for Guatemala;
- b)
- The identity and location of the vessel reported to have left Stettin and to have been sighted outside of Puerto Barrios on May 14, 1954;
- c)
- The identity and location of the M/S Sajmaa:
- d)
- The identity and location of all ships leaving European ports bound for Puerto Barrios, Guatemala;
- e)
- Intelligence information which would serve to identify and locate any ships entering the Caribbean area from European ports of departure, which might be destined for Puerto Barrios, whether or not this destination is listed.2
Sincerely yours,