Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, The American Republics, Volume IV

363.1/6–3054:Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Guatemala ¹

secret
priority

Washington, June 30, 1954—8:22 p.m.

1382. Department feels Peace Committee should fulfill its schedule to spend three days each in Guatemala City, Tegucigalpa, and Managua, thus fulfilling need for demonstration to UN Security Council of positive OAS action and strengthening prestige of OAS in hemisphere.

If representatives Junta unwilling act in absence Monzon Peurifoy should recommend they cable Peace Committee requesting it await further communication upon return Guatemala of Monzon at which time Junta should advise Committee, COAS and UNSC that Guatemala no longer has controversy with Honduras and Nicaragua but requests that Committee nevertheless visit Guatemala as planned. Committee’s visit Guatemala affords splendid opportunity full demonstration Communist penetration Arbenz government, atrocities and subversive activities.

Willauer and Whelan should recommend their governments immediately cable Peace Committee through Ministry of Foreign Relations in Mexico stating they no longer have controversy with Guatemala but renewing invitation Committee fulfill its program come to Honduras from Guatemala for three days thence to Nicaragua for same period.

Every effort should be made cause Committee return with report it has achieved harmonious relations between three countries and condemning international Communist movement for its attempts destroy inter-American system through subversive activities disrupting harmonious relations between American states.²

McDermott should promptly keep other addressees this cable fully advised progress conferences³ San Salvador.

Dulles

1. Drafted and signed by Assistant Secretary Holland. Sent also to the Embassies in Tegucigalpa, Managua, San Salvador, and USUN in New York; repeated to the Embassy in Mexico for the information of Ambassador Daniels.
2. On June 30, 1954, the Guatemalan Government requested the IAPC to reconsider its decision to send an investigating committee to Guatemala, and on July 2 Guatemala reconfirmed its request; translations of the relevant messages exchanged between the IAPC and Guatemala are quoted in full in the Department’s circular instruction CA–134, to all diplomatic posts in the American Republics and to USUN in New York, dated July 6, 1954, not printed (363/7–654). Also on July 2, the Governments of Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, in view of the mediation which in the meantime had resulted in the termination of the armed conflict in Guatemala, advised the IAPC that the reason for the investigation had ceased to exist. The final report of the IAPC on the controversy between the three countries, dated July 8, 1954, is printed in the Annals of the Organization of American States, 1954, pp. 239–245.
3. Reference is to the talks between Castillo Armas and Colonel Monzón held in San Salvador, June 30–July 2, 1954.