714.56/10–2754
The Secretary of State to the Secretary of Defense (Wilson)1
Dear Mr. Secretary: Arrangements were made in July of this year between the United States and the new Government of Guatemala under which that government became eligible to purchase military equipment from this government.2 The Guatemalan Government has taken action which has removed the objection that the United States had to Guatemala’s reservation to the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance and it now appears that Guatemala will become a party to that Treaty in the near future.3 It is also expected [Page 1235] that Guatemala will soon approve the defense plans of the Inter-American Defense Board. As a further means of strengthening Guatemala’s military relations with the United States and the other American Republics, I recommend that early consideration be given to developing a hemisphere defense role for Guatemala as a first step in the direction of establishing the eligibility of Guatemala for grant military assistance under the provisions of Section 105 of the Mutual Security Act of 1954.
The present Government of Guatemala, which came to power by ousting a communist controlled government, is cooperating fully with the United States and it is in the interest of the United States that this government be supported. Action has already been taken to provide economic assistance to Guatemala and further measures of economic cooperation are under consideration. These measures should assist in maintaining popular support of the present government and help to stabilize the economic situation in that country, but they make no direct contribution to winning and maintaining the support of the Guatemalan military establishment, which probably will assert the determining influence in any political crisis in Guatemala. Although a military assistance agreement with Guatemala would have the purpose of assisting that country to develop a unit, or units, of its armed forces for hemisphere defense missions, provision of assistance under such an agreement would have the additional result of helping to modernize the Guatemalan military establishment. It is believed that a bilateral agreement with the Guatemalan Government would therefore have considerable appeal to the Guatemalan military and the conclusion of an agreement would be a major step in the direction of assuring continued Guatemalan military support of the present Government. The ability of the present Government to obtain assistance would be the more important because of the failure of the previous regime to obtain military equipment from us and would serve to strengthen the Government’s prestige with the Guatemalan Army and thus enhance its ability to maintain internal order.
In view of the unsettled situation in Guatemala it is, quite apart from support of the present Government, important to maintain the friendship and cooperation of the Guatemalan Army because it is, in the final analysis, in the best position to determine the successor government and its orientation. I think it would be a grave error on our part not to recognize that fact and to do everything possible to orient the Guatemalan military toward the United States and secure its firm support for our policy of assuring that communism does not again acquire any influence in the Guatemalan Government.
Because of the special nature of Guatemala’s case, I consider it of great importance that we be in a position to offer the Guatemalan Government a bilateral military assistance agreement as soon as that [Page 1236] Government completes ratification of the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance. That should occur within the next sixty days. I therefore urge that prompt consideration be given to developing a defense role for Guatemala and to making available the necessary funds during this fiscal year and fiscal year 1956 to initiate and carry out a suitable military assistance program in Guatemala.
Sincerely yours,
- Drafted by Robert M. Sayre of the Office of Regional American Affairs.↩
- Reference is to the agreement effected by an exchange of notes at Guatemala City, dated July 27 and 30, 1954; see the editorial note, p. 1217.↩
- Guatemala’s ratification of the Rio Treaty was deposited, with a reservation, on Apr. 6, 1955.↩