ES–35. Letter from the Chargé in El Salvador (Downs) to the Ambassador in El Salvador, Temporarily in Washington (Kalijarvi)1
I received your two letters2 and wish to thank you very much for them and for the advice and counsel which I can read between the lines. We have been exceedingly busy. What with the many discussions we have been having with almost everyone around the place these days, the telegrams that have had to be drafted and cleared and the other myriad of activities which always seem to come upon one, I must admit that I have had very little time for either eating or sleeping. It has, however, as you can probably gather from that end, been a very interesting period. I believe that the pieces of the puzzle are beginning to fall into place fairly rapidly these days and I must say that the picture which is outlined is much as we had thought it would be in the early stages. One thing seems clear: we are in for a very difficult period over the next couple of months. From all we have been able to learn to date I am now more convinced than ever that we will be making a very grave error to put our money on Mr. Osorio. The latest we have heard is that he is drinking very heavily and is now letting it be known among his very close friends that he has indeed been double-crossed. It seems to me, therefore, that our best course of action for the present is to give every bit of under the table assistance we can to the moderate forces in the country—both outside the government and where we can find them inside—and attempt to awaken them to the danger which is clearly apparent and give all the help we can in organizing the fight against it. This I think can be done without recognition on our part and I continue to believe that we would be making a very grave error in recognizing this Junta as it is currently composed.
I think you too would be amazed at the number of people who have been seeking us out in the last week to tell us of their fears and concerns. People who up to a week ago were insisting that we recognize and [Facsimile Page 2] give this government our full assistance. Among them, I am sure, are a large number who contributed both financially and morally [Typeset Page 634] to the overthrow of the Lemus regime. I think that they are now coming to realize that they have a bear by the tail—genesis Russian—and are now very much concerned about how to get rid of it. That it will be gotten rid of, at least in the form of the present Junta, I am convinced. Just how soon the very careful preparations that will be necessary for success will be ready is anyone’s guess. I don’t believe, however, that we will find the present situation existing at the end of this month. I hope we will be able to convince our peers in Washington to hold off for at least this long.
. . ..3
Most sincerely,
- Source: Department of State, ARA/OAP Files, Lot 64 D 16, “Junta Memoranda: El Salvador, 1960.” Confidential. Kalijarvi enclosed this letter with a memorandum to Herter, November 16, 1960, opposing immediate recognition of the Junta and recommending his prompt return to El Salvador. (ARA/OAP Files, Lot 63D 127, “El Salvador, 1960”)↩
- The letters under reference were not further identified.↩
- Four dots appear in the source text.↩