NI–26. Editorial Note
On November 17, 1960, President Eisenhower’s press secretary, James C. Hagerty, issued the following statement on behalf of the President: “In response to requests of the Governments of Guatemala and Nicaragua, surface and air units of the United States Navy are in a position in which they could assist these Governments, should [Typeset Page 880] it become necessary, to seek out and prevent intervention on the part of Communist-directed elements in the internal affairs of Guatemala and Nicaragua through the landing of armed forces or supplies from abroad.” The text of the statement is printed in the Department of State Bulletin, December 12, 1960, p. 888.
In response to questions from the press concerning legal grounds for United States action in the event that it implemented the measures contemplated in the President’s statement, Lincoln White, Department of State press spokesman, issued the following statement on November 17:
“Any assistance which may be given in conformity with the President’s announcement will be in response to a request which the respective governments concerned have every right in their sovereign capacity to make and which the United States in its sovereign capacity has a right to provide. It would be carried out within the national jurisdiction of the requesting government. Naturally we shall be prepared to provide other governments members of the Organization of American States with information regarding actions which might be taken.” The Department conveyed the text of the statement to all Latin American posts in circular telegram 727, November 17; 741B.5811/11–1760.
As a result of Eisenhower’s directive, the U.S.S. aircraft carrier Shangri-La, together with a number of destroyers and naval aircraft positioned themselves off the coast of Guatemala and Nicaragua. On December 7 after the two Governments involved had decided that the emergency had passed, the President ordered the withdrawal of the American units. See the press release issued by the White House on December 7, printed in the Department of State Bulletin, December 26, 1960, p. 958.