NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62-00865R000300200002-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 134
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 13, 1998
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: July 14, 1954
• Content Type: NSPR

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riPP7'2MENT
NEWS
HIGHLIGHTS
Date
JULY 14, 1954
10..4'i- 51
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N.Y.
MAY 2
r CPYRGHT
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Times
1954
CPYRGHT
GUATEMALAN FETE
IS ANTI-U.S. AFFAIR
Leader Charges Intimidation
at Caracas?Rejects Bid
to Indemnify Fruit Outfit
CPYRGHT
s n
eng upi ,er,
the Presidellr said, apparently al-
luding to the United States, "W
were to have been annihilated b.
,bis destructive rays."
The critics were wrong, tin
President said, adding: 'The'
were wrong because when a peo ?
pie is right it is brave, and whei
It is not cowardly it can conquer
the greatest enemy."
The President remarked tha
there was strong opposition tc
his administration in Guatemale
but that it was being successfulls
combatted. He added that "ir
the internationat. field we hay(
discovered new? conspiracies ant
Special to The New York Times.
GUATEMALA 'foreignMay 1?Guate-
oreign intervention in Guate-
,
mala celebrated May Day here Inala*"
today with a huge Communist- The President also made refer-
organized parade and highly na-
ence to the United States State
tionalistic speeches by President Department's recent demand for
Jacobo Arbenz Guzman and Vic-
more than $15,000,000 as indem-
nity for the United Fruit Corn-
tor Manuel
Y pany's land expropriations.
of the Labor Federation and one "Foreign interests, within a agrarian reform program.
of Guatemala's leading Commu?
month of Caracas, have Presentedflirts,Originally the United Fruit
NAY 2 1954
Guatemala
Takes Over
Fruit Lands
By A. T. Steele
By Wireless to the Herald Tribune
t.opyrIght. 1000 as a. am la anomie MC.
GUATEMALA CITY, May 1.?
Expropriated areas of the United
Fruit Company's properties in
the Tiqquisate region are filling
up fast With settlers under
the Guatemalan govenment's
a fine stand of African oil palms.
Clyde Dalawder, the planta-
tion manager, said this area has
been moved into and many
trees have been destroyed or
damaged. Some outlying build-
ings have been taken over by
settlers.
The banana plantings, how-
ever, and the main installations
have not been affected, and the
plantation operations continue
more or less as usual.
In the expropriated zone I
talked. with. newly settled "agra-
ristas" pinting corn in a patch
of semi-cleared but unplowed
an absurd bill for $15,000,000 for
It was estimated that more
. Guatemalan territory," the Presi- Tiquisate plantation consisted
dent said. He added that Guate-
mala intended to pay according
to the terms of her own laws,
paying according to the tax
valuation of the , expropriated,
land
persons marched
the parade, which took three
hours in passing the National
Palace where it was reviewed
from a balcony by President
Arbenz.
The theme of the parade floats
generally was condemnation of He declared that the Americannote represented Guatemala as
"Yankee imperialism" and "for-
eign intervention." a ? "thief." The note, he said,
This was the theme also, for
could only be qualified as "mon-
the! " and he informed the
the; most part, of the talks by
President Arbenz and Senor cheering throng that Guatemala Gutierrez,had rejected it emphatically.
The President told a Senor Gutieri ez said that the
crowd in Cathedral Plaza, esti-'
mated at between 10,000 and 15,-
000, that the "reactionary opposi-
tion" had hinted that Guatemala
was going to be destroyed in
rCaracas at the Tenth Inter-
',American Conference.
"We were to be intimidated at
of 300,000 acres, and of this
240,000 acres was taken by the
government on the ground it
was not being used. For this
s. seizure the government offered
just under $600,000 in long-term
bonds. United Fruit refused
this offer as inadequate, and
asked for more than $15,000,000.
This claim, submitted last
Week by the United States gov-
ernment, was rejected Monday
by Guatemalan 'Foreign Min-
anti-Communist resolution pushed
ister Guillermo Toriello.,
through by the United States at In a visit to the hot coastal
Caracas was "a mask underf lowlands southwest Of here, this
which anti-communism was used
to tie Guatemala hand and foot correspondent was shown
or the voracity of the United
Fruit Company and other Yankee
monopolies."
?Referring to the United Stats,
Senor Gutierrez said: "We are
faced with a dangerous enemy
Which has launched ad interven-
tionist motion violating all inter-
American pacts."
The recent military pact be-
ween the United States and Nic-
aragua was for the purpose of
"using Nicaragua as base of ag-
gression against Guatemala," he
said, adding: "We protest and
denounce foreign intervention di-
rected against our national
,sovereignty."
While a majority of the forty-
five floats were devoted to the in-
ternational theme, especially con-
demnation of the United States,
some were in open criticism of
domestic policies. Most of these
dealt with demands for a de-
crease in living costs and a rise
in wages.
Y, H. TA
APR 28 1954
Newsmen Deplore
Guatemala Raid
GUATEMALA CITY, April 27
I111.?The Guatemalan News-
paper Men's Association adopted
a resolution today repudiating a
recent attack on the anti-Com-
munist broadcasting station,
Radio Internacional.
Five masked men entered the
station last Wednesday night,
destroyed transmitting installa-
tions and carried away part of
the equipment.
The resolution described the
action as an attack against free-
dom of expression. The station
had been broadcasting a daily
anti-Communist program spon-
sored by a cOmmittee of anti-
Communist students.
Cubans Halt All Work
' Special to The New Y01.14 Times.
HAVANA, May 1?Cuban labor
brought commerce and industry
to a halt all over the island today
in observance of May Day.
_ _
through the Tiquisate I planta-
tion. The management of the
plantation complains that even
the lads which were exempted
from expropriation are being
infiltrated by squatters and set-
tlers, who have so far refused
to move.
Of the 60,000 acres to which
United Fruit retains title, about
18,000 acres are in bananas. A
considerable part of the remain-
der was made up of pasturage,
plantings of teak and cedar, and
' In Havana bus transportation
was suspended during the greater
part of the day. Cafes and bars
were closed and moving picture
theatres did not open until eve-
ning. No newspapers were pub-
lished, radio broadcasts were few.
The Confederation of Cuban
Workers, the central organization
controlling the island's labor,
held a mass rally this morning
at the Palace of Workers.
The workers heard their leaders
;list a long series of demands that
Will be presented to President
Fulgencio Batista.
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Miguel?offered a few opinions
about the United States. "We
hear," he said, "that the United
States wants te invade our coun-
try, and we are not going to
allow it."
Asked where he had picked
that up, he replied, "In the
newspapers and at our meet-
ings."
Maj. Alfonso Martinez, chief
of the National Agrarian De-
partment, said that squatters
occupying land not officially ex-
propriated and allocated to them
will be required to move else-
where.
Nj. Times
Y 5
GUATEMALANS GET
APPEAL TO REVOLT
Existence ,of Anti-Communist
Radio Station Near Border
of Honduras Announced
? By PAUL P. KENNEDY
Special to The New York Times.
GUATEMALA, May 4?It was
acknowledged officially today
that a clandestine radio station
was broadcasting anti-Commu-
nist material and exhorting the
country to revolution.
There had been reports the sta-
tion was operating, but the police
remained silent until last night,
after the Communist-controlled
General Confederation of Labor
had brought the matter to the
Government's attention.
The confederation reported it
had learned the station was in
San Marcos Department, near the
Mexican border. But the police
announcement today said it was
believed the station was operat-
ing behind the Honduran border.
In the official acknowledge-
ment, the police said the station
identified itself as "The Voice of
Co tit'.
Approved For RalikaslinkbAlf3,1031A-RDP62-0086114148131200002-7
Liberation." Its program ,contei
the announcement said, advancet.
"Subversive proposals" and at-
tempted to "excite seditious- ele-
ments to opposition against the
constituted Government,"
Pressure on Stations Cited
The station's existence, which
received particular attention in
the press this morning, is of in-
terest just now because the an-
nouncement comes when pressure
on independent radio stations
seems to be reaching a climax.
This pressure has been charac-
terized by threats and even vio-
lence over the last year exerted
primarily against stations that
either have been broadcasting
outright anti-Communist pro-
grams or have been somewhat
anti-Communist in view.
The Government entered the
picture last week when the sta-
tions received official notice that
a restrictive article in the law re-
ferring to so-called "radio news-
papers" would be strongly ob-
lerved henceforth. This article
requires thatprograms dealing in
domestic or foreign politics must
be recorded and presented to
Government authorities within
twenty-four hours of broadcast
time. This is an alternative in
which a station may advise the
Government of plans for such a
program three hours before
broadcasting.
Program Is Canceled
Radio newspapers are a pe-
culiar institution to Guatemala.
They are operated by professional
newspaper men who buy radio
time, arrange and write a pro-
gram, and sell commercial time.
The close tie between these di-
rectors with working newspaper
men has keenly interestd inde-
pendent newspapers, and espe-
cially the influential Guatemalan
Journalists Association, in the
fate of the programs and their
directors.
Last week, Radio Telefunken
Canceled such a prdirrain pro-
clucecl by Francisco Baia& on the
ground it had expressed political
thoughts. While not ,anti-Com-
munist, the program contained
occaSional items unfavorable to
Communism.
On April 21 Radio Interna-
cional was invaded by an afthed
band. Two attendants were se-
verely beaten,and the station was
wrecked. The staticin at that
time was broadcasting an "Anti-
Communist Hour," a fifteen-min-
ute program sponsored by the
Students Anti-Communist Asso-
ciation. The station has returned
to the aire, but it is not broad-
casting the "Anti-Communist
Hour."
This program, the source of
much violence in the last year,
has switched from one station to
another following incidents. One
conductor ?f the program, Hora-
cio DecorOol?e, was :sent into
MAY? 1954 7 1954
Cache of Russian
Arms Is Found
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, May 7?
A military patrol has discovered a
cache of Russian-made arms and
ammunition which authorities be-
lieve may have been landed by a
mysterious submarine reported op-
erating off Nicaragua's Pacific
coast.
The arsenal was shown to diplo-
mats and newsmen last night by
President Anastasio Somoza. It in-
cluded two machine guns, 20 hand
grenades, 40 rifles and many rounds
of ammunition. All were stamped
with the hammer-and-sickle and the
date 1938, apparently the year of
manufacture.
N.Y. Times
MAY 7 1954
5 DIE IN GUATEMALA RIOT
Peasants Battle Police Over
Parceling Out of Land
Special to The New York Times.
GUATEMALA, May 6?The
Guatemalan Agrarian Depart-
ment announced today that five
persons were killed and several
others wounded in one of the
most serious armed clashes over
agrarian matters since the issu-
ance of the ? agrarian bill last
year.
The rioting that occurred In
the near-by town of San Juan
Ermita apparently stemmed from
the distribution of land that the
peasants from the surrounding
villages considered municipal
property not affected by the'ag-
rarian bill.
Approximately 300 peasants,
armed with clubs, machetes and
firearms, attacked the Agrarian
Committee members who were
parceling out the land.
When the police intervened
three policemen were killed. Re-
inforcements from the Civil
Guard finally succeeded in dis-
persing the attackers and retor-
ing order. Several Of the attack-1
ers were arrested.
exile.
Roberto Vizcaino, owner of
Radio Continental, which also
broadcast anti-Communist mate-
rial, was forced out of the coun-
try and his station dismantled.
Radio Voz Dela Capitol, an-
'other station broadcasting anti-
Communist material, ceased
doing so after members of its
personnel had been attacked by
'masked persons.
SOVIET BID GETS BACKING
Labor Body Urges Guatemala
to Accept Trade Talk Offer
Special to The New York Mmes.
GUATEMALA, May 6 ?The
Red-led Guatemalan Confedera-
tion of Labor announced today it
was urging the Government and
industrial and agricultural asso-
ciations to accept the Soviet in-
vitation to a trade meeting
scheduled to take place in Mos-
cow in September.
The Confederation, which con-
trols virtually all organized labor
in the country, says the Soviet
invitation would benefit the
country by openin gnew markets
for Guatemala's products.
According to the invitation,
the Soviet Union would pay all
expenses of three Guatemalan
delegates.
N.Y. H. Ts
IV 9 1954
Danger Signals in Honduras
?The present general strike in Honduras has
political overtones which may well be ex-
tremely serious. Taking its rise in a wage
dispute bLtween the United Fruit Co. and
dock workers in the Atlantic coastal ports,
the disturbance took a new turn when Gen-
eral Inestroza, Minister in the Honduran
government, intervened. At his suggestion
both sides made certain concessions pending
classification Of the 1949 labor law, and he let
it be, known that a renewal of work stoppages
in the interim would be considered a strike
,against the government.
Now that work stoppages have been renewed
and are, in fact, spreading beyond their
original area, the Honduran government has
been obliged to call up troops to deal with
this threat to its authority. Lending further
gravity to the Situation is the question of
what part may be played by Left-Wing ele-
ments across the border in Guatemala.
This flare-up in the ranks of Honduran
labor undoubtedly has a close relation to the
elections coming, along next autumn. The
Nationalist party, which has controlled the
country for some twenty years, has been
seriously weakened by the defection of its
Reformist wing, and the Liberal party has its
best opportunity, with opposition divided, in
a long time. The Liberals' Presidential can.
didate, at this critical time, is Dr. Villeda
Morales, who is generally regarded as sym-
pathetic to the policies of the current Guate-
malan regime.
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???
S
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NA. Times
MAY 1 3 1961
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Nsh. Hai
Gdatem$hflAflWediPetetTed
5pe to The New Tort Times.
GU MALA, May 12?An
anti-Communist students' corn-
mittee disclosed today that the
police had seized 4,500 'copies of
their weekly. publication, -The
Rebel, as they were about to be
mailed.
NYTivn e5
04,y q,? icist1
Guatemalans Attack Dulles ?
Special to The New YorIc Times.
GUATEMALA, May 13?An
editorial in last night's issue of
the official Government news-
paper 'Mario de Centro America
strongly attacked Secretary of
States Dulles. It charged that he
was ill-disposed toward the
Guatemalan regime and that he
sought the abolition of the Octo-
ber, 1,944, revolution that over-
threw -fourteen years of dictator-
ship.
, The attack resulted from Mr.
Dulles' recent declarations in
Washington that he thought the
United Fruit strike in Honduras
was not a purely national affair
and that it had occurred hi an
area of Honduras from which
Guatemalan consuls were recent-
ly expelled. The editorial said
that Mr. Dulles' judgment seemed
far-fetched. It added:
"We emphatically declare that
Guatemala has not participated
tlirectly or indirectly in the Hon-
duras strike. Such a strike is the
eecourse of Honduran workers,
who seek recovery of their rights
ta Hodduras soil."
Approved
MAY 13 1954
: 1.7
Nicaraguan Envoy Links Arms to Sub
InteroattoheVNewe Service day that a "non-American" sub
Nicaragua's Ambassador to marine was sighted off the
the United States said yester- Nicaraguan coast recently,
St Low% Post:De p
Ms), IS 05f II
ISUATEMAIA WINS
MEXICAN FAVOR
IN ANT1-11.3 DRIVE
Charge of American
Threat to Sovereignty
Arouses Sympathy. ?
Little Proof Offered.
By LAURANCE F. STUNTZ
MEXICO CITY, May 18 (AP)
?Guatemala is making a de-
termined?and so far successful
?bid to enlist Mexican sym-
pathy in its private cold war
with the United States.
Many Mexicans, with their
background of suspicion of the
United States, sympathize with
Guatemala's contention that its
sovereignty is threatened.
When you try to pin a Mexi-
can down on precisely what the
United States has done againsti
Guatemala, Many will concede
there is no action they can cite.
Others say the United States
demand that Guatemala pay for
land it expropriated from the
United Fruit Co. is an attack
against Guatemalan sovereignty.
OWN" movements.
Also, remembering the 1847
war and the 1914 occupation of
Veracruz, Mexicans are ready to
believe in the possibility of
United States intervention.
The greatest proof of the suc-
cess of the Guatemalan bid for
Mexican support is the list of
speakers at a meeting called by
"The Society of Frie.-ds of
Guatemala." The new society
had a capacity crowd at its first
meeting in a 3000-seat Mexican
theater.
Known Mexican Communists
twere present but stayed in the
background. The speakers did
not include any avowed Commu-
itists. But on the list was Sen-
ator Pedro de Alba, chairman of
the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, who said he did not
believe Guatemala was Commu-
nist. Also on the list were other
influential figures in Mexican
government.
The Guatemalan's prize pack-
age rovWk a statement from for-
mer President Lazaro Cardenas.
Cardenas, who expropriated the
foreign oil companies in Mexico,
is still one of the most powerful
political factors in the country.
The leftists try hard to give the
impression he backs them, but
he speaks cautiously.
Nevertheless, he sent a mes-
sage of greeting to the meeting.
It was not particularly strong,
but it left no doubt that he
sympathizes with Guatemala.
The Guatemalan government
sent a strong delegation here for
the society meeting. It has fol-
lowed this up with other. dele-
gations.
Newspapers here -have been
generally benevolently neutral to
Guatemala.
One disadvantage for Uncle
Sam is that there is nobody
here to ask loudly and fre-
quently for proof of United
States threats to Guatemala. In-
dividual North Americans may
do it, but there aren't enough of
them to make the challenge ef-
fective.
Guatemala has factors on its
side in the contest for Mexican
sympathy. Having had a land
expropriation and agrarian pro-
gram of its own some 30 years
ago, -Mexico tends to favor
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shortly before a cache of arms
?some of them bearing Com-
munist insignia?was discov-
ered in the jungle nearby.
The envoy, Guillermo Sevilla-
Sacasa, showed newsmen photo-
graphs of the small arms, in-
cluding 40 rifles, two machine
guns, 20 hand grenades and
four pistols bearing the ham-
mer and sickle. All the weap-
ons, he said, yvere made in
Europe. -
The Ambassador said the
arms presumably were un-
loaded by a strange submarine
that had been noticed previous-
ly in the area of Masachapa on
Nicaragua's Pacific coast.
He? said a floating buoy,
twhich apparently was placed
in the sea to indicate where
the guns had been unloaded,
led to their discovery by the
Nicaraguan army.
Sevilla-Sacasa called the inci-
dent a "grave event which
places the peace and security
of the continent in real dan-
ger."
He said that, at the instruc-
tions of his government, he re-
ported the matter to Henry F.
Holland, Assistant United
States Secretary of State for
Inter-American Affairs, and
that Holland told him the
United States would investi-
gate.
Sevilla-Sacasa declared: "The
situation is much graver than
it seems, since the Communists,
in choosing our country as their
first objective, wanted to con-
vert Nicaragua into the Korea
of America.'
3
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N.Y. Times
MAY 1 8 1954
Communist Arms Unloaded in Guatemala
By Vessel From Polish Port, U S. Learns
State Department Views Erabassy Says Nation of
News Gravely Because Central AmericaMay Buy
of Red Infiltration Munitions Anywhere
Special to The New York Times,
WASHINGTON, May 17?The
State Department said today that
it had reliable information that
'an important shipment of arms''
has been sent from Communist-
controlled territory to Guatemala.
It said the arms, now being
unloaded at Puerto Barrios, Gua-
temala, had been shipped from
Stettin, a former German Baltic
seaport, which has been occupied
by Communist Poland since World
War II. The Guatemalan Govern-
ment has frequently been accused
of being influenced by Commu-
nists.
"Because of the origin of these
arms, the point of their embaNea-
MIPOIMN
The New York Times May 18, 1954
Site of arms arrival (cross)
tion, their destination and the
quantity of arms involved, the
Department of State considers
that this is a development of
gravity," the announcement said.
A freighter arrived at Puerto
Barrios last Saturday, the State
Department reported, carrying a
large shipment of armament con-
'signed to the Guatemalan Gov-
ernment.
The State Department did not
divulge the exact quantity of the
arms, their nature or where they
had been manufactured.
Reliable sources told The New
York Times, however, that ten
freight car loads of goods listed
in the manifest of the ship as
"hardware" had been unloaded
from this ship and sent to Guat-
emala City since Sunday. Guate-
mala City is 150 miles from
Puerto Barrios.
The noimal rate of unloading,
the sources said, would be 200 to
300 tons a day.
The State Department gave the
name of the freighter as Alfhelm.
Lloyd's Registry of Shipping does
not list a ship under fiat spell-
ing, but does list the Alfhelrn, a
4,000-ton freighter of Swedish
registry,
A. spokesman of the Guate -
malan Embassy here said he had
no doubt the State Department's
information was accurate. "But
what is 'grave' about it?" he
asked. "Guatemala is free to buy
its arms where it can."
He remarked that there were
numerous salesmen from Czecho-
slovakia, the probable manufac-
turer of the arms, in Latin
America.
The State Department is
alarmed over the arms shipment
because the Guatemalan Govern-
ment has been heavily infil-
trated by Communists, There
was some puzzlement here about
the destination of the arms, since
the Guatemalan Army is gen-
erally considered the main re-
straining force limiting the in-
fluence of the Communists.
Anti-Red Resolution Cited
At the tenth Inter-American
Conference at. Caracas, Vene-
zuela, on March 13, Guatemala
cast the only vote against a
resolution declaring that com-
munism was a "threat to the
sovereignty and political indepen-
dence of the American States,
endangering the peace of Amer-
ica."
Domination or control of the
political institutions of any
American state by the Commu-
nist movement "would call for
consultation and appropriate
action in accordance with exist-.
ing treaties" among the Ameri-
can states, the resolution said.
There was no indication as to
whether the United States was
planning action. The problem of
Guatemala is one of the most
delicate the State Department has
t.o deal with in the Western
Hemisphere, officials said.
Even though the Latin Ameri-
can states backed the United
States' anti-Communist resolu-
tion at Caracas, they said, if the
United States took political or
economic action against:Guate-
mala, protests against "Yankee
interventionism" would probably
be heard throughout Latin Amer-
ica,
Strike Called for Tomorrow
Special to The New Yorgrimes.
GUATEMALA, May 17 ? A
strike involving 4,000 United
Fruit Company workers on the
Atlantic Coast has been set for
Wednesday, union representa-
tives announced today. The deci-
sion was taken last night follow-
ng a meeting at which Carlos
Manuel Pellecer, Communist Con-
gressman as well as Secretary of
Labor conflicts of the Guate-
malan Confederation of Labor,
was the main speaker.
By a unanimous decision the
workers agreed to reject the
management's offers of wage in-
creases and other prerequisites
made during a conciliatory con-
ference last Friday called by the
Court of Appeals. Senor Pellecer
had advised the men to strike as
the best means of forcing the
company to grant the wage in-
creases they seek.
Guatemala Charged Plot
On Jan. 29 the Guatemalan
Government charged that it had
uncovered a plot to invade Guate-
mala by land, sea and air. It said
the Nicaraguan President, Anas-
tasio Somoza, was preparing the
invasion with support. from El
Salvador, the Dominican Repub-
lic, Venezuela, and "the Govern-
ment of the Nerth," meaning the
United States.
The State Department said
Then that It would not dignify the_
Guatemalan charge with a denial.
Other sources speculated that the
Guatemalan regime might have
used the invasion charge to
liquidate opponents at home.
---
Vessel Owned in Sweden
The Alphm was built In 1fl30
at Odense, Denmark, according
to Lloyd's Register of Shipping.
Her home port is Uddevalla, Swe-
den, and her owners are Angbats,
BohuslanSka & Kusten, Inc. She
?
was formerly the Gausdal (in
1053), the Hoegh Trader (1936)
and Guldborg in 1933.
Wash. Evening Star
MAY 19 1954
Guatemalan Military
Won't Talk of Ship;
Cargo Now Unloaded
By the Associatedtress
GUATEMALA, May 19.?Gua-
temala's military chief said yes-
terday his country's constitution
barred him from snaking any
statement about a Swedish
freig-hter which the United States
says arrived here with arms from
communist Poland.
Col. Carlos Enrique Diaz re-
fused to either confirm or deny
that the arms were being un-
loaded at Puerto Barrios on the
Caribbean coast of Guatemala.
(Private advices reaching
New York said Guatemala's
defense minister went to Puer-
to Barrios to supervise un-
loading the cargo, said to in-
clude Man arms. Ten railway
carloads were reported to have
C
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Approved
left Puerto Bartioefor Guate-
mala City.)
The freighter has been at
Puerto Barrios since Saturchty.
Unloading of cargo started the
day of arrival. The ship is ex-
pected to remain in the port un-
til tomorrow. The United States
State Department says the ship
picked up its cargo at Stettin,
a German port before World
War II and now part of Poland.
? Unofficial sources said the un-
loading of the shipment from
the freighter had been completed
Sunday and that the special
trains with the cargo had arrived
here.
These sources said? the ship-
ment was being removed from
the trains only at night, 'under
military guard. The newspaper
Imparcial said one of its pho-
tographers had taken a. picture
of the unloading scene but an
army official confiscated his film.
Meanwhile union leaders in
Guatemala ordered 5,000 ,em-1
ployes of the United States-
owned United Fruit Co. to walk
off their jobs today at Izabei.
The leaders said the strike had
a double purpose?to seek? more
pay and to demonstrate sypspa-
thy with United Fruit workers
M neighboring Honduras who
have been on strike since April
30.
For Release 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000300200002-7
Niro .1sre
4-4114,May19,1954 * - New York Journal-American
;Wash,. Evening Star
MAY 19 1954
mem* Vie wed
As Red 2nd front
U. S. Military Men Predict Action
There .If We Move in Indochina
By DAVID SENTNER
New York Journal-American Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, May 19.?The shipment of Soviet
satellite arms and munitions to Red Guatemala was
believed today to be a move by Moscow to establish a
diversionary "second front" in Latin -America in event
the United States intervenes in Indochina.
weapons from a Polish post
The 2,000-ton shipment of ----
vening here Wednesday, for con-
certed action in the face of this
being unloaded at Puerto "grave situation."
'Barrios in Guatemala is Rep. Billings (R.-Cal.,
intended to make this stra- warned the House that the
tegically located Central Soviet arms-shipment is part
American nation a Red of a plan to sabotage the Pan-
beachhead in South America ama Canal if the U.S. inter.
in case war comes in the venes in Indochina. Billings
IPacific, according to top
PLAN FOR ACTION. believes the Monroe Doctrine
mints,* sources. '
could be applied in event the
OAS fails to take action.
.
The Soviet arming of Corn-
The State Department is pre- munist-controlled Guatemala is
paring to sound out the Organ- also feared to be the prelude to
isation of American States, con- direct military interference in
the Red-fomented general strike
in adjacent Honduras. .
ALARM HEIGHTENED.
, Washington's alarm over the
brazen Soviet shipment of arms
Red Arms to Guatemala
dhasIt is significant that the State Department
used the phrase "a development of gravity"
,
?a development that could evolve into a
threat to the securityl of the Western Hemi-
sphere?in commenting on the arms shipment
that Guatemala has received from the port of
Stettin in Soviet-controlled Poland.
'True, there is no rule in international law
that debars the country from acquiring weapons
from the world behind the Iron Curtain or
anywhere else it can get them. But tough and
conspiratorial Communist influences are very
strong in Guatemala's extremely leftist govern-
ment, and there is therefore good reason to
look with a sharp and suspicious eye on this
military importation?a relatively large one?
from the dominance-seeking Soviet empire.
It may well be, actually, that the shipment
has an altogether sinister purpose. This is the
more true because there have been some indica-
tions that Guatemalan agitators have been
largely instrumental in precipitating the po-
tentially explosive strike now going on in the
banana fields across the border in neighboring
Honduras. Is major violence in the making
there? Are the arms from Stettin destined to
Approved For Release 2000/05/03
to a Western hemisphere nation
was belibtened by a repbrt that
Guatemalan Reds recently at-
tempted to secure a sizeable
amount of weapons through the
Russian Embassy in Mexico City.
The arms requested were
listed as 2,450 Czechoslovakian
rifles, 1,419 Mexican rifles, 581
Thompson machine guns, 27
50-calibre machine guns, and
a large supply of hand
grenades.
The Russians rejected the re-
quest, according to the report,
on the grounds the Shipload
from Poland already was en
route to Guatemala and that the
arms available in Mexico City
would do more gad in Honduras.
An armada of fishing vessels
was reported being assembled
for shipment of the weapons to
'Honduras.
Direct evidence of Moscow's
plan for intervention in Hon-
duras was reported contained in
I a black envelope seized early
this month by Honduras police
from a Guatemalan. air force
plane which landed 'without a
permit at the Puekto Cortes air-
port in Henduras.
A search of the plane also
revealed a map of Honduras
with code marks of properties
and government installations
believed to represent Commu-
nist agents or cells.
The so-called "invasion' of
Honduras by the Guatemalan
air force plane led to the two.
Gutemalan consults in Hon-
duras being ordered home.
aid and abet it? Or are they meant primarily
to help the Communists stage an internal coup
calculated to place Guatemala under their full
control?
These questions are speculative, of course,
'but the State Department's comment on the
situation strongly suggests that there is solid
ground for concern among Guatemala's im-
mediate neighbors and throughout the whole
Inter-American community. Certainly, if the
arms shipment really con'stitutes "a develop-
ment of gravity" and if it can be viewed as a
substantial hemispheric threat, one or another
of the Americas ought to take 'the initiative in
seeing to it that the matter is dealt with through
invocation of the Caracas resolution or other
existing procedures for united action.
Thus, as adopted last March?with Guate-
mala alone voting "no"?the Caracas resolution
declares that the domination of any one of the
Americas by international communism would
be a threat to all and would require a hemi-
spheric consultative meeting to consider corn-
C
CIA-RDP62-00865R000300200002-7
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mon protective measures. Accordingly, if a
Guatemalan Red coup impel-ids, iuth a meeting
will be in order, or if the weapons from Stettin
mean trouble for Honduras, there will be roason
to invoke the mutual seCurity treaty of Rio de
Janeiro.
Although speculation of this sort. may be
alarmist, the State Department ai.rently finds
the situation genuinely worrisome, Guatemala,
after all, has been anything but a good neigh-
bor for some time past, and the fact that it has
obtained arms from Kremlin-controlled sources
can hardly be laughed off. The development
clearly calls for an on-guard inter-American
reaction.
N.Y. Times
MAY 19 1954
U.S. W Tits Rio Pact Inquiry
On Arms Sent to Guatemala
Informs American Lands of Communist
Cargo?Says It Might Possibly Be
Threat to Hemisphere Security
Reciprocal Assistance, was signed lean, unity, the cause of freedom,
end sovereignty within the West-
in Rio de Janeiro by nine,s7 ,
era Hemisphere," he said.
American republics on Aug. 3u 1 The United States has taken i
tee matter up with both Sweden'
and Britain. The ship, the 1,900-
ton Alfhem, is owned by a Swed-
ish company, but had been char-,
troversies and for "reciprocal as-.
sistance to meet armed attacks
against any American state, and
,in order to deal with threats of
!aggression a,ga'nst any of them,
miens because there was no em-
Article 6 states: "If the in- j
[berg? or blockade in effect
iviolability or the integrity of the against Guatemala.
cerritory or the sovereignty or The United States is concerned.
political independence of any however, with the prospect of(
Guatemala's being a point oil
American date should be af ? P.
Communist infiltration and prop-
1
fected by an aggression which is aganda in this hemisphere. Offi-
not an armed attack or by an cials have said that the Soviet
extra-continental or intra-contin- Union has used Guatemala for
ental conflict, or by any other slipping Communist agents into
fact or situation that might en-, neighboringLatin-American coun-
-danger the peace of America, the' tries.
immediately in order to agree on 2 o vaig
the measures which must be SI/
taken in case of aggression to
assist the victim of the aggres-
sion or in any case, the measures
By WALTER H. WAGGONER
Special to The New York Times,
WASHINGTON, May 18?Thebe done under the Rio treaty
There are many provisions in thi
State Department indicated today
that the Communist shipment of
arms to Guatemala might pos-
sibly be regarded as a threat to
the security of the Americas un-
der the terms of the Treaty ef
1947. It provides for consultation
among the signatoriee to the
treaty for the settlement of con-
eered by ar, English concern,'
identified here as E. E. Dean.
Both Bx itish and Swedish;
sources said they found nothing I
Hiegel al illicit about the ship-
MO"
Organ of Consultation shall meet SVe es
which should be taken for the
common defense and for the
maintenance of the peace and
security of the continent."
The Administration's foreign
policy spokeshian in the Senate
meanwhile declared that the ship-
ment, which he called both "tre-
mendous" and "massive," was
"part of the master-plan e world
communism."
Addressing the Inter-American'
Committee of the District of
and other treaties under wensiliColumbia Bar Association, Sena-
something could be done." :tor Alexander Wiley, Republican
He was then asked whether the of Wisconsin and chairman of
situation could be considered the Senate Foreign Relations
under the Rio ne,4it as ea threat Committee, said the lominous
Rio de Janeiro. ? to the security of the Western a ?
A State Department spoke si a of Communise intervention" that
am Hemisphere." sphere was one ot the "aspects
emphasized that Washington had , Mr. White said it esuld. But
?
not yet fully decided whether tiie T,,,flecting the caution being ex: merited ' the closest and most
shipment constituted Such a ercised by the State Department continuous consultation" among the Inter-American leaders.
threat or not: But therel was no in discussing the matter, hel
He said that the arms ship-
ment, the size of which the State
Department has refused to dis-
close, was "totally disproportion-
ate" to the needs of Guatemsla,
and "contrary to the best inter-
ests of all that for which the
Organieation of the American
States stands."
News Alarming, Wiley &eye
Speaking to the representatives
of the 'Organization of American
States and the Ambassadors of
the Latin American countries as-
signed to Washington, Senator
Wiley observed that he was sure
that his audience was "keenly
aware of the grim implidations"
of the report of arms' being sent
to Communist-dominated Guate-
mala,
"I say that this news is alarm-
ing and it is of the utmost grav-
ity to the cause of inter-Ameri-
?
m"
doubt but that the United, States
would favor an examination of
that possibility under the Rio
pact, and would support another
Government's proposal to that
urged against any assumption
that the United States itself re-
garded the incident ae a threat
to hemispheric unity.
In an announcement yester-
effect. day, the State Department des- i
Lincoln White, State Depart-
cribed the arms shipment from
ment press officer, declined
to . Stettin, Poland, to Puerto Bar- ,
discuss what action the United rios, Guatemala, as "a, develop-
States or other American re-
ment of gravity."
publics might take, but he dis- Officials would not enlarge on
closed at a news conference that
that announcement today, but it
this Government had brought the was learned that it was regarded
arms shipment to the attention with such concern here that Sec-
of the Latin-American embassies
retary of State John Foster Dul-
in Washington yesterday.
les planned to take the situation
Asked whether action could be
up with President Eisenhower
taken under the Rio treaty, the
tomorrow morning,
State Department spokesman re-
The Rio pact, formally known
plied: as the Inter-American Treaty of
"Yes, certainly something could
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TIES CUT BY NICARAGUA
Diplomats Leave Guatemala as
Relations Are Severed
Special to The New York Times.
GUATEMALA, May 19?Nica-
ragua broke off diplomatic rela-
tions with Guatemala today. At
noon the Nicaraguan diplomatic
staff of seven members and their
families, headed by Ambassador
Aurelio Montenegro, left the
country.
The Ambassador, aside from
saying he had received instruc-
tions to close the embassy and
consulate and leave Guatemala,
offered no comment.
A large group of the Ambas-
sador's friends and other mem-
bers of th sdiplornatic corps bade
tile diplomats farewell at the
Wipe/rt.
It z understood the Gua-
temalan Ambassador to Nica-
ragua, Col. Gabino Santizo, will
be asked to leave the country.
Relations between the coun-
tries have been estranged since
February following Guatemala's
denunciation of an alleged inter-
national plot , seeking to over-
throw the regime of President
Jacobo Arbenz Guzman. Nica-
ragua was charged with compli-
city. Thes echarges were denied
by President Anastasio Somoza
of Nicaragua. During the recent
disturbances In Nicaragua, five
Nicaraguans took asylum in the
Guatemalan embassy in Mena gut
Washington Not Surprised
Special to The New York Times,
WASHINGTON, May 19--
State Department officials indi-
cated today that they were not
surprised by Nicaragua's break
with Guatemala, but they with-
held comment for the present.
It was recalled that relations
between the two Central Amer-
ican Governments had been
uneasy for Some time.
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11.1. Thwo maintained a rricy of secrecy 'are
toward both the details of the
MAY 20 1954
shipment and the course of any
LATIN ARMS CARGO
UPSETS PRESIDENT
Eisenhower Is Disturbed by
the Danger of Communist
Outpost on Continent
By WALTER H. WAGGONER
Speetal to The New York Times.
WASHINGTON, May 19 ?
President Eisenhower declared
today it was "disturbing" to have
a shipload of arms from Commu-
nist Poland delivered to Guate-
mala. It would be "a terrible
thing," he continued, if the Com-
munist dictatorship were to
establish an outpost on this
continenf.
That was the President's com-
ment, offered in reply to a ques-
tion at 'his news conference, on
the recent disclosure that a ship,
sailing out of Stettin, Poland,
began to unload a cargo of arms
as Puerto Barrios, Guatemala,
last Saturday.
As'ked for his "reaction" to the
arms shipment, which the State
Department has called a "de-
velopment of gravity," President
Eisenhower said:
"Well, it is disturbing. I think
that, above all, it highlights the
circumstances, the background
that led to the adoption of the
resolution at the Caracas con-
ference regarding communism in
this country.
"To have the Communist dic-
tatorship establish an outpost on
this continent to the detriment
of all the American nations, of
course, would be a terrible thing,
and that was the reason for the
Caracas resolution."
The resolution to which the
President referred was the "dec-
laration of solidarity for the
preservation of the political in-
tegrity of the American states
against international Communist
intervention." Proposed by the
United States, it was adOpted at
the Tenth Inter-American Con-
ference in Caracas, Venezuela, on
March 13.
The State Department has
action that might be taken to
meet that "development of grav-
ity."
Reliable informants indicated,
however, that about 2,000 tons
of arms were delivered and were
now en route from Puerto Bar-
rios to the city of Guatemala,
about 150 miles away.
Having informed 'the Latin
American diplomats of the ship-
ment, the State Department is
prepared to let one of the Ameri-
can republics take the initiative
in proposing a method of dealing
with the situation.
There was speculation in some
quarters that Honduras might be
able to make a good case against
Guatemala, linking the arms
shipment from Communist Po-
land with possible aggressive in-
tentions on the part of the pro-
Communist Government in Cen-
tral America.
Honduras, a neighbor of Gua-
temala on the south, is torn by a
series of strikes severely ,erip-
pling the country's commerce and
economy. There is evidence that
the strikes have been fomented
by foreign agents, presumably
slipping into Honduras front Gua-
temala. Latin American circles
have contended that the develop-
ments in Honduras would qualify
that government for invoking the
Treaty of Rio de Janeiro.
If Washington were to take the
initiative, it is said, the result
would almost certainly be a
charge that the United States
was acting on behalf of the Unit-
ed Fruit Company, much of
whose large land holdings in
Guatemala is now in the process
of expropriation.
Meanwhile, it, was disclosed
here, press dispatches from Gua-
temala have not reported any de-
tails of the arms shipment be-
cause of a law _that bars report-
ing of so-called military informa-
tion that does not originate with
an official announcement.
Authorities said the ban on
such dispatches was a. standing
prohibition and had not been im-
posed only on news of the arms
shipments.
N. Y. MIRROR
MAY 21 1954
11.1. Tells Why
It Wouldn't Sell
GuatemalaArnisi
WASHINGTON. May 22
The United States said
Saturday it has refused to grant
licenses for arms shipments to
Guatemala because of uncertainty
over what use the Central Amer-
ican republic would . make of
them.
The State ? Depar trrient made
this known in a formal state-
ment. following .up its disclosure
a few days ago that Guatemala
has received % large shipment of
arms - routed through the Com-
munist-controlled port of Stettin
in Poland.
SAT URDAVS. STATEMENT
Was in answer to questions to
whether this government has re-
fused to permit the export of
hunting rifles and other sporting
weapons to Guatemala.
A department spokesman said:
"The U. S. Government has been
unwilling to license emilmercial
shipments of arms to Guatemala
because of the obvious uncer-
tainty as to the purposes for
which those arms might be used.
"As regards arms procure-
ment assistance which has been
made available to the ? other
American republics, Guatemala
Is ineligible because such as-
sistance -is available only to
those states which have rati-
fied the Inter-American Treaty
of Reciprocal Assistance (the
Rio de Janeiro pact of 1947).
"Guatemala is the only
American state which has not
completed its ratification of
that. treaty."
* *
QUESTIONED f u rt he r, de
partment snokesman Jamieson
Parker said there have begn
specific denials of licenses to ship
arms to Guatemala.
Earlier reports indicated the
Communists sent 2,090 tons of
munitions and arms to Guate-
mala and that this single ship-
ment was 'enough to tip the
scale of military power in
Central America to the side of
Guatemala.
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N. Y. H. Z.
NA Y 2 1 1954
Nicaragua
Sees Plot by
Guatemala
By James E. Warner
WASHINGTON, May 20. ?
Nicaragua, hi a formal state-
ment explaining the breaking
off of diplomatic relations last
night with Leftist-controlled
Guatemala, today declared that
"grave" happenings of recent
weeks in Central America give
evidence of a well conceived plot
of Communist type which men-
aces the peace and security of
the Western Hemisphere.
Dr. Guillermo Sevilla-Sacasa,
Ambassador of Nicaragua, issued
the formal statement on behalf
of his government, which an-
nounced the cessation of diplo-
matic relations last night in
Managua.
At a press conference, Dr.
Sevilla-Saska hinted that pre-
Xminary talks already may be
under way regarding possible
further action on the Treaty of
Rio de Janeiro and an anti-
Communist resolution adopted
at the recent inter-American
conference in Caracas, Vene-
zuela,
Cites Arms Delivery
Of the cargo of arms recently
landed in Guatemala from,
Strettin, a port in Russian-dom-
inated Poland, a developmenti
which both President Eisen-
hower and the American State
Department have labeled as of
the gravest signfica,nce, Dr. Se-
villa-Sacasa said:
"The cargo of arms which
reached Guatemala from a
country behind the Iron Curtain
is considered excessive for the
military needs of that Central
American republic, and thus it
may be affirmed that acquisition
of thie large quantity of arms
threatens the peace of Central
America and the security of the
Western Hemisphere," he said.
"Without a doubt the forego-
ing is grave and logically brings
us to consider the possibility of
inter a American consultation
through application of the pro-
visions of the Rio Treaty and
the anti-Communist declaration
at Caracas."
Consultation Rare
Nicaragua thus became the
first Latin-American country to
raise the possibility of consults,-
Cc) Al` .
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lak
tion regarding the Cormauniat
threat in Guatemala. Such con-
sultations are relatively rare,
having been held in 1939, 1941,
1942 and 1951 on such grave :
question as the implications of
the war in Europe, the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor, now
European colonies should be
treated during hostilities, and
the like.
Dr. Sevilla-Sacasa was chair-
man of the first, or juridicial-
political affairs commission of
the Caracas conference, which
recommended adoption of the
resolution presented by Secre-
tary of State John Poster De?es
denouncing Communist inter-
ference in hemisphere affairs.
Today Dr. Sevilla-Sacasa
noted that the foreign minister
of Guatemala was "eloquent" at
Caracas in opposition to the
Dulles resolution.
Nicaragua severed relatiOns
witn Guatemala, said Dr. Sevilla-
Sacasa, who later went to the
State Department for a con-
ference with Ur. Dulles, because
his country considers "the Com-
munist infiltration which has
been taking place, through the
Guatemalan Embassy in Nica-
ragua, a grave threat to the
preservation of Nicaraguan
democratic inatitutions."
This was proved, he said, by
the foiling of a terrorist plot
with Communist backing which
had for its aims, among other
things, the assassination of the
President of Nicaragua and his
sons.
The United States is taking
over the affairs of Nicaragua in
Guatemala.
Approved
wmary. pft 1954
Nicaragua
Weighs Talks
On Red Peril
Ey William Galbraith
United Press
Nicaragua may call an Amer-
ican foreign ministers confer-
ence to devise means of block-
ing the spreading of commu-
nism from Guatemala to other
American countries, Ambassa-
dor Guillermo SevillaLSacasa
said yesterday.
Nicaragua, which severed
diplomatic relations with Corn-
munis t-infiltra ted Guatemala
1Wednesday, took the initiative
after the United States asked.
:Sweden for information on the
Swedish freighter that deliv-
ered a cargo of Communist
arms to Guatemala.
[Earlier, the Nicaraguan Am-
bassador said his governihent
broke relations with Guatemala
Wednesday because Guatemala
had violated an agreement by
spreading Communist propa-
ganda in Nicaragua, the Asso-
ciated Press reported.]
Sevilla-Sacasa said Nicara-
gua may seek a foreign minis-
ters meeting to discuss "grave"
developments in Central Amer-
ica. He said the developments
present evidence of "a, well-
coneci yen, Communist-type
plan."
Meal-nab:1e, Honduran Am-
bassador Rafael H. Valle said
his country ha:,. not yet de-
cided weenher to break diplo-
matic relations with Guate-
Imala.
[In Mexico City, Guatemalan
Minister to Mexico Gustavo
Santiso Galvez accused the
United States of being aggres-
sion-minded in commenting on
the arms story, the Interna-
tional News Service reported.]
[He ridiauled United States
criticism that the arms ship.
I ment creates a danger to the
Panama Canal, saying: "The
truth is that some political and
financial sectors in the United
States would desire that Guate-
mala he without the smallest
defensive element against ag-
gressors which for some time
have been preparing the im-
perialist campaign, as for in-
stance the United Fruit Com-
pany."]
CY, limes
Ay 21 1954
STETTIN TO FuEaTo BA10S
President Eisenhower has declared
it "disturting- to live t Shipment of
arms reach Guatemala from Commu-
nist I'oland. It would he a "terrible ,
thing," he added, "to have the Cern- '
naafis:, 4...e:-ette Ai? eatt'ilish In out-
acst on this continent to the detri-
ment of all the American nations
* * *." 'Ieee President observed that
the incyent pointed up the back-
ground af the resolution against in-
ternational Communist aggression,
passed at the Tenth Inter-Ameacan
Conference at Caracas. Guatemala
alone opposed the resolution, while
Argentina and Mexico abstained.
Meanwhile the State Department I
has informed the Latin count,,..:; '
about the shipment, which it cona.d-
ered a "development of gravity." Im-
plicit in this action was the poser:
May the cargo be taken to constitute
a threat to collective security under
the Rio Treaty of 1947? The depart-
ment is wise not. to draw this con-
clusion until it has been suggested by
others arriong the Good Neighbors
and, it is to be hoped, not merely by
Somoza' s Nicaragua, which has just '
severed relations with Guatemala, or
Trujillo's Dominican Republic. A deli-
cate issue of regional policy is in-
volved.
The question of arms sales in Cen-
tral America precedes by many dec-
ades the question of communism
there, although in the present in-
stance the two appear to have
merged,. The area has, been a tradi-
tional starepiag ground for all sorts
I of adventurers, operators and legiti-
mate interfeediarkes. . In the current
,
icase the 8,,115 were shipped from Po- ,
land 'len the ship was mned her 1
Swedes and :;'hartered by Britons. Au '
American, Hubert P. Julian, con-
firmed Wednesday that he has been
buying European arms for Guatemala
for several years, insisting that the
Government there had forbidden him
to deal behind the Iron Curtain. But i
history shows that if a Latin (or
other) country 'cannot buy arms In
one place it is pretty sure to seek
them somewhere else. And while there I
has been no formal boycott, Washing-
ton has not permitted the shipment of I
arms and aircraft made here to Gua-
temala.
I
As the President has put it, the!
Guatemalan situation isi disturbing. I
How to cope with it remains the most
acute challenge to our hemisphere
relations.
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""''?
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Nei
M. Time!
MAY 2 2 1954
Guatemala Says U.S.Trted
To Make Her Defenseless
By SYDNEY GRUSON
Special to The New York Times. \
GUATEMALA, May 21?The Guatemalan Government
said today that the United States ban on arms shipments here
was aimed at leaving this country defenseless before its ene-
mies. Guatemala's recent pur-
chase of arms, presumably from
Czechoslovakia, was "perfectly
normal," Foreign Minister Guil-
lermo Toriello asserted at a
press conference.
He offered to produce docu-
mentary evidence of his country's
long and systematic efforts to
buy arms froni the United States.
The alarm raised by the State
?Department over the arms ship-
ment is "malicious and unjusti-
fied,"Senor Toriello maintained.
He accused the Department of
aiding exiled Guatemalins intent
on invading the country from
abroad, or those within the coun-
try who hoped to overthrow the
Government by force.
He charged the "governing cir-
cles of the United States" with
having committed an "act of ag-
gression against Guatemala" by
withholding arms needed for de-
fense or to repel an invasion.. '
, The State Deppartment had
described the arms purchase as
"a development of gravity" be-
cause of the origin, point of em-
barkation, destination and quan-
tity of the arms involve. Shipped
from Stettin, Poland, the arms
arrived at Puerto Barrios last
Saturday aboard the Swedish
freighter Alfhem.
Senor Torten? refused to dia.-
cuss the type and quantity of
arms bought on the ground that
these were "military secrets." The
railroad that is carrying the arms
between Puerto Barrios and this
capital was requested last week
by military officials to prepare
to transport ,2,000 tons of military
equipment from the port.
In his attack, Senor Toriello
touched not? only on the arms
question but also on the depart-
ment's recent actions and state-
ments regarding the wave of
strikes in Northern Honduras and
differenc.es between Guatemala
and the United Fruit Company.
He denied categorically "that
his Government had anything to
do with the Honduran strike
situation," as he said had been
i insinuated by the department.
Such insinuations are aimed at
!masking the real causes of the
strike and at creating animosity
between the "brother republics"
of Honduras and Guatemala, he
declared.
The Ministers termed "open in-
tervention" a recent note from
the department asking nearly
$16,000,000 on behalf of the
United Fruit Company as a re-
sult of expropriation of company
lands under Guatemala's agra-
rian reform law. He insisted that
the company would receive no
i fel ,n, treatment from Guate-
malans affected by the law.
1 The Government's formal state-
ment declared that Guatemala
had never negotiated the pur-
chase of arms from the Soviet -
Union or Poland, and that no
arms from either of these coun-
tries existed in Guatemala. When
Senor Toriello was reminded that
the State Department had not
named either country as a source
of the arms, but had stated that
they came from Communist-con-
trolled territory, the Minister
replied.
"For us, Communist-controlled
territory is the Soviet Union.
Other countries are sovereign."
In purchasing arms, he said, t
Guatemala made us of her ,
mate right as a sovereign coun-
try to trade freely with any
country in the world. Heatedly, 1
he added:
1 Guatemala is not a colony of
the United States nor an asso-
ciated state that requires permis-
sion of the United States Gov-
ernment to acquire the things
indispensable for its defense and
security, and it repudiates the
pretensions of this Government
[the United States] to supervise
the legitimate acts of a sover-
eign Government." ?
Senior Toriello rejected what
LS. Monitor
MA Y 22 1954
Cuaternala Arms:
Shipper Explains
By Reuters
Stockholm
A ship broker who char-
tered the Swedish vessel Alf-
hem for the past three months
has said he never would have
done so if he had known the
vessel was going to transport
arms front a Communist port
to Guatemala.
"I have submitted a report
to the American embassy in
Stockholm," said Alfred
Christensen. "I have papers to
show I acted in good faith. If
I had known the Alfhem was
to pick up Communist arms,
would never have chartered
her."
Tic,,
MAY 2 4 1954
Guatemalan Anti-Reds Elect
Special to The New York Times.
GUATEMALA, May 23?The
Anti-Communist Labor Commit-
tee, an organization founded sev-
eral months ago by
large
group of laborers who repudiate
Communist maxims, elected Al-
berto /ferias secretary general
last night. Senor Merlos replaced
the late Oscar Luna, whose body
was found floating in a near-by
lake last Sunday.
he described as accusations that
Guatemala constituted a "beach-
head of Soviet communism on the
American contenent," or that she
was an "instrument of Moscow"
or a "spearhead of the Soviet
Union against the United States.",
He freshened the picture ofl
Guatemala that he has so often
drawn for the world in recent
months as follows: A poor coun-
try trying to replace with social
ustice and economic liberty the
efects of decades of tyrannical
oppression , by right-wing dicta-
ors and foreign monopolies, par-
icularly the United Fruit Com-
pany.
The real cause of the "mali-
ious propaganda campaign now
rising to a climax against Gua-
temala is to "prepare a climate
for intervention," the Minister
charged.
He refused to say what action
his Government would take if a
consultative meeting of the Or-
ganization of American States
was called on the question of
communism in Guatemala, but he
expressed doubt that the other
Latin-American republics would
support "intervention."
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ILL H. T.
MAY 23 1954
GUATEIVIALA CITY, May 22
(R).?Two men were killed and
three wounded Thursday when
Guatemalan troops fought a
machine-gun battle with "for-
eign saboteurs" who tried to
dynamite a munitions train, it
was announced today.
Interior Minister Augusto
Charnaud MacDonald said one
soldier and one saboteur were
kille dand three soldiers wound-
ed in the battle near Castaneda,
a banana town ten miles from
Puerto Barrios, where a ship-
load of arms arrived a week ago,
reportedly from Communist Po-
land,
The train was carrying arms
unloaded from the ship from
Puerto Barrios to Guatemala
City. Mr. Charnaud said neither
the train nor its cargo was dam-
aged by the sabotage attempt.
He said the saboteurs planted
"eight charges of TNT under a
railroad bridge" near Castaneda.
For some reason, only two of the
charges exploded when the
train rolled onto the bridge, and
the structure escaped serious
damage.
Mr. Charnaud said the sabo-
teurs fled toward the border of
Honduras, ten miles southelst
of Castaneda. He added: "The
Army is following them closely,!
and it is expected they will be'
captured soon."
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H. Y. H. T.
MAY 22 1954
Shipped From Red Countries
Report More Munitions
Latin America Bound
By James E. Warner
WASHINGTON, May 21.?The
United States government has
Information that other arms-
laden ships from behind the
Iron Curtain m y be on the way
to Central America, Rep. Patrick
J. Hillings, R., Calif., said to-
night.
The State and Defense De-
partments had no commen', on
the report, but it is known that
this government is pressing beth
in this hemisphere and in
Europe inquiries into the case of
the British - chartered Swedish
ship Alfhem, which discharged
1,900 tons or an estimated $10,-
000,000 worth of suspected small
arms from Stettin, in Red-
dominated Poland, at Puertos
Barrios in Guatemala,.
"With reports of Russian sub-
marines off the 'Central Ameri-
can coast and these 'worts of
additional munitions - carrying
freighters en route there," Rep.
Hillings said, "it is imperative
that we deny the use of the
Panama Canal to any suspicious
vessels. It is obvious from recent
developments that the Kremlin
is stepping up its drive to
establish a beachhead on this
continent." Alfhem cargo is that it con-
While official silence pre- tamed $10,000,000 worth of
vailed over what steps, if any, small arms and light field
are being taken to prevent a pieces. The total annual? budget
recurrence of the Alfhem arms of Guatemala Is $60,000,000, so
landing, it became obvious that that both the size and the se-
crecy surrounding the shipment
are matters of grave concern to
tIVer government. Originally the
shipment showed on the ship's
manifest as "optical glass and
laboratory supplies."
One informed source noted
States and Honduras.
?
Tenth Agreement
It is the tenth such agreement
signed by the United States with
Latin-American republics with-
in the framework both of the Rio
de Janeiro treaty of 1947 and
the United Nations Charter:
Such treaties previously were
signed with Ecuador, Peru,
Cuba, Brazil, Chile, Colonibia,
Uruguay, the Dominican Repub-
lic and Nicaragua. They result
from the continuous planning of
the Inter-American Defense
Board which sits here.
The two departments, in an-
nouncing the signing of the
Honduran treaty at a time when
attempted Communist penetra-
tion of the Western Hemisphere
is very, inuch to the fore, said
such treaties "illustrate the
spirit of co-operation prevailing
among the American republics
which makes it possible for them
to concentrate, through self help
and mutual aid, upon increasing
their ability to contribute to the
collective defense of the Western
Hemisphere."
Best information available to
this government regarding the
agencies of the United States
government are keeping a sharp
eye, on such suspect shipping.
A ship was searched in Puerto
Rico within the last few clw on
suspicion of carrying arms, Rep.
Hillings reported. None was
found. It was known also to
this government that the itin-
erary of the Alfhem, originally
that a Guatemalan diplomat
had conceded there were 400
with Dakar as the port of desti- tons of arms In the ship, un-
nation, was changed three times loaded under heavy guard under
while she was at sea. ' the supervision of the Guate-
These developments accom- malan Minister of War, and
panied a joint announcement by that 1900 tons of optical glass
the Departments of State and
Defense of the signing yesterday
of a bilateral military assistance
agreement between the United
and laboratory equipment
would "supply all the labora-
tories and equip every Guate-
malan with glasses of very thick
11.enses indeed."
Approved Fo ItigeanasielbtfOrgeffiS
ILL Jima
MAI 23 1954
ARMING OF GUATEMALA
ALARMS ITS NEIGHBORS
Tension in Central America Rising
With Actions of Communist Front
By PAUL P. KENNEDY
Special to The New York Times.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras,
May 22 ?In so far as Central
America is concerned, the State
Department announcement this
week that Guatemala was receiv-
ing an arms shipment from be-
hind the Iron Curtain made the
drak little Atlantic coast town of
Puerto Barrios a focal spot.
People from Panama to the
southern Mexican border have,
since that announcement, been
asking themselves and their
neighbors whether now is the time
they have been expecting and
dreading?the beginning of all-
out Communist expansion from a
Guatemala bridgehead.
The arms shipment, whether
great or small ? and none here
has learned its magnitude?seems
to have provided a highly im-
portant piece in the complicated
puzzle of Central American poli-
tics.
Caracas Resolution
When, by United States pres-
sure, an anti-Communist resolu-
tion was pushed through the
Caracas conference last March,
the 'reaction in Latin-America
generally and in Central America
particularly was varied.
Alfhem would have put her in
Dakar. Two days out of that
North African port the ship was
ordered to Curacao. D. W. I.
IV? days out of this Caribbean
port the ship was ordered to
Puerto Cortez, in Honduras. But
long before reaching that port
the ship was ordered to its final
destination, Puerto Barrios,
Guatemala.
All these facts were known to
the United States government,
? it was learned tonight, before
? it announces arrival of the arms
shipment, a? development which
both the State Department and
President Eisenhower have de- ea
-ROPt2s-detftelhoM3200002-7
One body of opinion was that
the anti-Communist resolution
was a gesture, pure and simple,
without strength. Another body of
opinion, equally strong, was that
the United States had brought to
a head a delicate matter and that
it was only a question of time
until Washington had to back up
its move or be out-bluffed.
There was a brief lull following
the Caracas conference, and then
things began happening.
First off, four United States
Ambassadors to Central America
were called to Washington for
conferences. These men were ex-
tremely reluctant to admit' there
was anything out of the ordinary
in the calls, loot one of them
told this correspondent privately,
"Well, we put through our reso-
lution in Caracas, and now we:
have got to decide what we're i
going to do about it."
Assassination Attempt
At about the time these con-
ferences were on, there was an
attempt on the life of President
Anastasio Somoza of Nicaragua.
At about that time, also, pres-
sures on United States organi-
zations in Guatemala began to
be iztcreasingly intense and anti-
United States feeling in official
circl s th
a
a
Ma
ca
it
th
ev
ge
ar
e en increase proportion-
tely.
This growing antipathy to the
nited States, imposed from
bove, came to a climax in the
y Day celebration in Guate-
ala, where "Uncle Sam" was
ade the butt of all conceivable
ypes of bitter Jest.
Next in the unfolding pattern
me the Honduran strikes. In-
ially they were directed against
e United Fruit Company, but
entually they developed into a
neral strike in the north coast
ea.
Then came a discovery of
ched arms on a Nicaraguranl
Cs vt
/0,
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beach, alleged by General Somoza
to have been of Soviet make and
to have been delivered by sub-
marine.
Now, Nicaragua has broken off
diplomatic relations with Guate-
mala and there are strong rumors
of an impending diplomatic break
between Costa Rica and Nica-
ragua,
Cautions Noted
The obvious thing is to read
linto all this a direct reaction to
pressure on burgeoning Commu-
nist influences in Guatemala. As
a matter of .fact, this situation
might give-rise to possibly erron-
eous conclusions.
Guatemala's interest in the
British Honduras election was so
keen and blatant that an immedi-
ate thought was that the anti-
Government forces in that neigh-
boring country, led by the
tic but, in its leadership, strongly
resistant to communistic influ-
by outside sources.
The strikes in Honduras un-
doubtedly have been influenced
by outside sources,
There is a strong suspicion that
Communists infiltrating from
Guatemala and El Salvador were
guiding these strikes which some
days ago seemed apt to bring the
entire nation to its knees eco-
nomically. The suspicion of Com-
munist organization and propul-
sion in these disturbances is
strong, but no sound proof has
been made public.
One way or another, there is
not the slightest doubt in any-
one's mind but that the Commu-
nist influences in Guatemala are
making themselves felt in all
parts of Central America, despite
the efforts of the other govern-
ments to curb them.
People's United Party, were per- Militarily, the United States is
haps basically Communistic or
propelled by Communistic influ-
ences.
No evidence was produced by
the British Honduras Government
or by the large number of foreign
correspondents covering the elec-, ragua and Honduras. The conclu-
tion that this was the case. There, stout of one with El Salvador
was evidence that leaders of the
Belige movement accepted funds
from Guatemalan officials, but
all other evidence was that the
et indigenous and
movemn was
doing its utmost to draw a circle
around this spot of Communist
infection. Military assistance
pacts?strong, despite the lack of
publicity about them?have been
concluded with Costa Rica, Nica-
appears imminent.
These military assistance pacts,
strange arms shipments and as-
sassination reports and rumors
are keeping Central America, in
sometimes fanatically nationalis-iferment.
imWhere Communist party is
legal and a present threat'
Whits boxes' denote total population,lolack boxes Communist party membership
Where Communist
party is illegal
"me
'W
.10 !--
3 1954
Arms Flash Warning
Guatemala Points Up 1
Danger to Hemisphere
By James E. Warner
WASHINGTON. next few days may produce some
Tiny Guatemala and Corn- highly significant developments,
munist infiltration there is mak- according to the best-informed
ing the headlines currently, and opinion here,
her situation is a flashing warn- FOr-Fold Interest
ing of what the Soviet Union is
Russia's interest in Latin
plotting throughout Latin
America is four-fold. Direct eco-
America. nomic, military and strategic
benefits to the Xremlin of a
beachhead in this hemisphere
are too obvious to mention. But
such a beachhead, no matter how
tiny, has these other advantages
from the Kremlin standpoint:
1. It would be established un-
der the eaves of the strongest
anti-Communist country in the
world, the United States.
2. It would crack?if estab-
Possibly the current furor over
a shipment of arms from Red
Poland to Guatemala is a bless-
ing in disguise, for it directs
attention of North American
newspaper readers to a highly
sensitive and strategic area too
often overlooked. Latin Ameri-
cans long have complained that
the United States is so preoc-
cupied with Europe, the Far East
and other areas, that it gives
scant attention to neighbors in lished?the oldest collective
its own back yard. security organization in the
Brother as Envoy world, the Pan American Union,
and also the Organization of
President Eisenhower has American States.
done his best to overcome this
3. It would also crack the cen-
feeling on the part of the Latin tory-old concept of the Monroe
countries by dispatching his Doctrine?America for the
brother, Dr. Milton Eisenhower, Americans, and not to be ex-
ploited by any foreign ideology,
whether colonialism or Commu-
nism.
on a tour of the southern con-
tinent.
He warned of the threat of
Communist infiltration in any
Latin country long before the
State Department. As long ago,
as last Oct. 24, when the new
Ambassador of the Dominican
Republic presented his creden-,
tials here, Gen. Eisenhower, in
a formal exchange, expressed
concern over the threat to hem-
ispheric peace and security
raised by Communist activities.
But even though it has infor-
mation that other arms ship-
ments from behind the Iron Cur-
tain already are en route to Latin
America, this government is be-
ing extremely careful in building
the case against the original
shipment to Guatemala. The
4. It would be at once a ter-
rific propaganda advantage to
the Russians (as well as a prac-
tical military one), by possibly
destroying confidence in any col-
lective security agreement, In-
cluding those of the United Na-
tions and the important North
Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Size Not the Point
The Communist problem in
this hemisphere is measured by
the Eisenhower administration
not by the size of the country
or the amount of contraband
(if they are so proven) arms
shipped. If tiny Guatemala were
only one-tenth its size or as big
Co KT'
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II
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as Brazil?which has enough
area to include the entire
United States with an extra
Texas tossed in?concern of
the United States over the pur-
ported arms shipment could not
be either more or less.
The phrase "hot as a pistol"
does not enter into diplomatic
conversations or comments.
However, that phrase, with no
depreciation of the serious sit-
uations extant in other regions.,
of the world, can be applied
without reservation at this time
to Latin America with regard
to Communist aims.
That is the view of the Eisen-
hower administration, and
should give comfort to those
Latin neighbors who assert with
considerable justice that Latin-
American news, short of a
bloody revolution or something
linked to Europe like the Guate-
malan arms shipment, selcioni
gets a page one play in North
American newspapers.
The Puzzler
But what to do about Guate-
mala at the moment is a
puzzler.
A cruiser and some Marines
could settle the duatemalan
situation over night, say ionie
diehards. Maybe they could?
over night. But they would be
playing right into the hands of
Moscow.
Meanwhile, from both sides of
the Atlantic, this government is
painstakingly assembling infor-
mation regarding the Guate-
malan incident. The purpose is
to build a case, with indiSput-
able evidence, that the incident
Is, in fact, a threat to the se-
curity of the hemisphere. Only
with this evidence in hand,
short of an overt act in terri-
torial waters, will the United
States move, and then only with
the backing of its sister repub-
lics, one of which, Nicaragua.
already has branded the Guate-
malan i9cident as a prime cause
for inter-American consultation
end aetion.
"Ralaa"795167,
MAY 23
U.S. Air Fleet
In Bolivia Urged
To Balk Reds
Bolivian military and air
attache Gen. Antonio Se- \
teme suggested yesterday
that a major U. S. Air Force
be sent to his country "as
an answer" to Guatemala's
Communist arms shipments.
In an official statement
cleared with the U. S. State De-
partment, Seleme, 49, said that
to "let this incident pass is to
surrender the Panama Canal to
the Reds, in case of war."
The General also called for an
"emergency conference" of Latin
American countries to form a
Pan-American NATO to keep "a
Korea or Indochina from enter-
ing through the back door."
TIME RUNNING OUT.
Belem?, in New York to speak
at a Veterans of Foreign Wars
Communion breakfast today,
warned that "time may be run-
ning out on us" if the free na-
tions hope to keep communism
trom engulfing the Americas.
He pointed out steps musty' be
taken by the American nations
to protect the Bolivian tin sup-
Ay. S. air fleet, based in Bo-
livia, would be located in the
"most dominant part of South
America, so that it could quickly
reach any point around its
periphery," Gen. Seleme said.
ty. Timis
MAY 231954
GUATEMALA HINTS
U. N. asE ON ARMS
Considers Aggression Charge
Against U. S. for Barring
Purchase of Munitions
By SYDNEY GRUSON
Special to The New York Timm
GUATEMALA, May 22?The
Guatemalan Government is con-
sidering eirthg its dispute with
the United States before the
United Nations Security Council.
Foreign Minister Guillermo
Toriello let some members of the
diplomatic corps in on the Gov-
ernment's intentions last night,
although no mention of the pos-
sibility has been made publicly.
The diplomatic corps, with the
notable exception of the United
States Ambassador, was called
to the Foreign Office to hear
Guatemala's case on her recent
purchase of arms, presumably
from Czechoslovakia:
The arms, believed to total
2,000 tons, arrived in Puerto Bar-
rios last Saturday aboard the
Swedish freighter Alf hem. They
were shipped from Stettin, Po-
land, and the State Department
has described the purchase as a
"development of gravity" be-
cause of the quantity involved,
the point of embarkation and the
origin and destination of the
arms.
Nicaragua, which broke off
relations with Guatemala this
week, has taken the initiative in
sounding out other Latin-Ameri-
can republics on the possibility of
calling a consultative meeting of
the Organization of American
States to discuss the menace of
communism in Guatemala. Sehor
Toriello told the diplomats that
Guatemala would attend a con-
sultative meeting if one were
called.
voted in favor of an economic or
any other kind of boycott of
Guatemala, he was reported to
have said.
He also mentioned the possibil-
ity of bringing Guatemala's case
before the Security Council if
wnat he described ee the "at-
tacks" against Guatemala con-
tinued.
Sehor Toriello received the Am-
bassadors and ministei's individ-
ually, then five charges'd'affaires
as a group. Each received a copy
of the declaration made by Sehor
Toriello to the correspondents!
yesterday morning, the minister1
remarking that he wanted the dip-,
lomats to have an official copy
because the foreign press and
particularly newspapers of the
United States sometimes left
things out.
As he did with the press, Serior
Toriello amplified the official
declaration with numerous ex-
temporaneous remarks. The ma-1
jor point in the declaration was
that the United States had pre-
vented Guatemala from buying
arms there and in many other
parts of the world mid had left
the country no other recourse
than to buy where it could.
According to the Minister, this
was a deliberate boycott on the
part of the United States to leave
the present Guateinalan Govern-
.
ment in which the Communists
have considerable influence an
easy prey for its enemies both
here and abroad. The boycott ex-
tended so far as to prevent the
country's hunting and fishing
club from obtaining ammunition,
the Minister emarked bitterly.
He emphasized to the diplo-
mats that Guatemala had the
right to trade with any ,country
in the world. Guatemala, the of-
ficial declaration said, "is not a
colony of the United States nor
an associated state that requires
permission of the United States
Government to acquire the things
indispensable for its defense and
security."
Possibility of Boycott
He raised the possibility of Se-
curity Council action in tliscues-
ing this point with some members
of the corps. The Security Council!
!would be asked to act, if the Or-
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?
U. S. Aggression Charged
The declaration foreshadowed
the grounds on which Guatemala
might take the dispute to the
Security Council. As this coun-
try's officials see it, a United
States military boycott impeded:
the Government in fulfilling its'
duty to provide for defense of the
country and for internal order
and this constituted aggression
against Guatemala.
Anticipating what a consulta-
tive meeting of the Organization
of American States would be like-
ly to be asked to decide, the dec-
laration said an economic or mili-
tary boycott and the propaganda
campaign constituted aggression
grave or even graver than
ed aggression.
Sefior Toriello told some of the
diplomats at the Foreign Office
c.. ka?-.
Approved
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last night that 'reports on the
amount of arms bought by Guate-
mala had been "exaggerated."
But he did not give any figures.
Diplomats have accepted the fig-
ure of 2,000 tons because that
was the amount the railroad was
told it would need to carry from
Puerto Barrios to the capital.
Up to yesterday afternoon the
railroad already had carried
sixty-nine carloads of crates un-
loaded from the Alfhem and each
carload was of twenty tons. The
shipping job was still under way
today.
The Alfhent's manifest listed
the shipment as "hardware" and
detailed it as automobile parts,
Iron rods, optical glass and the
like. There were no fewer than
sixteen crates of iron rods on the
manifest.
U. S. Arms Refusal Explained
Special to The New York Times,
WASHINGTON, May 22?The
United States has refused Guate-
malan requests to buy arms here
because of the "obvious uncer-
tainty" of the use that might be
made of them, the State Depart-
ment aaid today.
Amid widely heard but uncon-
firmed reports that two more
shiploads of weapons from Com-
munist sources were now on their
way to Guatemala, a State De-
partment spokesman said that
both commercial export of arms
and United States military. as-
sistance available to other Latin-
American countries had been
barred from the pro-Communist
Guatemalan Government.
Requests for normal commer-
cial purchases by Guatemala have
been turned down because offi-
cials feared their use for illegit-
imate purposes, possibly for
smuggling to Communist guer-
rillas in neighboring Central
American republics.
United States military aid has
been prohibited, the State De-
partment, explained, because Gua-
temala is the one Latin-American
nation that has not ratified the
Inter-American Treaty of Recip-
rocal Assistance, the so-called
Rio de Janeiro pact of 1947.
The United States now has un-
der way a thorough study of the
arms shiment by the Alfhem,
with a view to possible requests
for action under either domestic
or international law.
At least two countries may be
indirectly involved in the ship-
ment?Sweden, because the ship
sailed under a Swedish flag and
the consignor of the cargo was a
Swedish national, and Britain be-
cause a British concern, chartered
the vessel from its Swedish owner
and then subleased it back to a
Swedish consignor.
11.T. Times
M A Y 2 5 1954
U. S. FLYING ARMS
TO 2 LATIN LANDS
NEAR GUATEMALA
Nicaragua. and Honduras Get
Small Weapons as Result of
Red Shipment to Neighbor
By DANA ADAMS SCHMIDT
Special to The New York 'Tines.
WASHINGTON, May 24?The
United States is airlifting arms
to Nicaragua and Honduras, the
IState Department announced
today. ,
The airlift was started after
the department discovered a
week ago that "an important
shipment of arms" from. Commu-
nist Poland was being unloaded
at Puerto Barrios, in Communist-
dominated Guatemala.
Honduras is east of Guatemala
and Nicaragua east of Honduras.
The United States is treating the
latter two countries as possible
targets of Guatemalan aggres-
sion or of internal.. Communist
subversion.
A Defense Department spokes-
man said that two or three Unit-
ed States Air Force Globemas-
ters, each capable of carrying
about twenty-five tons, were
transporting small arms?pistols,
rifles, machine guns and am-
munition?to the two Central
American republics.
[Guatemala's Foreign Minis-
ter, Guillermo Toriello, after a
conference with John E. Peuri-
foy, United States Ambassador,
said the "groundwork" had
been laid to end tension be-
tween the two countries.]
Defense Pacts in Force
The State Department issued
its announcement in response to
reports that arms Were being
flown from Mobile, Ala. Neither
the State nor the Defense De-
partments would confirm that
this was the point of origin, how-
ever.
Approved For Re I arge YOMCP57035.1CFA-
tual defense agreement with Hon-
duras only last Thursday and a
similar agreement with Nicara-
gua on April 23. These are the
only Central American Republics
that have signed agreements pro-
viding for United States arms
and training programs. Mutual
defense treaties had been signed
previously with Ecuador, Peru,
Cuba, Brazil, Chile, Colombia,
Uruguay and the Dominican Re-
public,
The arms delivered in the last
week to Communist-dominated
Guatemala are believed to be of
Czechoslovak manufacture and
have been estimated at 2,000 tons
A. State Department spokesman
Lincoln White, acknowledged that
the department was aware of
rumors that two additional ship-
ments of Czechoslovak arms were
on their way to Guatemala from
the Polish port of Stettin. -
Mr. White said arms shipments
to Honduras and Nicaragua un-
der the agreements had been
speeded up because of develop-
ments in Central America. But
he maintained that delivery of
arms by air was in itself "not
unusual" since there was little
difference between the costs of
sea and of air delivery to that
part of the world.
"The United States, in imple-
mentation of the Mutual Defense
Assistance Program agreements
recently signed with Nicaragua
and Honduras, is making an
initial shipment of military equip-
ment to both these countries by
air," he said.
Other sources believed Mr.
White was mistaken about the
relative costs of air and sea
transportation. ,
Quatemala has any army of
about 22,000 men and a small air
force. Honduras has an army
of 2,500 men organized in twenty-
three and a battery of artillery,
and an air force of forty-six
planes. Nicaragua, whose Pres-
ident is Gen. Anastaso Somoza,
has a National Guard of 220 offi-
cers and 3,000 noncommissioned
officers and enlisted men, and a
reserve of 4,000 men. Small
United States mill*ry missions
have been stationed in all three
countries for several years.
Quatemala has maintained that
the United States would not sell
her arms and that she had the
right to buy them where she
could.
62-00865R000300200002-7
LT. Times
MAY25 1954
GUATEMALA EASES
STAND TOWARD U.S.
After Meeting With Peurifoy,
Foreign Minister Sees Basis
for Ending Tensions
By SYDNEY GRUSON
Special to The New York Times.
GUATEMALA, May 25?The
Guatemalan Government asserted
today that the "groundwork for
talks to end the tenseness" of
relations with the United States
had been laid in a conference this
morning between Foreign Minis-
ter Guillermo Toriello and John
E. Peurifory, United States Am-
bassador.
Senor Toriello made this an-
nouncement at a press conference
held immediately after his ninety-
minute talk with the Ambas-
sador. It came as a stunning
surprise.
Relations between the coun-
tries have been deteriorating
steadily and had reached a crisis
over Guatemala's recent pur-
chase of 2,000 tons of arms from
behind the Iron Curtain.
Senor Toriello implied that the
atmosphere in which the two
countries have been discussing
their problems had already or
was about to change completely,
although he conceded that no
specific proposals had been ad-
vanced by either side at the
meeting.
Envoy Restricts Comment
"We had a long friendly talk,
as a result of which I have hopes
that the problems between our
two countries can be resolved
cordially," the Minister declared.
Mr. Peurifoy confirmed that
the meeting had ranged over a
'wide variety of problems. But
neither he nor other embassy
officials commented on the inter-
pretation placed on the talk by
Senor Toriello.
After the press conference the
Minister told this correspondent:
"The situation just could not
continue. It was like an elastic
band that had been stretched and
stretched until it was at the
breaking point."
? He added with a smile: "Of
course, we were not going to de-
clare war on the United States."
He said further talks had been
arranged with the Ambassador,
in which they would move from a
general discussion to specific
!problems. It was learned that
I Sefior Toriello had suggested the
c obeli- ?
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possibility of Guatemala's ad-
vancing specific proposals at the
next ;fleeting, either late this
week or early next week, for set-
tlement of the United Fruit Com-
pany dispute.
The initiative for today's meet-
ing came from the Foreign Min-
ister. He asked the Ambassador
to call at the Foreign Office to
receive an official memorandum
rejecting the State Department's
claim for nearly $16,000,000 on
ibehalf of United Fruit. The claim
arose out of Guatemala's expro-
priation of company land under
her agrarian reform law.
The memorandum declared:
"The Guatamalan Government
cannot accept any claim seeking
privileged treatment for foreign-
ers, which, under internal legis-
lation, may not be given even to
Guatemalan nationals."
According to company figures,
the Government had exporpriated
up to May 1 a total of 392,945
acres. This has left the company
145,187 acres for banana produc-
tion and other operations,
To date the Government has
deposited in the Bank of Guate-
mala $1,185,115 worth of agra-
rian bonds as compensation for
the seized land. Compensation
has been paid on the basis of
tax evaluation of property Med
with the Government by the com-
pany many years ago.
? The company has refused to
accept this, basis of compensation.
Its officials noted that they had
tried unsuccessfully since 1948
to have te Government aceept in-
creased evaluations for tax pur-
poses.
Discussing the possibility of,
Guatemala's bringing the arms
case before the United Nations
Security Council, Sefior Toriello
said his Government had consid-
ered this step. Then he added,
"But this was before my conver-
sation with the Ambassador."
Also, he asserted that the ship-
load of arms that arrived ten
days ago was all that Guatemala
had purchased. No other arms
are on the way, he said, adding
that reports of two 'other ship-
loads en route must refer to
"phantom ships."
Cuba Tightens Security
Special to The New York Times.
HAVANA, May 25?President
Fulgencio Batista has ordered
Army, NNavy, police and intelli-
gence chiefs to take stronger
measures to prevent a resurgence
of Communist activities in Cuba.
His action stemmed from the
situation in Guatemala.
The President said: "Agents of
international communism have
been speeding up their activities
in this hemisphere recently, and
in the face of this danger the
Cuban Government will increase
and reinforce its measures to pre-
vent a resurgence of Commtudat
Approved For R
maneuvers, such as espionage
and infiltration into distinct sec-
tors that are susceptible to such
penetration."
He added that the need for
greater precautions was based on
recent information obtained by
the police.
"I believe it is imperative that
we act quickly," the President de-
clared. "Toward that end, I have
ordered the Ministers of Labor,
Interior, State, Defense, Justice
land Education to prepare a legal
formula that will permit us to
defend the masses and the na-
tional peace from those risks that
today are greater than even be-
fore and constitute an extreme
menace to our free people."
Guatemala's arms purchase
from the Soviet area and the
statement by President Anastasio
Somoza of Nicaragua that his
regime has seized a quantity of
arms manufactured in the Soviet
Union were termed "alarming
symptoms" by President Batista.
"It is the duty of the American
nations to prevent the possibility
Of beachheads being established
on our coasts by such slave-like
and distant nations as Soviet
Russia," he asserted.
"If we do not realize the
threats in time, if we do not fore-
see these enormous dangers, we
can see repeated here in our own
part of the world the endless tra-
gedies that today grip the na-
tions of Europe and Asia."
Mexico Begins to Worry
Special to The New York Times.
MEXICO CITY, May 25?Gua-
temala's purchase of arms from
the Soviet sphere and the mount-
ing uneasiness in Central America
have begun to jolt Mexico out
of her saparent indifference to
events juIt, below her soutlmn
border.
There still has been no official
reaction, A Foreign Ministry aide
said privately that authorities
here were discussing the situation
among themselves and were
growing disturbed.
The press, which normally re-
flects the Government's attitude
closely, has been devoting more
attention than usual to Guate-
mala in the last few days. The
tone of it comments has changed
from sympathetic understanding
of fellow Latin Americans' hav-
ing their troubles with the United
States to frank alarm.
The most forthright comment
was contained in a ,cartoon in the
newspaper Excelsior. It showed
a switchboard operator marked
"Guatemala" plugging a line into
a board marked "Central Amer-
ica." Leering from behind the
board was the head of Georgi M.
Malenkov, Soviet Premier. The
girl was saying, "Ready, Sir,"
and the title of the cartoon was arms purchase, according to
"Direct Contact." press comment, is the tension
, that has suddenly erupted
The paper Novedades said it
CT. VON
MAY 26 1954
Guatemala Fails to Grasp
U. S. Concern Over Reds
If Relations Are to Improve, It Is Felt, They
Must Think in Terms of Checking
Communists
By SYDNEY GRUSON
Special to The New York Times.
GUATEMALA, May 25?The
odds are against any meaningful
improvement of United States-
Guatemalan relations unless a
change has come about, unan-
nounced and unnoticed, in the
Guatemalan Government's basic Embassy refused to comment on
thinking on the Communist ques- the Foreign Minister's statement
tion. that the groundwork had been
It becomes more evident daily laid for easing the tense situa-
that Guatemala has a basic mis- tion between the two countries.
conception of the causes of, Knowing the Foreign Minister's
United States concern over her, position on the Communist ques-
Most officials seem unable to tion, an observer would have to
realize that this concern is guess that he was being vastly
rooted in the Communist prob- overoptimistic.
lem. The few who do realize it It has been reported without
consider it to be unjustified. confirmation that many of the
Most officials here appear to Foreign Minister's remarks dealt
have convinced themselves that with the fruit company problem,
if the trouble over the United and that he skipped the question
Fruit Company could be straight- of Communist influence on the
ened out, everything else would Government. This is entirely in
fall neatly into place. They are line with the official reasoning
mistaking effect for cause, and here that the United States has
no amount of pointing this out raised a Communist bogy in
has made them see it. Guatemala as a pretext for in-
Even if a working agreement tervening on behalf of the fruit
between the fruit company and company.
the Government were to be Officials like the Foreign Min-
reached tomorrow, nothing would
be changed unless the agreement
was accompanied by steps to halt
the Communists' tightening grip
on the Land-reform administra-
tion, worker peasant union and These officials refer frequently
the Government's propaganda to the constitutional bar against
machinery, political discrimination, without
ever showing any awareness that
Backgrounll t? be Weighed , Communist practice elsewhere in
It is against this background; the world has been to destroy
such constitutions.
ereign tight to purchase arms oi
Iron Curtain origin if she wished, could n eavr egru e become
thatenin e Guatemala another
"But it is undoubtedly an act Czeclioslovakia because "Czecho-
of open hostility to the United slovakia was close ,to the Soviet
States and of complete ignorance union and we are close to the
of the spirit that animates the United States."
Organization of American States,"
it added. They do not believe what
Previously, checked, the Communists would
the press had foreign observers and many Gua-
shown complete approval for the temalans think: that, left un-
Mexican Government's stand on
Guatemala. Recent developments, eventually take over the Govern-
however, seem to have given rise ment and the country by default.
These officials see no connec-
to reconsideration. Even more tion between the Guatemalan
disturbing than Guatemala's
Communist party and the Mos-
cow-directed international Com-
munist movement. This is prob-
(
that the optimism expressed by
Foreign Minister Guillermo Tori-
ello, after his long talk yesterday
with John E. Peurifoy, United
States Ambassador, should be
considered.
A few details of the talk have
become known. The United States
isters do not see any menace in
the Communists' takeover of the
labor movement or in their dom-
ination of machinery for the ad-
ministration of land reform.
gr6At/?066/05/0*ICIAaRDnyttaantabiffe:rm002-7
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.4w
ably the hardest part of the
official reasoning to understand,
since the ComMunistS here make
no secret of their travels to Mos-
cow and other Communist capitals
and they echo Moscow propa-
ganda as faithfully as, say, the
ruling Communist party of Po-
land.
There is no evidence available
to indicate any desire to check
the Communists. They have never
had a freer hand than they -en-
joy today in the agrarian reform
department. They have never
been as strong in the labor move-
ment and they show signs of
wanting to increase their numeri-
cal, strength in Congress, where
they now hold only five of fifty-
six seats.
Many persons believe it may
already be too late for effective
action to halt the Communists'
rise even if the Government sud-
denly decided it wanted to do so.
The Reds can summon 3,000 to
5,000 workers for street demon-
strations. Their zealous work in
land reform has undoubtedly won
them ardent support among the
Indians, to whom they have given
land. Few believe they would ac-
cept blocks to their advancement
lying down.
The worker and peasant bat-
talions, even if they were armed
with nothing more than clubs and
machetes, represent the only or-
ganized force in the country out-
side the army and must be con-
sidered in any assessment of po-
litical factors at work here.
As for the army, there is noth-
ing to indicate that the recently
acquired arms shipment from
Czechoslovakia has caused It any-
thing but joy. The connections
between Guatemala and the Com-
munist world, indicated by the
shipment, has caused no apparent
concern to the officer corps, on
which in the long run the power
of President Jacobo Arbenz Guz-
man must rest,
tit rife
tnY 26 195?41
Text of Dulles' Statement on
? Guatemala
WASHINGTON, May 25 (2P)?
Follow4ng is the text of Secretary
Dulles' formal statement on Gua-
temala at his press conference
today:
The Guatemalan nation and _
people as a wholeare not Com-
munists. They are predomi-
nantly patriotic people who do
not want their nation to be
dominated by any foreign pow-
er. However, it must be borne
in mind that the Communists
always operate in terms of
small minorities who gain posi-
tions of power. In Soviet Rus-
sia itself only about 3 per cent
of the people are Communists.
In judging Communist influ-
ence in Guatemala, three facts
are significant:
1. Guatemala is the only Amer-
ican state which has not com-
pleted ratification of the Rio
pact of the Americas.
2. Guatemala was the only one
of the American states which at
the last Inter-American Confer-
ence at Caracas voted against
a declaration that "the domina-
tion or control of the political
institutions of any -American
state by the international Com-
munist movement, extending to
this hemisphere the political
system of an extra continental
power, would constitute a threat
to the American states, endan-
gering the peace of America."
3. Guatemala is the only Amer-
ican nation to be the recipient
of a massive shipment of arms
from behind the Iron Curtain.
Now Heavily Armed
It has been suggested from
Guatemala that it needs more.
The New York Times May 26, 1954
RED BASE FEARED: Sec-
retary Dulles said the recent
arms shipment to Puerto
Barrios (1) might have been
designed to set up a bastion
near the Panama Canal (2).
armament for defense. Already
Guatemala is the heaviest armed
of all the Central American
states. Its military establish-
ment is three to four times the
size of that of its neighbors,
such as Nicaragua, Honduras or
El Salvador.
The recent shipment was ef-
fected under conditions which
are far from normal. The ship-
ment was loaded at Stettin in
Communist Poland. The ship
was cleared for Dakar, Africa.
The operation was cloaked un-
der a series of chartering ar-
CA. Monitor
- RAY 2 6 1954
Honduras Recalls
Envoy to Guatemala
rangements so that the real
shipper was very difficult to
discover. When he was discov-
ered he claimed that the ship-
ment consisted of nothing but
optical glass and laboratory
equipment.
When the ship was diverted
from its ostensible destination
and arrived at Puerto Barrios,
it was landed under conditions
of extraordinary secrecy and in
the personal presence of the
Minister of Defense. One can-
not but wonder why, if the
operation was an above-board
and honorable one, all of its de-
tails were so masked.
In Position to Dominate
By this arms shipment a gov-
ernment, in which Communist
influence is very strong, has
come into a position to dominate
militarily the Central American
area. Already the Guatemalan
Government has made gestures
against its neighbors which they
deem to be threatening and
which have led them to appeal
for aid.
The Guatemalan Government
boasts that it is not a colony of
the United States. We are proud
that Guatemala can honestly
say that the United States is
not in the business of collecting
colonies. The important ques-
tion is whether Guatemala is
subject to Communist colonial-
ism, which has already subjected
800,000,000 people to its despotic
, rule. The extension of Cominu-
nist colonialism to this henii- I
I sphere would, in the words of
the Caracas resolution, endan-
ger the peace of America.
By the United Press
Guatemala City
The Honduran Ambassador to
Guatemala has been recalled by
his government.
Jacinto Octavio Durdn left
immediately for home. Diplo-
matic circles thought he would
I not return here. Although when
he boarded the plane he said he
did not believe H.anduras would
break diplomatic relations with
Gvaternala,
In an?ther development,
Gu,atemalan Foreign Minister
Guillermo Toriello said his
government was Concerned
LabolukAagrUtates_decision_.
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are "hostile to this country." '
IS
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Wag. test
MAY 26 1954
These Days .
Communists in Guaternula
IT IS NOT casual that the
Soviet universal state se:
lected Guatemala as a base
for operations against the
United States
in the Amer-
icas. It is a
populous
country a n d
t h e second
largest in
area in Cen-
tral America.
It lies on
Mexico and
the Hondu-
rases. Its
coattline
touches both the Caribbean
and the Pacific. Its influence
can extend throughout Central
America and into Mexico. It
can be an excellent base to
endanger the Panama Canal.
The country is rich in raw
materials, bananas, hard-
woods, chicle, sugar cane, co-
chineal, and coffee. Bananas
became the principal item for
export and most definitely af-
fected the standard of living of
the people, which was dread-
fully low. The population con-
sists of Negroes, Caribs and
Indians and the various combi-
nations of these races.
The principal commercial
? ? By George Sokolsky
enterprise in Guatemala was
the United Fruit Co., which,
under the agrarian reform
law, June 17, 1952, was divest-
ed of about 240;000 acres
by expropriation. The assets
of the International Railway
of Central America were
seized as the result of a tax
dispute in April, 1953. Other
companies have been confis-
cated.
Guatemala is now in that
state of the Communist de-
velopment known as a peo-
ple's republic. This means a
coalition of left wing politi-
cal parties, in which the Com-
munists are numerically not
prevailing, but which they
control anyhow by techniques
developed in other countries.
The leading party is called
the Revolutionary Action
Party in New York State.
Most of the leading Commu-
nists are now in their own
Party (PAR), which has 25 out
of 56 members in the Congre-
so Nacional. This used to be a
cover for Communists like
the American Labor Party
in New York State. Most of
the leading Communists are
now in their own party, but
this was done only to make it
possible for the dominant
?party to be able to deny that
Guatemala is a Communist
country.
It is interesting to note that
all political parties in Guate-
mala are either wholly Com-
munist or have a Communist
group within them. The most
moderate of these is the Parti-
do de la Revolucion Guatemal-
teca.
The President of the country
Is Col. Jacobo Arbenz, who
was elected for a six-year term
in 1950. Almost immediately
after his inauguration in
March, 1951, the Communists
came out intO the open, leav-
ing the cover party, the PAR,
and by December, 1952, estab-
lished their own party, the
? Guatemalan Workers' Party,
which was legally registered
and is now a member of the
government coalition. Not a
single fact justifies the claim
?that this is not a Communist
country except that in the
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people's republic.
SOVIET RUSSIA has since
1934 sought to establish a base
of operations either in Cuba
or in Mexico. In Cuba, the
Communists encountered the
opposition of General Batista,
who suspended the functions
of Congress and abolished po-
litical parties temporarily.
Batista seized power on March
10, 1952, and will hold it until
the next general election,
which has twice been post-
poned. The Communists have
not been able to work under
Batista. In Mexico, the Commu-
nist parties are legal but not
included in the government.
The labor leader, Vicente
Lombardo Toledano, is gener-
ally regarded as the Commu-
nist leader not only of Mexico
but of Latin America.
The failure to establish a
Communist base in Mexico,
after the Soviet diplomat,
Constantine Oumansky, was
killed in an airplane accident
In 1945, forced the Russians
to develop another base. Other
Central American countries
were tried, but Marxism took
hold best in Guatemala, which
is now the first country af-
filiated with the Soviet uni-
versal state in the Americas.
It represents a distinct
threat to the peace of these
continents because, pursuing a
Marxist course, it must en-
courage revolutionary action
among all its neighbors. Im-
Mediate 'trouble is to be ex-
pected in the Hondurases,
Costa Rica, Nicaragua and
Venezuela. The most impor-
tant next objective will be
Colombia because of its prox-
imity to the Panama Canal.
In the development? of a
revolution leading to the es-
tablishment of a people's re-
public, arms are as essential
as propagandists and pene-
trators into government. It
must always be remembered
that a confirmed Marxist, in
whatever country, regards
himself as belonging to the
Soviet universal state and not
to his own country. Some may
even be Russian citizens, as
are the Communist leaders in
Korea. If Guatemala is to be
the center of this operation,
Its operations in other coun-
gzpoifittaticiatld:PC=esi!y
(Congrigkt. 1054. King Features
EMICCatit Inc.)
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Wash. Deny ligni
MAY 2 6 1954
Hidden Radio Station, and a Pastoral Letter
Underground ant a Cardinal
..,
Fight the Reds in Guatemala
By CHARLES LUCEY Scripps-Howard Staff Writer
GUATEMALA CITY, May 26?A clandestine radio hidden in the mountains sput-
tered a caustic attack on this country's communist-slanted government--
Thin-drenched plaza from the goy':
An underground passes anti_ ernment palace, where sits President U. S. markings. They presumably
came from lend-lease stocks given
Jacobo Arbenz. Russia in
government pamphlets quietly ANOTHER MINDZENTY? , World War II.
The communist idea, the sources
from hand to hand, or paints the In any real communist crackdown suggested, would be to plant the
number' "32" in big figures on on the whole country the Archbish- American-made weapons in the
op could become the Cardinal Mind- hands of foreign agents in Guate-
the stuccoed walls?a reference zenty of this piece?and he recog- male and then charge them with
to the section of the constitution nized it in the pastoral letter in plotting against the Guatemalan
which prohibits political organi- which he recently rallied Catholics government.
against the Soviet stooges here.
zations of foreign or interna- This church leader knows the
value of a Catholic action move-
tional character? ment in combating communism, but
? as he observed today in an inter-
Exiles scattered all thru Central view, the constitution severely re-
America hope for backing and stricts priests from either political
wait to strike at the government or labor activity.
palace here? That means they cannot go among
? the workers of the fincas, as the
A considerable but curbed anti- large coffee lands are called, alert-
communist movement among uni- ing them to the Red danger. And,
versity students, and a steadily even if this were permitted, there
weakened opposition in the Guate- aren't the priests to carry on such
malan congress? a work?in a strongly Catholic
These are the local elements of country of 3,000,000 there' are only
an opposition, whose strength is im- something over 100 priests.
possible to measure, which chal- But at least a few Catholic lay-
length the potentially solid commu- men are beginning to take up the
nist control of this Central Amer- fight?very late?on a basis that
lean republic, opposes the communists but does
But these are not the greatest ob- not overlook the need to establish
stacles to the unchecked spread of social justice for workers in terms
communism here. Rather this op- of fair wages and individual owner-
position rests in the stooped, slen- ship of land.
der, gray-haired person of Msgr. The hold the Archbishop has on
Mariano Rossell y Arellano, Catholic the masses was demonstrated last
Archbishop of Guatemala. year when rumors swept the capi-
tal that because he had participated
POPULAR SUPPORT in a "political" meeting he was to
He is the one figure in the coun- be exiled from Guatemala. Msgr.
try, observers say, who would have Rossell y Arellano said today the
the people on his side in any direct meeting was in tact religious and
conflict with the communists, now was political only to the extent of
intrenched in some of the most im- playing the national anthem.
portant functions of the govern- . .
But as the tumor spread, firEit
govern-
ment. the Women selling flowers ahd frUit
In recent months he has spoken
out courageously in an attempt to Cloak and Dagger
rally the people against the com-
munist force, to emphasize that Diplomatic sources today said
communism and Catholicism can- the communists may be using
not be reconciled, to w a r n that American-labeled arms to make it.
whom communism favors today it look as if the United States is
sends to the noose tomorrow. plotting to overthrow the Guate-
? A man in his late 50s, reminiscent malan government.
In appearance and manner of Pope They said there are reports
Pius XII, this man administers the that some of -the guns recently
affairs of his church from his ca-
shipped from communist Poland
thedral-size residence facing across to Red-tinged Guatemala bear
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In the market nearby, then others
in thousands from all over the city,
swarmed about the Archbishop's
residence, took up positions on the
pavements, stood ready to oppose
any government move to lay hands
on his person.
Hour after hour they gathered
? and refused to move. All night they
remained. At the end police offi-
cials announced there was no
thought of expelling or harming the
Archbishop. It was a lesson not lost
on the officials at government
palace.
Today the Archbishop exhibited
letters he had received in great num-
ber from Guatemalans praising his
anti-communist stand in the pastoral
letter attacking communism.
He disclosed that 460,000 copies
have been reproduced to be passed
from hand to hand and village to
village to reach the campesinos, or
farm laborers, even in remote moun-
tain? areas where there are neither
churches nor priests.
"The people are good people," he
said. "They have been misled by
the communists. If we could have
a counter-propaganda to the commu-
nists in the fincas where they talk
social justice, there would be no
division in our country."
The Archbishop condemns the
communists for hiding under the
cloak of social improvement for the
needy classes, warns against the
flood of communist literature and a
burrowing into the educational sys-
tem?thru communist control of
teacher training?to convert Guate-
malan youth.
He proclaims against an illusory
Soviet paradise which turns out to
be a "concentration camp where, be-
fore the force of tanks and can-
nons, all are obliged to work ?for
o
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the state master."
These are strong words in Guate-
mala today.,
So tense has become the situa-
tion since the arrival of a 2000-ton
arms shipment from behind the Iron
Curtain two weeks ago that nobody
can guess when or whether an ex-
plosive act might inflame this little
piece of America.
But all the opposition there is
now still doesn't add up, on its
face, to getting the communists out
of power in the elections in 1955.
/Ewen the Archbishop, the strong-
est of all forces against the com-
munists, knows the fight is a hard
one. It needs much greater strength
than it' has today.
THE EVENING STAB, Washington, D. Q. *
waremsnsx, MAT 26, 1965
Constantine Brown?
N.Y. Intie
MAY 2 7 1954
In The Nation
A Communist Arms Depot
in Central America?
By ARTHUR KROCK
WASHINGTON, May 26?Informa-
tion coming here from Central Amer-
ica through diplomatic channels is
that Guatemala's neighbors to the
south see a much greater potential of
danger than an increase in Guate-
mala's military power in the arms
supply to that country from an Iron
Curtain port. What is chiefly troll-
Red Subs Near U. S.?
U-Boats Believed to Belong to Russia
Reported in Caribbean Waters
Submarines suspected of be-
longing to the U. S. S. R. are
now prowling waters in the
Western Hemisphere and par-
ticularly in the Caribbean Sea.
The number is estimated at be-
tween four and six. In official
language they are described as
belonging to "a nation or na-
tions other than allies or neu-
trals,"
The presence of these sub-
marines may be due to Mos-
cow's desire to test them on
long-range cruises, and it is in
keeping with its policies to
overlook notifying the inter-
ested countries of such exer-
cises. A less optimistic specula-
tion is that they are in our
back-yard for no such healthy
purpose as training cruises.
The highly tense interna-
tional sitnation justifies the
following two evaluations: (1)
The U. S. S. R. has dispatched
these 'vessels to our waters to
be ready to perform a special
mission, possibly against the
Panama Canal; or (2) to help
the Communist moves in Cen-
tral America where the Soviet
government is involved in fo-
mates, military supplies
amounting to nearly 7,000 tons
have been sent to Guatemala
frqm various ports in Europe.
The latest cargo, some 2,000
tons, was carried by a Swedish
freighter, It' was sent from
the Polish port of Stettin and
neither ?the Swedish captain
nor the crew knew what the
ship was carrying nor her ul-
timate destination. On this
long trip the skipper, who orig-
inally was instructed to put in
at Algiers, had to chane his
course four times.
Simultaneously with the
Swedish freighter's sailing, a
"pacemaker" put out of Libau
in Latvia having all the ear-
marks that she was carrying
war Materials. The camou-
flage was successful. When she
'put in at San Juan, Puerto
Rico, she was searched but no
war material was found. In
the meantime the arms-carry-
ing vessel made port at Puerto
Barrios in Guatemala and be-
gan unloading its freight.
There is no official account
yet as to what type of weapons
the Swedish freighter was car-
rying but the speculation is
rnenting a general revolution,
that the bulk of the material
The latter evaluation appears consisted of rifles and ma-
more logical at this moment. thine guns and'vast quantities.
Guatemala has become a of ammunition, besides some
Kremlin proving ground. It is dismantled planes. Two thou-
no exaggeration to say that the sand tons might sound small
Guatemalan government has to persons who remember the
become Moscow's active torch tens of thousands of tons we
bearer in the Western Hemi- have sent to Indo-China. But
4
bling these nations is the thought
that, through secret jungle paths, the
hard core of Communists in their
countries could be supplied from the
large shipment with machine guns for
the purpose of effecting the internal
Social disorder in non-Communist
states that is a cardinal foreign pol-
icy of the world Bolshevist move-
ment,
Such hidden arms, produced during
a general strike or a hotly contested
election in Honduras, El Salvador,
Nicaragua, Costa Rica or Panama,
could be effectively employed by the
Communists toward the objective of
civil war. And, while the private ad-
vices reaching here arethat civil war
could be subdued in any of these nit-
tions by the power which local armed
forces can provide, the effects would
be to create new areas of bitterness
and desolation and to distract the
Americas in some degree from con-
centration on world Bolshevist threats
elsewhere.
According to these advices, Guate-
rifles in boxes represent only-,
50 tons the importance of this
particular shipment cannot be
denied. This cargo alone has
the potential of arming most
of the would-be Communist
helpers throughout Central
America.
The explanation of the
Guatenialan government that
it needed these weapons for its
own armed forces and that
sovereign Guatemala can put-
,chase military equipment
wherever it chooses is flimsy.
The whole Guatemalan regu-_
lar army consists of no more
than 1,600 men. The militia is
about 5,000 strong. These
forces already have necessary.
equipment. The 2,000-ton
shipment contains enough war
material to arm every adult in
Guatemala between the ages
of 16 and 40. And that surely.,
is not the intention of the:
Guatemalan government.
In some military quarters in
Washington there is a strong
suspicion that Russia's in.
terest in that small Central
American republic is not due
only to the desire to create an
additional international prob-
lem for us. They see an at-
tempt to establish a "home"
for Soviet planes. which, after
performing eventual bombing
missions in the United States
from three major bases in the
Arctic Ocean, would be able to
' continue southward and land
in friendly Central Americanterritory. This would not be
possible unless some or all tile
Central American govern-
? ments became Soviet con-
According to reliable sti- when we figure out that 10,000 trolled.
Fe
mala's neighbors to the south fully
recognize that the arms shipment
adds to the military advantage over
them already possessed by that coun-
try, and in this respect presents a
sufficient cause for anxiety. Also it
has been verified, to the satisfaction
of these neighbors, that Guatemala
has been assembling troops at the
border of Honduras, where the politi-
cal situation has a special appeal to
the promoters of world bolshevism.
But, since a border incident plainly.
provoked by Guatemala would in-
stantly bring into play the Pan-
American collective security eompact,
and-this fact is well known in Guate.
mala City, a border incident does not
figure importantly in Central Ameri-
can speculations at this time.
Costa Rica's Experience
But the possible distribution through
the jungles of clusters of machine
guns to places known to Communists
and simple to conceal from the au-
thorities is high among the specula-
tions. Without foreign armament
.supply, and only with locally acquired
weapons that included revolvers and
machetes, Costa Ricans fought a civil
war in 1948 in which a general strike,
of typical Communist nature, was a
prominent factor. This strike, im-
.puted by its generators to,an Infringe-
ment of political rights by the party
in power, brought on skirmishes in
which several were killed and .many
injured. The fact that the arms shrp-
ment for Guatemala from the Iron
Curtain port arrived at a time when
strikes exist and others are threat-
ened in the neighboring areas has
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t
Approved For Release 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R0003002?002Anis
MAY 27 1954
evoked vivid memories of the inci-
dents of 1948, and visions of what
their repetition would be,if Commu-
nists were armed with machine guns.
1 The nations principally concerned
I with Guatemala are, however, in a
lquandary what to do about it, arid
not the least uncertain as to the next
collective move is the United States.
The President of Costa Rica, as an-
nouxced, is pondering a conference of
the Foreign Ministers of the nations
to the south of Guatemala ("the only
direction," said one diplomat today,
"in which arms leaving Guatemala
will go"-). That conference conic], lead
?to the employment of the hemispheric?
collective security measures on the
initiative of other Latin-American re- ;
publics. And the United Statea could
not effectively take this initiative, at
this juncture anyhow, for reasons
very familiar to persons even sliihtly
acquainted with the unifying effect
in Latin America of a charge that
the "Colossus of the North" is sub-
verting the sovereignty of its member
nations.
A Criticism
It was in grateful recognition of
this historic fact that Foreikit Min-
ister, 'repel? 0.1 Guatsimala ineesnPY
countered inks eoverrit4eids# OriiiStiii,
of tie arnal sRipment `fr'bin - dzeclio- NA, Times
4 thitt, after all, - Guetetiiiitii is mit -a ' Ay 27 1354
? fov,av,s to Ais country by remarking
"cblOriyil of the United States. On thel
same basis the Administration is be Guatemala for Talks
here
i mentrig criticized ,by some, here and By SYDNEY GRUSON Senorwouldut on
Toriello saily
d his Govern-
- ,
abroad, for, taking' the lead in that special to The New York Times? tion on negotiations with the
p one
exposure It It would have been a simple GUATEMALA, May 28?The company. The agrarian reform
diplomatic maneuver by the United Guatemalan Government is pre- law, under which two-thirds of
States, say these critics, to arrange pared to negotiate directly with the company's vast land holdings
the United Fruit , Company to; have been expropriated, "is not a
for the revelation to come from a
, . , reach an amicable basis for the subject for negotiation or diScus-
Latin-AnleFican country, aha that company's future operations in sion," he emphasized.
,wmild have spiked in advance , the this country. The Government's new ap-
inevitable comment made by? Senor According to present plans, proach to the problem of rela-
Toriello. . Foreign Minister Guillermo To tions with the United States has
Be that as it may, and whether or riello will tell this to John? C. already been felt. Its influence
not in the circumstances the comment Peurifoy, United States Ambas. has been exerted to end a strike
will have the Usual effect, the initia- hsaodlgra'nwiot
thherwdhisocmusshieorweanpeuontsitto of 4,000 workers in Bananera, the
ed company plantations near the
tive has now Passed to Guatemala'a States - Guatemalan relatiorts west coast, and in Puerto Bar-
neighbors. What major part the early neat week. rios, the near-by port where the
United State, openly or behind "If the fruit company is pr- company operates wharves and
pared to discuss matters on a an office of the Tropical Radio
scenes, will henceforth play in the basis of equity and to negotiate eTegraph Company, a subsidiary.
developing hemispheric drama has not rather than demand acquiescence The strike is now in concilia-
been decided. Or the decision, if it to terms laid down by the corn- tion and is expected to be settled
has been made, does not appear to be pany, a settlement can easily be quickly.
knoVirn to the other Pan-American !reached," Senor Toriello said in It has been conducted under
nations. Today's annbuncement that an interview. he leadership of the Communist-
United States bombers are going tell ominated General Confederation
This new attitude toWard the
ink company, whose treatmen lof Workers. But unlike every
Nicaragua on a "goodwill' mission is 'by the Government' has been other labor dispute with the com-
merely a maneuver reminiscent of the major 'bone of contention betwee pany in the last three years, it
1910 muscular diplomacy celebrated ithe United States and Guatemala has not been accompanied by the
by Richard Harding Davis. 1
1 -ms 'from. the belief that a usual anti-United States, anti-
Among some, diplomats here ash? Senor Toriello put it, "the. fruit company propaganda barrages.
represent nations outside this hemi- strategy designed to increase popular
-
sphere there is a disposition to attrib- support for intervention in Southeast
N.Y. ?Wee
MAY 27 1954
LEFTISTS TO GET VOICE
Permitted to Join Government
in British Honduras
Special to The New York Times.
LONDONt May 26?Britain is
going to give the Left-Wing Peo-
ple's United party in British Hon-
duras an opportunity to show
good faith in participating in the
colony's new government.
Oliver Lyttelton, Colonial Sec-
retary, announced in the House
of Commons today that the
party's leaders, who got a big
ina.ndate from the colony's elec-
torate last month, had promised
Gov. Sir Alfred Savage that they
would cooperate loyally.
"They are prepared to take the
oath of allegiance freely and
without reservation," Mr. Lyttel-
ton said. The party officially was
found to have accepted financial
aid from Communist-dominated
Guatemala, but nonetheless Hon-
duran voters gave it eight out of
nine Legislative Assembly seats.
GUATEMALAN RED IS OUT I"
Party Leader 1$ Temporarily.i
Retired Because of Illness
Special to The New York Timm
GUATEMALA, May 28?The
temporary retirement of Jos?
Manue Fortuny as Secretary Gen-
eral of The Guatemalan Labor
[Communist] party was an-
nounced today by the party's cen-
tral committee. Senor Fortuny
was said to be ill. Bernardo Al-
varado Monzon, secretary of the
Central Committee, was named
to replace him temporarily.
The party announcement said
Senor Monzon had reported at the
meeting of the Central Committee
on Senor Fortuny's health and
measures taken to arrange medi-
cal treatment and holiday for
him. The announcement did not
state the nature of Senor For-
tun's illness.
It was learned that he had been
suffering from severe sinus
trouble and probably would leave
Guatemala for medical treatment
In Europe.
Senor Fortuny has been leader
of the party since it was founded.
He iti credited with being the
architect of the strategy that has
won the Communists so much in-
fluence in Guatemala.
company's problems are the main
thing between the two countries."
This is a mistaken belief, ac-
cording to United States officials,
who are primarily concerned over
the rise of Communist influence
lute the activity of the United States Asia. But Guatemala's neighbors
I with reepectAp
rOgrtl 414FIRilt?astelleGt910Virffi 611/014EFP(S2460865R000300200002-7
MAY 27 1354
Guatemala Air
Travel Curbed
By Wireless to the Herald 'Tribune
Copyrisht, 1554, N. Y. Herald Tribune Inc.
SAN SALVADOR, Republic of
El Salvador, May 26.?A pilot for
TACA International Airlines re-
ported this morning that the
Guatemalan authorities have
forbidden flights by private or
commercial planes over any part
of the railroad linking Puerto
Barrios and Guatemala City.
Puerto Barrios is on Guatemala's
Caribbean coast.
The pilot said the order was
issued, this morning without ex-
planation. It forces commercial
planes through Central America
to and from Guatemala to make
detours.
The railroad has been trans-
porting to Guatemala City mili-
tary supplies received recently
from behind the Iron Curtain.
TACA pilots say the restrica
tion probably stems from a re-
cent unsuccessful ground attack
on a train transporting arms.
The Guatemalan Air Force ob-
viously would - be concerned
about possible aerial bombing
by anti-ComMunists.
19
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N.Y. Thus
MAY 28 1954
Guatemala Proposes
'Pact With Honduras
IBy SYDNEY GRUSON
special to The New York Times.
GUATEMALA, May 27?Guate-
mala proposed to neighboring
Honduras today that they im-
mediately sign a pact Of friend-
ship and nonaggression.
The proposal apparently was
aimed at countering increased
fear in the hemisphere that
Guatemala's recent purchase of
about 2,000 tons of arms from
Czechoslovakia had created a
Communist menace to the safety
of the Americas, and particularly
the safety of Guatemala's neigh-
bors.
Indications were that the Guate-
malan Government, for the first
time since the present crisis de-
veloped with arrival of the arms
May 15, was seriously concerned
that what it had always consid-
ered a war of nerves against it,
might turn into a shooting war.
Foreign Minister Guillermo,
Tollejio sidestepped normal diploi
matic procedures to ,propose the
paet, At 3:30 o'clock this morn-
ing, about nine hours after an
unidentified C-47 plane had show-
ered the city of Guatemala with
anti-Government leaflets, he sent
aotelegram to Dr. Edgardo Valen-
zuela, Honduran Foreign Minister.
Sehor Toriello and his Govern-
ment considered the plane inci-
dent a "provocation of the Ut-
most gravity." In an umnistaka-
ble warning, he said Guatemala
would be justified in taking mili-
tary measures against another
similar attempt.
"If they could drop paper leaf-
lets one day, they could dyop
other things, too," he observed.
The leaflets carted on the peo-
ple to join with Col. Carlos Cas-
tillo Armas, who is in exile in
Elonduras, in the struggle against
communism in Guatemala.
A long-time foe of the present
regime, Colonel .Castillo was ar-
rested Nov. 5, 1950, after an at-
tempt to seize a military base
near the capital's airport. He
tunneled his way out of prison a
year later and rallied a large
group of Guatemalan exiles
around him in Honduras.
The colonel has become the
focal point of the Government's
opposition abroad. Officials here
I make no secret of their tear that
Ihe will be used to foment border
Approved For
!incidents and possibly a full-
!scale armed conflict that may
!bring about organized armed in-
tervention.
? Selior Toriello said the Gov-
ernment did not know where the
plane had come from.
It was flown with great skill
and by someone who knew the
capital well.. Because of a day-
long rain there was virtually no
visibility yesterday when the
plane arrived and dropped its
cargo over the center of the city.
A Pan American Airways Con-
stellation had just taken offl
after a four-hour weather delay
when the C-47 broke through the
low clouds. Senor Toriello, whose
wife and daughter were among
the United States-bound passen-
gers on the Pan American flight,
said the Constellation had been
briefly endangered.
As a result, the Government
barred private flights over parts,
of the capital and also closed the
northeastern half of the country
to private *nes.
Senor Toriello reiterated to the
Honduran Foreign Minister his
position that the arms had been
purchased solely for normal se,
curity -needs. They would nevet
be used with aggressive inten-
tions or to menace Guatemala's
brother republics, he asserted.
The State, Department had
called the? purchase a "develop-
ment of gravity," having said
that the amount bought was far
in excess of Guatemala's normal
needs. Accordint to Senor To-
riello, this statement was par
of a tendentious propaganda
campaign to destroy good rela-
tions between Honduras and
Guatemala.
He added that Washington's in-,
timation that Guatemala had pro-
voked the present wave of strikes'
in northern Honduras not only:
was false, but was an insult to'?
the Honduran people because it
implied that they were being led
from abroad.
Further, Senor Toriello said
Guatemala was being made the
victim of a rising campaign
aimed at intervention in her in-
ternal affairs. He declared his
country was beset by the menace
of an armed invasion..
A' :nonaggression pact would
strbngly reinforce peace and
friendship between both coun-
tries, he urged, and would elimi-
nate all anxieties in their rela-
tions.
U. S. Bombers Visit Nicaragua
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, May
27 (UN?Three United States
B-36 bombers arrived today on a
"goodwill" flight.
The visit coincided with this
country's Army Day. Celebration
and the birthday of Senora Sal-
vadorita de Somoza, the First
Release 2000/05/03 : CIA-
Timm
MAY 2 8 1954
CONGRESSMAN EXPELLED
Arenas, Who Fled Guatemala,
Is Accused of Subversion
GUATEMALA, May 27? Con-
gress decreed the expulsion of
Jose Luis Arenas, Opposition
member. Sefior Arenas is charged
With subversive activities and
with having failed to attend three
consecutive Congressional set-
sions without excuse.
Senor Arenas, a prominent
agriculturist and anti-Commu-
nist, was elected to Congress by
anti-Communist groups two
years ago. In March, following
a Government announcement that
an ,Opposition Congressman was
implicated in a plot to overthrow
the regime, he took refuge in the
Salvadorean Embassy. Later he
left the country. He is now in
Mexico. ?
Only three Opposition members
remain in Congress.
N. Y. MIRROR
MAY 28 1954
Honduras Strikers Toss
ut Guatemala Red Agent
By VICTOR RIMEL
There is an impulse for decency and freedom in the /
"little people" before which we of the Western world should
bow in homage. This loathing of shackles on the mind and
the foot has just won for us a great military and propaganda
battle on the Guatemala-Honduras front.
pie of these steaming jungles hia hands, at a moment when
Wtih their fists, the good peolorganize a got help. Into
union,.
and banana towns have beaten tri t6 fpr'ainedCom risntatiagonenalts lower;
back the heav-
S
fly financed,
heavily armed,
scientifi ca I ly
trained Comin-
tern cadres
which almost
tore another
Central Ameri-
can nation from
our side.
It was dorre
under the lead-
ership of a man
the world does
not yet know.
His name..is
Manuel Valn-
cia. :There is always one such
man in each beleagured nation.
If we help him, he beats back
the Communist machine. If not
?Czechoslovakia!
? ? *
LAST WEEKEND, Manuel Va-
lencia, leader of the Honduran Ub-
e/021668385*o CM1521$160
,
into a Soviet revolution, were
placed some documents.
Carrying these papers, Manuel
Valencia disdained the trigger-
happy killer squads assigned
by the Comintern's muscle.
department to the Communist
strike-leading cadres. 'Valencia
rushed to a strikers' mass-
meeting in El Progresso. There
he faced the Soviet agent who
had skillfully sealpeled him
right out of the leadership of
the strike committee last month.
The man who Valencia chal-
lenged is Thomas Cardona, a
Communist agent sent in from
Guatemala. With money, muscle
and the characteristic behind-the-
scenes organizing tactics of Com-
munist cells everywhere, Cordona
had driven Valencia and the hon-
est strike leaders from power
and personally took over the
leadership.
7 ? ? ?
BUT NOW CARDONA was
c
ot 0
Approved For Release 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000300200002-7
law Nor
finished. Valencia had the docu-
ments to prove to the roaring
crowd that Cardona was a Soviet
agept. The "little people" followed
their instincts, and struck back
agetnst the Agent, of, international
communism who wanted to ex-
ploit their drive for more bread
and butter and less hours of toil.
They manhandled Cardona.
They found on him papers and
credentials linking him with
the Guatemalan Communists.
They restored their own people
and Manuel Valencia to leader-
ship.
They sent a committee to
Mexico City headquarters of the
anti-Communist, pro U. S. ORT,
which works with the interna-
tional sections of the AFL and
CIO. The anti-Communist Hon-
duran strike committee delega-
tion asked the ORIT for technical
help in building a union and for
guidance In fighting the Commu-
nist invasion from Guatemala.
? ? ?
THEY WILL GET some help
from the GRIT, which is a Pan-
American federation of anti-Com-
munist unions. But they need
more than such help. Their gov-
ernment must reform itself. Hon-
duras Is the only modern govern-
ment which literally has no labor
code or laws. Men can be worked
24 hours a day, seven days a
week, 82 weeks a year without
violating any law.
The Honduran strike, which
almost toppled the government,
was originally an economic
move IM by Manuel Valencia.
There had been AV wage In-
...44VIIIIPARAOBLYM-ree,?TIT-ett
pie were restless,. muer
discontented. Valencia got the
strike rolling and Cardona'S
muscle men took over and
turned it into a revolutionary
move, aided by a native Corn-
munist whip called Coto.
The Communists had hoped
that Honduran President Dr. Juan
Manuel Galvez would declare
martial law?and that armed
groups would then cross the bor-
der from Guatemala disguised as
Honduran peasants and laborers.
Those armed groups would win
as they have in China and Indo-
China.
*
BUT PRESIDENT Galvez out-
maneuvered the Comintern. lie
appointed a three-man commis-
sion to negotiate with the strike
committee. So long .as the Com-
munists controlled that workers'
group, there was no hope for a
? settlement. And each day the
strike lasted gave the Communist
operatives more time to inteneify,
their violence.
But Manuel Valencia got his
? documents from some intel-
ligence sour c e?and rewon
leadership. The strike is ?veil
for all intents and purpose&
? Honduras VANtilysicrl.ntEgleaSe
Guatemala,
go buf*TY Arabi.
Wash. Evening Star
MAY 2 8 1954
Recognizing a Threat
It is clear that Communist activity in dull-
temala is a threat to the security of the Amer-
icas which is causing serious concern in our
State Department.
Certainly it is right that this concern should
be felt, for an out-and-out satellite Communist
state in Central America would be in position
to spread evil in all directions on the north and
south continents. And while Guatemala for a
long time has been less than a good neighbor
and plainly has shown thesimprint of Commu-
nist influence, the brazen buying of armaments
from behind the Iron Curtain has served to
emphasize the threatening demeanor of that
government today. As Secretary Dulles told his
news conference, the military strength of Gua-
temala already is several times that of its
neighboring Central American states?and there
have been no threats to its security that require
a further build-up of arms. Indeed, the real
question now is whether Guatemala's security
and its independence are not being taken from
It by the conspiratorial workings of Communist
Imperialism.
Mr. Dulles was wise in noting that the Gua-
temalan people as a whole are not Communists,
but that control is being exercised in the famil-
iar Communist manner through a small and dil-
igent minority. Quite logically, the smaller
Latin American states are quick to react against
what may seem like meddling by thefl United
States and it had been reported in the past few
days that many non-Comm'unist and pro-Amer-
ican Guatemalans had been disturbed by the
impression that Washington was applying a
blanket condemnation to their country.
Mr. Dulles has made clear that this is not
so, but he has made equally clear that further
movement toward a Communist "capture" of
Guatemala?or any other American state?will
lead to quick and decisive counteraction, as pro-
vided by the Caracas resolution to which all
but Guatemala are signatories. It has been
adequately demonstrated in the past that there
is solidity in the inter-American relationship
and there is no doubt that a strong front
would be mustered in any step necessary to
protect other parts of the hemisphere from
Red aggression.
It is greatly to be hoped, however, that the
tensions which have arisen between Guatemala
and its neighbors can be eased by peaceful
means.
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lwabillibtoir WILY Palnat'llAt
A Name hi Remember in Guatemala
Exiled Col. Armas
Leads the Anti-Reds
By CHARLES LUCEY -ScriPPs-}loward Staff Writer
GUATEMALA CITY, May 28?Paste the name of Col. Carlos Castillo Armas in
your hat against the day when they may start rolling the tanks into the public
squares down this way in the fight against Latin American communism.
He is the exiled former headT
with what strength, is an unan- Observers say the government is
of this country's Millitary Poly- swered question here. But his worried by this possibility and that
technic Institute ? the Guate- name constantly is before the na- 'its proposal to Honduras is to en- I
n alan West Point?and a figure bon. able itto say to the rest of the
Western
of acknowledged brains and dar- Castillo Armas was a member of , rn Hemisphere: We don't
the 1934 Polytechnic Institute grad- want war ? we want peace ? this
mg. lie stands today as an im-- uating class, as was Arbenz an proves it
portant rallying poimt of oppon- army officer and defense minister !
ents of the pro-communist gov- before becoming president.
ernment here. LOST OUT
Castillo Armas is about 40, a Colonel Armas participated in the
handsome man of education and 1944 revolution which overthrew
culture who led an abortive at- the old dictatorship and later
tempt to gain control of the Guate- showed a personal leadership that
rnalan army in 1950 and later made won him a following within the
a spectacular escape from the coun- army. But there were differences
try's strongest jail by burrowing and Castillo Armas lost his place
ti n .
nder its walls. i 1950.
MOST FEARED He stayed in civilian life for
some months, then led a mere hand-
'lucre is little question that he is
fill of soldiers in an attack on La
the man most feared today by
Aurora, the country's chief military
1-resident Jacob? Arbenz and For-
cign Minister Guillermo Toriello. headquarters. It failed because, his
supporters say, men inside the
A couple of nights ago this capi-
army reneged on a promise to de-
tat was surprised by a"mystery
liver the barracks over to him.
plane flying over the city to drop
The Armas force was wiped out;
thousands of pro-Armas, anti-corn-
by machine guns. He was wounded
munist leaflets. Observers say the
seriously. First he went to the
occurrence has given the govern-
hospital, then prison.
plant real worry?perhaps even a
One day in 1951 the country woke I
bad case of the jitters. uo to find Colonel Armas I
But concern over what Castillo -
Armas may do long antedates this carted jail and had been given
asylum in the- Ecuadorean Em-
occurrence. bassy. He next went into exile in I
?
He frequently is attacked by the
povernment. A few days ago Honduras.
the foreign minister charged that The stir raised in this capital by
the leaflet-dropping was plainly
Armas was being financed by the
United Fruit Co., which is in con-
apparent today. Everyone talked
filet with the government over
of it. Toriello said the act violated
ast land grabs made under an
Coatemalan territory and the gov-
v
agrarian reform. program. ernment would have been justified
in
Colonel Armas has ga4ned the shooting the plane down.
support of many who oppose the I The government, showing deep
concern
present pro-communist regime but over the diplomatic-military)
screw-tightening
who want no return to the dictator-
of recent davR
ships of other years?who want a proposed yesterday to Honduras
government that will carry on so- the signing of a mutual non-aggres-
cial and economic reforms king sion pact. This was seen as an at-
cverdue but without Moscow ties. tempt to counteract possible action
Today Colonel Armas bides his I against the pro-communist govern-
time in adjoining Honduras, where I ment here by the Organization of
he has been since his prison escape I American States under the Caracas
stirred the whole country. When anti-communist resolution.
an whether .hemove,
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'MEV
May 21, ififtU %Ai s , Woe I d ge FROM THE THE CAPITALS OF THE WORLD
GUATEMALA CITY....WASHINGTON....PARIS....BONN GENEVA....
>> While Washington worries about Indo-China, 10,000 miles away
A U.S. neighbor, Guatemala, two hours distant from the Panama Canal by fast
bomber, is acquiring many of the earmarks of a Soviet outpost.
The earmarks, as they have been identified thus far, are these:
Arms are reaching Guatemala from behind the Iron Curtain.
A general strike spreading throughout neighboring Honduras was apparently
touched off and encouraged by Guatemalans, including consular officials.
An assassination attempt on the life of Nicaragua's President, widely known
as anti-Communist, is being blamed on a plot hatched in Guatemala.
An election in British Honduras, another Guatemalan neighbor, has shown a
surprisingly strong leftist trend. Guatemalans had a hand in this, too.
Guatemalans, in short, appear unusually busy outside their borders doing
missionary work of the kind that Moscow wants done in the U.S, back yard.
?) In Guatemala itself, when you look into that situation
The Government, though not Communist at the top, follows Moscow's line.
Guatemala's "FBI" is in the hands of Communists.
Press and radio, under Government control, are run by Communists.
Labor unions are controlled by known Communists.
Reforms pushed by the Government are those publicly urged by Communists.
U.S. firms, U.S. capital get kicked around, sometimes expropriated.
U.S. policies are bitterly opposed by Guatemala at home and abroad.
}, In addition: Guatemalans regularly attend Communist meetings in Peiping
and East Europe. Two leaders of Guatemala's Communist Party recently visited
Moscow. This visit preceded the current outbreak of trouble in Central America.
Guatemala may not actually be a Soviet outpost. But it acts like one.
), U.S. officials, disturbed about Guatemala, are on this spot:
U.S. intervention to drive the Communists out of Guatemala is prohibited
inter-American treaties and by long-standing U.S. policy. Anything that even
looks like U.S. intervention arouses the ire of all Latin-American nations.
A Soviet outpost, on the other hand, can hardly be permitted by the U.S.
develop in its own back yard, and close to the Panama Canal.
Only alternative, if the U.S. is not to intervene, is for Latin Americans
take the lead in putting pressure on Guatemala's Government.
This pressure is now beginning. Nicaragua has broken off relations with
Guatemala. Honduras recently kicked out two Guatemalan consular officials.
Next stan mav.be agte_e_reent_bv_a_matority of Western Hemisphere governments
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to
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WORLDGRAM--(Continued)
that Guatemala is in fact a threat to Hemisphere peace and security.
Sanptions, including an economic squeeze, might then go into effect.
First though, Latin Americans have to come around to the U.S. view that
Guatemala, as a budding Soviet outpost, deserves attention and action fast.
APost
tuisk.
aday, May 29, 1954
Spanish Exiles Are Blamed I
For Guatemala
Wash. Evening Star
MAY 29 1954
1
's Red Shift Top Guatemala Red
9 Ousted as Party Split
BALTIMORE, May 28 UPI.? won control of the government,'
The Evening Sun today said it and have the support of Presi-
is the informed opinion in dent Jacobo Arbenz Guzman, Rumors Boost Jitters
Washington "exiled Spaniards theEvening Sun said.
are behind the transformation Arbenz, it explained, rules
of Guatemala into a Commu- through the National Demo-
nist state." cratic front, a coalition of four
William Manchester reported parties, and "of 11 members on
in a Washington dispatch that the executive committee five
exiles fleeing Spain a f t e r ' are Communists and the others
Franco's victory in 1939 are are fellow-travelers."
believed to have concentrated
in Guatemala since 1944. Secret Radio Continues
Undet their prodding, he Attacks in Guatemala
wrote, intellectuals of the half-
caste Ladino class in Guate- GUATEMALA, May28 UM?
mala infiltrated civil service
and labor unions so success- A secret radio urging
andGuate-
fully, they now dominate the malans to fight communism
government, and attacking the government
continued its broadcasts today
Leaders of the expatriate despite reports officials had
Spaniards in GUatemala City*, smashed it.
Manchester reported, are un- Guatemala issued two emer-
derstood to include Roberto gency regulations today as a
Basco Alava, Carlos Sennaro result of the crisis Pith the
Linares and Rafel de Blum. United States. They require
"With the reported arrival of that:
an arms shipment in Guate- All private planes in effect
mala this month, Waahington be grounded under an order
has become sharply aware of banning cross-country flights.
a grave threat to peace in this Any messages in code or in
hemisphere a language other than Spanish
"Behind that threat lies an must be accompanied by a
international drama which has Spanish translation filed at the
been unfolding in America's cable office. This meant all
back yard for 10 years. Al- press messages in English must
though the stage managers have a Spanish translation.
were imported from abroad, Outside of this development.
the performers are half-Span- .the capital settled down to nor-
ish, half-Indian Ladinos."
The "curtain raiser" in. the
drama, the story said, was the
overthrow of Gen. Jorge
Ubico's dictatorship in Guate-
mala in 1944.
The Evening Sun did not
traced developments in Guate-
mala since 1944 and said two
underground Communist
parties in Guatemala cme out
in the open in 1950.
With the two groups amalga-
mated and un er ComlnSopn
domination, C Och
Defense Chief Delays
Visit to U. S. as Cable ?
Censorship Is Invoked
By the Associated Press
GUATEMALA, May 29.?Com-
munist Party headquarters an-
nounced today Jose Manuel For-
tuny has been dropped as secre-
tary general of the party. It
said Mr. Fortuny, a close advisor
to President Jacobo Arbenz, had
been relieved because of ill
health.
But there was immediate spec-
ulation that he had been ousted
because of a split inside the
party. There also were rumors
that Mr. Arbenz forced the party
to take the action to remove the
stigma of communism from the
government.
Mr. Fortuny, as secretary gen-
ciuden:
The Swedish freighter Alf-
helm, said by the U. S. State
Department to have delivered
Communist-made arms to Gua-
temala, was anchored at Key
West, Fla., while U. S. officials
questioned the captain and
crew.
The French Line freighter
mal after a jittery 24-hour pe- Wyoming awaited reloading of
nod in which a plane rained
its cargo before resuming its
anti-Red leaflets over the city, passage through the Panama
Airline service was resumed. Canal. The ship had been halt-
Stores reopened and foreigners ed at the Atlantic mouth of
sent their children back to the canal while U. S. authori-
school.
The top story in newspapers
here was one from Washing-
ton saying the United States
was thinking of recalling its
air and military missions to
Guatemala.
Other deve
Rees
. . .
I,
ties searched for possible con-
traband arms destined for
Guatemala and El Salvador.
No contraband was found.
Assigned to Guatemala were a
box of .22-caliber target rifles,
. two boxes of 16-gauge 'shotuns
1,1
mIDtv2i-oossrageaoasesi10
eral, was rated as top man in
the nation's Communist Party..
He was also a member of the
important National Democratic
Front, which some observers be-
lieve helps shape government
policy.
His removal as party leader
automatically removes him from
the Democratic Front,
Heated Meeting Reported.
The independent newspaper La
Hora said Mr. Fortuny had been
ousted after a heated party
meeting.
Another announcement today
said Defense Minister Jose Angel
Sanchez has decided not to visit
the United States as planned,
until the situation eases.
The move came as tension
gripped the country in the wake
of United States State Depart-
ment accusations that Guate-
mala has received arms from
behind the Iron Curtain and re-
ports from Washington that the
United States was thinking of
recalling its air and military
missions to Guatemala.
Emergency Rules Issued.
Last night the government is-
sued two emergency regulations
as a result of its crisis with the
United States. They require
that:
1. All private planes be
grounded under an order ban-
ning cross-country flights.
2. Any dispatches written in
code or in a language other than
Spanish must be accompanied by
a Spanish translation filed at the
cable office. This means all
press Messages in English must ,
have a Spanish translation at-
tached for study by a govern-
ment agent.
Secret broadcasts urging
Guatemalans to fight commu-
nism and attacking the govern-
ment continued last night.
In Panama at Canal Zone of-
fice announced last night that
the French Line freighter
Wyoming had been cleared for
transit through the waterway
after a search of its cargo re-
vealed no contraband arms.
02-7
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AMY'
14.I. totes
SATURDAY, MAY 29,
HONDURAS CHARGE
REDS HELP STRIKE
Infiltration, Especially From
Guatemala, Described in
Government Statement
Special to The New York Thnes.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras,
May 28?The Foreign Office has
charged that international com-
munism has infiltrated the ranks
of strikers on the north coast
of Honduras.
Foreign Minister Jos?duardo
Valenzuela issued a statement
last night citing six indications
of intervention in Honduran
strikes by Communists, particu-
larly from Guatemala.
About 27,000 workers of the
United Fruit Company and other
Industries, mostly controlled by
United States interests, are on
strike. At their peak the walk-
outs affected more than 40,000
workers.
An hour after Senor Valenztiela
had issued his statement a note
was received from Guatemala in-
viting Honduras to join her in
a friendship and nonaggression
pact. The offer caught the Hon-
duran dovernment by Surprise.
Note Under Study
? The Foreign Minister said at
a Special press conference this
morning th4 the Government
was studying the Guatemalan
note. He declined to comment on
his own reaction or to estimate
when the note would be answered.
He said he had conferred with
President Juan Manuel Galvez
about the note.
-In his statement Sefior Valen-
zuela cited what he termed a
"manifest interest" in sabotaging
the settlement of the Standard
Fruit Company strike 'last week,
in which a majority of the work-
ers were ppreventedfrom return-
ing to their jobs.
He said the strikers' demands
on the Government were unusual-
ly blunt. .A.ccording to the an-
nouncement, the strikers used
"language of a subversive char-
acter" and defied governmental
authority.
Furthermore, the "general com-
portment and tactics of the strik-
ers" indicated that instructions
were Issued' ii the procedure used
by international communism, the
Minister declared.
He also charged that "strikers
of the communistic type" had
tried to prolong the strike. Fi-
nally, his statement quvtgol le
ters to PresiROP DAMS! A@ It
C.S. Monitor
MAY 29 1954
Arms in Guatemala
The Western Hemisphere faces a
first-rate diplomatic problem in What
to do about Communist infiltration
in the government of Guatemala.
The problem roughly divides itself
into three parts.
First, there is the question of how
the United States shall continue to
deal with a situation which presents
no major threat but is nevertheless
troublesome and potentially danger-
ous. The affair continues to build up
with discovery of a falsely listed
cargo of machine guns.
Second is the question of what
action, if any, the Organization of
American States should take about
recent receipt of a shipment of 1,900
tons of arms from Soviet-controlled
Czethoslovakia: This amounts to a
100-car trainload of guns and am-
munition for a country the size of
Louisiana, and makes Guatemala
much the most heavily armed nation
between Mexico and the Panama
Canal.
Third, there is the question
whether Guatemalans themselves
can yet awake to the perils in Com-
munist influence in time to prevent
their government from being used as
an instrument to do serious damage
to themselves as well as others.
Guatemala is in the throes of a
far-reaching land reform, such as
other Latin-American .countries have
needed from time to time. That pro-
gram involved seizure, if not confis-
cation, of lands of the United Fruit
strikers from Vicente Lombardo
Toledano, leader of a Mexican
pro-Communist faction.
The Foreign Minister's charge
Is expected to have a strong ef-
fect on the course of the strike.
Thousands of strikers had been
told repeatedly by their leaders,
some of whom undoubtedly be-
lieved it, that there was no for-
eign influence or ideologoy af-
ecting the stoppage.
? Indications were that the Gov-
tniment was preparing to take a
hilly active interest in the strike.
Until recently, it had remained
? distant from th,e north coast sit-
ing3U000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R0
Company, and Guatemalans have
attributed North American "inter-
ventionism" to mere concern over a
company investment.
Much more is involved than that.
Spanish Republicans accepted Com-
munist help in the civil war of the
1930's, and found it a dagger at their
backs. Czechoslovakia began by
electing 114 Communists in its 300-
member Assembly, and ended two
years later as an iron-ringed police
state under Russian orders. Such are
the dangers of inviting Communist
imperialism.
Latin Americans?in Brazil, Peri.,
and elsewhere -- have had their
brushes with communism. But they
tend to be less disturbed about it
than North Americans. There may be
some virtue in this, but it is also
something of an uncalculated. risk.
To dissuade Latins from taking so
casual an attitude about a vast and
sihister international intrigue some-
thing more than scare talk is re-
quired. Alarms such as Secretary of
State Dulles has sounded are to a
degree necessary. But some other
actions also would give North Ameri-
can appeals more impact.
One of these would be a greater
concern over suppression of human
liberties when those come from re-
actionary juntas and dictatorships in
Latin America. Another would be
helpful consultation in working out
social problems such as communism
exploits. Another?and the Latin-
countries themselves have a good
deal to do with this?is the encour-
agement of capital investment from
the United States.
More can be done than at present
in technical assistance, economic aid,
and acceptance of imports to help
South and Central American coun-
tries improve the lot of their people.
But while every effort is made to lift
the stigma of dollar diplomacy, a cer-
tain amount of perceptiveness also
is needed on the part of Latin Ameri-
cans to re o,_ni,ze when their safety
Q4' P' new kind of Eastern
Hemisphere ambitions.
.15
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fiash Evening Star
MAY 30 1954
Guatemalan Arms Reported
Shunted to Honduras Frontier
By the Associeted Press
An authoritative source said
yesterday Guatemala has shunted
part of a $10 million shipment
of Communist arms to a railroad
siding near the frontier of
Honduras.
Diplomatic circles wondered
whether the reported move was
part of a war of nerves?or
!something more sinister. Guate-
mala offered two days ago to
'sign a non-aggression pact with
Honduras.
Nicaragua appealed meanwhile
for nations of the Americas to
act promptly to end "subversive
movements of international com-
munism" in this hemisphere.
Guillermo Sevilla Sacasa, Nic-
aragua's Ambassador to Wash-
ington, said he was "very opti-
mistic something will be done."
Wash EyefllDg Star
MAY 30 1954
Guatemala
U. S. Moves to Block
Communist Threat
In Central, Americo
The United ,States moved
last week to counter the Com-
munist threat, to Central
America.
America extended both the
gloved hand of diplomacy and
the mailed fist of military
power in its attempt to handle
the Guatemala crisis.
The trouble in Guatemala
has been developing for many
months. Local Yted leaders, in
regular contact with Russia
and using standard made-in-
Moscow techniques, gained
gradual control over the
Guatemalan government and
sent agitators into neighbor-
countries. The crisis came
In a statement he said "the
alarming situation in Central
America demands the most seri-
ous attention of the continent to
put an end to subversive move-
ments of international conamu-
nisra and its agents.'
The mutual defense pact of
Rio de Janeiro and the anti-
Communist declaration of the
American nations signed at
Caracas, Venezuela, last March
"face the test of fire," the am-
bassador said. -
Guillermo Toriello.
The talks were secret, but Mr.
Toriello told newsmen, surpris-
ingly, that all the problems
seemed to be working them-
selves out and that there was
no reason for concern.
No Meeting of Minds
After further elaboration,
however, it seemed likely that
the Foreign Minister was talk-
ing only about the quarrel be-
tween Guatemala and the
American-owned United Fruit
Co., all pretty much beside the
point in the present contro-
versy. Obviously there was no
meeting of minds on the Corn- ,Air r*e planes under terms
inunist issue. ' of indtual defense treaties.
Later in the week, Secre- There were reports that more
tary of State Dulles outlined arms were coming by sea. And
. the problem in a press confer- three huge B-36 bombers were
ence. He said he feared that sent to Nicaragua for a "good
one reason for the "massive will" ?visit?a demonstration
shipment of arms from behind to the Guatemalans that the
the Iron Curtain" was to build United States was willing to
a strong Communist base near help Central American nations
the Panama Canal. He pointed cOntain Guatemala.
out that the new weapons were There was one strong indi-
enough to permit Guatemala cation that the pressure was
to dominate all her lightly being felt in Guatemala. Thai
armed neighbors. country asked Honduras to
A Honduras radio station sign a pact of friendship and
reported that several Soviet nonaggression. It apparently
technicians landed by Russian was the hope of the govern-
submarine at Guatemala at the ment that this gesture would
same time the freighter was take the heat off.
unloading arms. The Station And the Communist Party
?f. Times
MAY 30 1954
HONDURAS WEIGHS
'WIDE AMITY PLAN
Considers Asking Guatemala
to Extend Offer of Pact
to All Her Neighbors
? By PAUL P. KENNEDY
Special to The New York Times.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras,
May 29?The Honduran Govern-
ment is preparing to ask Guate-
mala to extend her offer of a
nonaggression and friendship
pact to all the Central American
republics,
This would be a counter-pro-
posal to Guatemala's offer to
Honduras Thursday of a bilat-
eral agreement to put an'end to
international tension, which has
been rising steadily. Foreign
Minister Jose Eduardo Valen-
zuela has the counter-proposal
under consideration.
Honduras' proposal would
meet with considerable difficul-
ties even if Guatemala cared to
to .?ead two weeks ago wherr also reported that five MIGs seemed to be having internal
a ship from Communist Poland were included in the shipment problems. The Secretary Gen-
brought some $10 million worth of arms. If these reports were eral of the party was removed
of Czech-made anus to Gila- true, then the Panama Canal last week.
temala. . was indeed menaced by Rus- Reports from other Cen-
Last week the United States sian Communists. And there tral American capitals said
studied means of invoking was little on the ground to stop Guatemala's neighbors were
hemispheric treaties which pro- the Reds between Guatemala becoming more aware that the
vide for sanctions against and the Canal'Zone itself. threat of communism was real,
contrles threatening peace in In a move tArard restoring . not just another gringo cry of
the area. At the same time, the balance of power, the "Wolf." It would take more
the American Ambassador to United States last week sent than gestures from Guatemala
Guatemala, John E. peurifoy, about $60,000 worth of arms to to remove the heat.
called onForeign Minister
, Nicaragua and Honduras in
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,
go along, which in itself is doubt-
ful. For one thing, diplomatic
relations are severed between
Guatemala'. and Nicaragua and
are strained between Guatemala
and other Central American re-
publics, notably El Salvador.
However, the fact that Guate-
mala suggested such a pact in
the first place would indicate
that even without ulterior mo-
tives?of which there are at least
some suspicions here?the at-
mosphere throughout Central
America is such that nonaggres-
sion assurances are desirable, U
not absolutely necessary.
There is no indication when
Honduras will 'reply formally to
the Guatemalan note, which was
received here shortly after the
Honduran Foreign Office had
issued an announcement charging
that Guatemalan Communists
had intervened in the strikes on
the north coast of Honduras.
Meanwhile, according to re-
ports reaching here, tension in
the strike-disturbed north coast
area has been eased slightly. One
of the minor industry strikes,
that of the British-American
Tobacco Company of San Pedro
Sula, was settled yesterday and
factory operations are reported
to have been resumed today.
The settlement came a few
hours after the first meeting be-
tween the United Fruit Company
management and representatives
of 25,000 striking employes. The
negotiations began yesterday
morning and continued into the
early evening.
Only a few preliminary mat-
ters were disposed of at yester-
day's meeting. The meeting to-
day was repotted at noon to have
accomplished considerably more.
Among other concessions made
by the strikers was permission
for the United Fruit Company to
open its commissaries to dispense
food three days a week. Permis-
sion also was granted to operate
one train every ten days to sup-
ply the commissaries.
Approved For Release 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000300200002-7
, SUNDAY, MAY 30, 1
mg from ;
A within and without the
country.,bands tried to blow up
two trainloads of the new mili-
tary equipment coming to the
capital from Puerto Barrios. An
unidentified airplane flew over
the capital to drop leaflets urg-
ing the people to prepare to fight
the Communists. Walls only just
cleaned were painted over again
this week with large 32's, the
anti-Government symbol repre-
senting the constitutional article
barring political parties with in-
ternational ties.
Leaflets were pushed under
doors two nights this week telling
the people to prepare lists of
known Communists and Commu-
nist sympathizers. Immediately
after, the Government was over-
thrown, the leaflets said, the peo-
ple Were to take the lists to the
new authorities, who would deal
but "justice."
The crisis has left the capital
a city of little gaiety. The trickle
of tourists who camp intermit-
tently during the last few years
has virtually stopped. Hotel lob-
bies, restaurants and night clubs
are empty, melancholy places.
Th p business depression has
worsened as people hoard their
assets against an unknown fu-
ture.
For the public view, the Gov-
ernment's mood was a combina-
tion of conciliation and determi-
nation. Gestures toward easing its
long-standing dispute with the
United Fruit Company mirrored
the new conciliatory attitude. CoL.
Eurique Parinello, Army Chief of,
Staff, spoke in a radio address to,
the nation of "our determination'
to die if necessary in defense of:
the country."
The man who could do more
than any other single person to
settle the crisis rpmained silent.
What President Arbenz Guzman
thought of the latest develop-
ments was his own secret. There
was an unconfirmed report that
army leaders had gone to the na-
tional palace to discuss the situa-
tion with him and express their
concern at the way events were
developing.
But it was becoming clearer
each day that the President is his
own boss and that, although he
may listen to advice, he makes
up his own mind. Evidence at
hand was that recent events had
not caused him to change his
mind about the internal political
situation and that he was pre-
pared to try to weather the crisis,
as he has many others.
NW.rHE--YORI TIMES
GUMMI GRIM
AS TENSION RISES
People Look for a Climax
to End Crisis?Rumors Add
to Nervous Mood
By SYDNEY GRUSON
Special to The New York Times.
GUATEMALA, May 29?This
Is a tense, nervous city at the
end of the second week of the
crisis stirred up over the Gov-
enunent's purchase of arms from
Czechoslovakia.
The climax of the crisis in the
Immediate future is widely ex-
pected. There is talk of a possi-
bility of an economic boycott or
of an armed invasion by Guate-
malan exiles, or even of the pos-
sibility of a landing of United
States troops to sweep the Com-
munists from political power.
? There are a decreasing few
who say: "It's all talk. We have
heard it all before. There will be
more and more talk and like be-
fore, nothing will happen."
The nervousness is not con-
fined to the ordinary people
here. Tie Government's concern
is apparent to observers familiar
with the Guatemalan scene.
Even more apparent are the jit-
ters spreading among leaders of
the non-Communist revolutionary
parties.
As a result of the crisis these
leaders, for the first time, are
talking guardedly of the dangers
to the results a the 1944 revolu-
tion from having allowed the
Communists to gain wide powers.
There are reports of serious
strains within the National Dem-
ocratic Front, the organization
of the three non-Communist par-
ties, the Communists and the
country's two major labor con-
federations.
Communist Power Felt
This is the country's most im-
portant political body. President
Jacobo Arbenz Guzman presides
over its meetings. It is mainly
responsible? for defining Govern-
ment policy. As President Col.
Arbenz Guzman holds a veto over
its decisions, but it has been
within the front that the Com-
munists have been most persua-
sive in having their views prevail.
The nervousness and tension
are compounded not only of talk,
rumors, newspaper headlines and
daily utterances of Government
leaders abroad about Guatemala.
The present crisis has been ac-
companied by an intensification
of the "cold war" that the Gov-
ernment's oPpunents are conduct-
Approved i-or
N.Y. Times
MAI 2i) 1S54
U. S. TAKES A NEW LOOK
AT CENTRAL AMERICANS
'Guatemala Arms Shipment Awakens
Diplomatic Interest in Affairs There
By SYDNEY GRUSON
Special to The New 'York 'Mies.
GUATEMALA, May 29?For
too long there was no planned
United States policy, as the word
is understood today, for Central
America, Governments, mainly
dictatorships, came and went and
little was asked of them except
generous treatment for, and pro-
tection of, United States business
interests.
This has changed. The week's
events showed by how much.
World issues have hung in the
balance at the Geneva Far East-
ern conference. But newspaper
headlines and a big share of the
State Department's acknowledged
worries have been concentrated
on the six Central American re-
publics stretching from Mexico to
the Panama Canal.
A policy for Central America
is being hammered out at long
last under pressure of what the
United \ States considers to be a
growing Communist menace in
Guatemala, largest of the six re-
publics.
Purpose Befogged
The nature of the political
friction between" the United
States and Guatemala has served
the United States poorly. It has
obscured the positive aims of
Washington's policy and has
pointed up what many Latins
consider a negativism in stand-
ing primarily for a halt to Com-
munist advances in Latin Amer-
ica.
But to anyone willing to lopk
only slightly deeper than the sur-
face in Central America these
days, it quickly becomes evident
that Washington stands for
something more than merely
anticommunism.
There are heartening examples
of the positive side of United
States policy?to improve the
living standards, the social wel-
fare and the educational level of
elease 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R00030020000
the people of Central America.
El Salvador provides what is
perhaps the best example. Scores
of United States technicians and
many thousands of United States
dollars have gone into various
programs to give that country
more power to help it industrial-
ize, to combat disease, to open
nursing centers and to start rural
schools.
Case of Costa .Rica
Costa Rica provides another
? kind of example. There, Jose
(Pepe) Figueres came to power
in the election last year. There
are two very distinct and oppo-
site opinions about Colonel Fi-
gueres. To a large group, he is
an anticommunist Leftist whose
ideas of social progress hold out
the only hope of improving a
sleepy sun-sodden, jungle-ridden
Central American region.
Another group, many of them
North Americans who have been
in Costa Rica at one time or an-
other', consider him a woolly-
thinking, would-be dictator, basic-
ally more Communist - inclined
than 'anyone on the Guatemalan
scene. Critics of Washington pol-
icies assumed that the State De-
partment would fight Colonel
Figueres and his reform program
bitterly. It did not, and its at-
titude helped considerably in
achieving settlement of Costa
Rica's dispute with the United
Fruit Company.
Guatemala Since \'44
For many people the tragedy
of the Guatemalan situation is
that, in their opinion, the present
acute conflict came about be-
cause of a lack of policy after
Guatemala freed herself in 1944
from the oppressive dictatorship
of Gen. Jorge Ubico.
But Washington then was occu-
pied with World War II, and
-7
Approved For Release 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000300200002-7
since then it has had problems
regarded as of far greater magni-
tude than this tiny Central
American republic. The Commu-
nists won their position of influ-
ence here almost by default.
Is there any means of chang-
ing the situation here, short of
changing the Government? Ap-
parently not. There is a basic
conflict between the United States
and the Guatemalan Government
on the causes of the dispute be-
tween the two countries. Both
sides badly want a settlement,
but as of this moment the basis
for one does not appear to be in
sight.
Conciliatory Moves
Guatemalan officials believe
that the Communist question is
really secondary for the United
States. They feel that the dis-
pute centers on United States
concern for the United Fruit
Company, biggest single employ-
er and biggest single economic
unit in the country. Believing
this, the Guatemalan Govern-
ment this week made some con-
ciliatory moves toward the com-
pany.
The Guatemalan Foreign Min-
ister, Guillermo Toriello, even
went so far as to express publicly
his belief that the groundwork
had been laid to eliminate the
tension between the two coun-
MAY 30 1954
Ni aragua
ForRioPact
Conference
. Finds Guatemala
Crisis 'Alarming'
By James E. Warner
WASHINGTON, May 29. ?
Nicaragua declared today that
the "alarming" situation in Cen-
tral America with regard to Com-
munist infiltration is "putting to
the test" the Rio de Janeiro
mutual defense treaty of 1947
and the Caracas anti-Commu-
nist resolution of this spring.
Dr. Guillermo Seville Sacasa,
Nicaraguan Ambassador to the
United States, in a formal state-
ment and in an hour-long news
conference, said he is confident
that a meeting of all twenty-one
Foreign Ministers of the Ameri-
can republics will be called.
; Broke With Guatemala
tries.
But it Is the United States be- Nicaragua has broken diplo-
lief that the campaign against'i
inatic relations with Guatemala,
the company is only one of the
effects of the dispute, not its
cause. The cause, as seen from
the United States side, is the
toleration and even open support
accorded a conspiracy directed by
the international Communist
movement to establish a Commu-
nist state at the United States'
back door and close?about 750
air miles?to the Panama Canal.
It is in the light of this reason-
ing that Washington's concern
over Guatemala's purchase of
2,000 tons of arms from Czecho-
slovakia must be considered. Ar-
rival of the arms two weeks ago
established Guatemala as the
strongest military power in Cen-
tral America. Airlifting of if. S.
arms to Honduras and Nicaragua
this week did little to redress the
imbalance.
Communists in Power
dation of his administration. The
President _values their work.
So long as they have the Presi-
dent on their side the Commu-
nists' position(' in Guatemala can-
not be Seriously threatened. As
in most Latin-American countries
the political power in Guatemala
resides in the Presidency. The
arm' is always a possible check
in Latin-American politics but
there is no reason to doubt that
the Guatemalatt army sides with
Colonel Arbenz.
This being the case, it is a good
bet that the situation here will
not change?at least not for a
considerable time. Looking into
the future, most observers here
believe that there will be many
more crises such as the one that
arose with the arrival of the
Czech arms. But they expect that
The Guatemalan Government until the Gifatemalan people
shows no inclination to strip themselves make up their own
Communists of their positions of minds about the country's politi-
influence. They have worked well cal future little can be done to
and hard for measures, such as alter the path on which President
land reform, that President Ja- Arbenz has (embarked.
cobo Arbenz has made the foun-
Approved For Release 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R00030020000277
whose Leftist . government re-
ceived a shipment of 1,900 tons
aisnalrom Soviet Poland, and
has received an emergency air
shipment of arms from the
United States to bolster its de-
fenses.
Dr. Sevilla Sacasa's proposal
Is broader than that of Dr. An-
tonio A. Facto, Ambassador of
Costa Rica, whose government
now is conducting conversations
which may lead \ to a meeting of
the Foreign Ministers of Odeca
the organization of Foreign Min-
isters of the Central American
republics excluding Guatemala,
which withdrew from the group
two years ago.
Sen. Allen J. Ellender, D., La.,
meanwhile said in a radio broad-
cast that there is "little doubt
that Guatemala has become the
hub of a widespread ComMuilist
network which covers South
America." He said that "while.
we have preoccupied ourselves
with the problems of Europe and
Asia we have neglected our good
neighbors to the south" and may
have "Invited" the Communist
evil which thus far has been kept
outof this hemisphere.
Nicaragua invited, and her
populace received with cheers,
a non-stop good-will flight of
three United States Air Force
intercontinental B-36 bombers
from Fort Worth on Thursday.
Envoy's Statement
Dr, Seville Sacasa said today:
"My governMent believes that
by having a meeting of the
consultative organ (Foreign
Ministers of all American
republics) there will be not only
an opportunity to analyze the
danger to American security
which arises from the unload-
ing in Guatemala of a large
quantity of armaments from
Poland, but also those other
grave events which have a close
relationship to the general plan
of Communist infiltration, such
as the discovery of a plot in
NiCaragUa to assassinate Presi-
dent Somoza and his sons,
planned by agents of interna-
tional communism and mem-
bers of the Caribbean Legion
who reached Managua from
Costa Rica, and the discovery
on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua
of Soviet arms which presumably
were unloaded by a submarine
which was sighted in Nicaraguan
coastal waters early in May."
The Nicaraguan government
obtained photographs of the
aubmarine, which have been)
forwarded to Washington for.
Naval Intelligence study, but
this government has refused an
'comment thus far on the inci-
dent or the photographs.
President Eisenhower and
Secretary of State John Foster
Dulles have expressed grave con-
cern over the Central American
situation, which Dr. Sevilla
Sacasa today called "critical,"
adding: ?
"The alarming situatiori in
Central America demands the
most serieus attention of the
entire continent to put an end,
to the subversive movements of
international communism and
its agents. Without doubt, I be-
have the Pact of Petropolis and
the anti-Communist declaration
of Caracas are being put to the
test."
1947 Rio Treaty
(His reference to the Pact of,
Petropolis was to the 1947 Rio
de Janeire treaty of mutual de-
fense for the hemisphere, which
was signed at the Quitandhina
Hotel in Petropolis, ancient sum-
mer capital of Brazil. The Cara-
cas resolution of this spring has
been called the "Dulles doc-
trine," by Dr. Facio: proposed
by the United States, it was op-
posed only by Guatemala.)
Old diplomatic papers released
today by the State Department
showed that Nicaragua and El
Salvador recognized the danger
of Communist infiltration in
Central America as far back as
1936, and advised this govern-
ment of their fears, but nothing
was done about it.
Nicaragua proposed forma-
tion of a Central American al-
liance against Communists at
that time, the papers showed
but the United States Depart-
ment of State, while declining
to take a formal position on the
confidential memoranda for-
warded to it by both Nicaragua
and El SalVador, cautioned
Nicaragua to consider the grave
nature of the step it was propos-
ing, and nothing was done.
.2 t
Approved For Release 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000300200002-7
Nor
Wash. Daily Onys*
NAY 31 1954
Ifs Time to Face the Facts
Guatemalan Government
Is Incontrovertibly Red
By EDWARD TOMLINSON ,
There has been a dangerous tendency in this country to blame labor union bosses and
other Moscow agents for all the communistic activities in Guatemala, and to absolve
President Jacobo Arbenz ?and his administration from any direct association with the
movement. The Guatemalan army is also generally credited with being free of any ac-
tual Red affiliations. groups to travel back and forth be- Guatemalan ambassador in Panama
Yet, e v e r y bit of evidence hind the iron curtain. It has opened openly connived with local extrem-
points to the fact that the Gua- the country's doors to and received ists and known Reds as President-
with open arms all the Russian elect Remon, a militant anti-commu-
sympathizers and known Reds from nist, made it known he would not
net are 'willing servants of the neighboring countries?Vicenti Loin- tolerate any foreign diplomat who
Kremlin and that the Imilitary bardo Toledano of Mexico, Pablo consorted with these elements.
backs them to the hilt. . Neruda of Chile and numerous The ambassador did not wait for
others. It plays host to communist Sr. Remon's inaugaration, but left
President Arbenz was and is the sponsored International Peace Meet- the Isthmian capitol well in advance
head of the army. Yet neither he, ings and other conferences. Of the event.
the cabinet nor the army has
given the slightest indication that President Arbenz and his gov- NEIGHBORS COMPLAIN
ernment denounce as subversive
t h e y disapprove every anti-communist comment The El Salvador and Nicaragua
of any of the corn- g o v e r n m e n t s have frequently
and criticism and even the warn-
munistic activities
ing of the church against the Red charged Guatemalan Reds with in-
? They have,
menace. terferring with their internal al-
in their ,country.
The Archbishop of Guatemala in fairs.
without exception,
openly aided and his recent pastoral letter warning Nicaragua has finally broken dip-
against Russian communists was at lomatic relations with the Arbenz
abetted every
pains not to criticize the president government. There is convincing
communistic move P
ersonally, or any official of the evidence in Washington that Guate-
a n d demonstra- P
have government. But the government malans were involved in the recent
tion. They plot, originating in Costa Rica to
ruthlessly put
press, radio and government politi-
cal party leaders all denounced the assassinate President Anastasio So-
down every open moza and his family.
resistance to corn- Primate's statement as a vicious at-
tack on the chief executive and his The Honduran government not
munism.
,
administration. only blames Guatemalan ploters, in-
Nor can they be eluding three Guatemalan Counsuts,
ignorant of who and what they are NEWSMEN ATTACKED for the paralyzing strike which has
supporting. They have openly and Altho American correspondents stopped every activity in the United
continuously played the game of and editorial writers have usually States owned banana fields and
such avowed communists as Man- stated that ."President Arbenz is other enterprises in the Eastern part
uel Guttierez, Manuel Fortuny and himself not a communist," every of the country.
other labor leaders. Guatemalan o f f i c i a I, including American business m e n and
President Arbenz and his advisors Arbenz himself, has denounced the American officials have know of
have practiced every radical and ex- "imperialistic and capitalistic Yan. and been in possession of indisput-
tremist policy advocated and insti- kee press" for misreprensentation. able proof of the truthfulness of
gated by there Red labor leaders. At the Caracas conference the these charges for more than a year.
They have carried out the Reds' United States delegation in its advo-
expropriation schemes, protected cacy of an anti-communist resolu- ARMS IMPORTED
and encouraged them in demons tra- tion never mentioned Guatemala. Now the Arbenz government has
tions against United States interests Yet the Guatemalan foreign minis- imported a large shipment of arms
and have denounced this country ter directed every one of his state- from an "iron curtain" country.
Altho Washington has evidence, the
every time it has asked about the ments and tirades against what he
arbitrary treatment of its nationals. called "United States intervention." Guatemalans deny these arms came
from Russia or Poland. They do
CONTROLLED PRESS Guatemalan officials and diplo-
not deny these arms may have come
The Arbenz government has per- mats have been and are busy in- from Czechoslovakia, which is the
milted the avowed Reds to use the terfering and intervening in the principal arm producer of the satel-
government-controlled radio and affairs of practically all their lite states. ,
press to broadcast and openly neighbors. Just how much More evidence do
spread the despicable and false For three years and more they we need to explode the myth, or
Chinese charges that the United have openly campaigned, by radio, disabuse ourselves of the idea that
States engaged in germ warfare in newspapers, pamphlets and secret Jacobo Arbenz and Co. are innocent
i
KoreaArroved for Release 2000105/03a.giglAtROPagt008,B5R000 worrynymniste plot instead
_
The benz regime has permitted isn Honduras. Before um,. Jose e-'161317 of Moscow that they
Red union heads, leaders of student Remon was elected president, the are?
1
.2?
Approved For Rdliliase 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R011119300200002-7
N. Y. H. T.
JUN 1 1954
Guatemala
Plot to Kill
Exile Told
By Wireless to the Herald Tribune
Copyright, 104. N. Y. Herald Tribune Inc.
TEGUCIALPA, Honduras, May
31.?A former employee of the
United Fruit Co. in Guatemala,
Rafael Mendez Rodriguez, this
noon unfolded a bizarre plot
which he asserted had been
hatched by high Guatemala offi-
cials to murder or abduct here
a quatemalan exiled and anti-
Communist leader, Col. Carlos
Castillo Armas.
Col. Armes is the recognized
head of the large exiled Guate-
malan anti-Communist groups
which oppose the present ad-
ministration of President Jacobo
Arbenz in Guatemala. His or-
ganization reportedly exists in
four Central American countries
and has underground connec-
tions in Guatemala.
At a meeting with foreign cor-
respondents before a Honduran
notary public, Mr. Mendez Rod-
riguez said h ehad been con-
tacted in Guatemala some
months ago by the Guatemalan
police chief, Col, Rogelio Crub
Wer, with whom he had long
been friends. Col. Cruz Wer sent
him to Honduras, Mr. Mendez
Rodriguez said, to "eliminate"
Col. Armas by kidnaping and
murder.
Says Arbenz Fears Armas
Mr. Mendez Rodriguez quoted
Cot Cruz Wer as stating that
President Arbenz and the Com-
munists feared Cp. Armas more
than any other man and that
he Was a menace to the Guate-
malan government.
The Guatemalan stated he
was to have the assistance of six
men who would be sent from
Guatemala later. These men ar-
rived on the north coast of Hon-
duras last week, and were ar-
rested by Honduran authorities,
It was confirmed today. All six
were heavily armed.
Victim Told of Plot
-Mr. Mendez Rodriguez stated
he arrived in Honduras near the
end of March and immediately
contacted Col. Armes, and, after
talking to him, secretly exposed
the alleged Guatemalan plans.
However, he liguiVitmatterrybit
NY Timms.%
Jona. I. 19.51.
GUATEMALAN AIDE
MEETS U. S. ENVOY
Hastily Convened Conference
Indicates Attempts to Ease
Friction in Relations
By PAUL P. KENNEDY
Special to The New York Times.
GUATEMALA, June 1?For-
eign Minister Guillermo Toriello
and John E. Peurifoy, United
States Ambassador, held a
quickly arranged conference in
the Foreign Ministry today. This
and other recent events indicate
extraordinary attempts at light-
ening the tension between the
two countries that has been
mounting steadily in the last few
weeks.
? Little information is available
of the conference. It is under-
stood it was requested . by the
foreign minister shortly after
n000n. That the request for the
conference had come as a sur-
prise to the Embassy was indi-
cated by the fact Mr. Peurifoy's
office hastily canceled the Am-
bassador's calls at approximately
4 P. M., when the conference is
understood to have been held.
This conference followed what
is regarded as a highly crucial
meeting last night between Pres-
ident Jacobo Arbenz Guzman and
leaders of the parties and groups
supporting the administration.
These leaders have been highly
influential in shaping the Gov-
ernment's top level policies.
United Fruit Issue Raised
Present at a the meeting were
the leaders of the Guatemalan
Revolutionary party, the Party
of National Renovation, the
Party of Revolutionary Action
and the Guatemalan Labor party.
It is understood that? the prin-
cipal matter under discussion
last night, and likely to be the
main topic of discussion between
Senor Toriello and Mr. Peurifoy
, today, was some ne* approach
-
to a solution of the problem of
the United Fruit Company against
which demands have been made
by Guatemala.
The latest dispute involving
the company arose last month,
when the State Department pre-
sented an indemnity claim for
company of almost $16,000,000.
However, the State Department
has stated repeatedly that the
United Fruit issue was not the
principal cause of United States-
Guatemalan disagreement.
There was no indication that
the meeting of the party leaders
last night considered what the
United States deems is the pri-
mary point of the disagreement
with Guatemala. The main issue
is Communist influence in Gua-
temalan Government. The United
States Government has repeated-
ly stressed the point that without
some action on the latter prob-
lem all other points of discussion
are next to fruitless.
It is understood that Ambas-
sador Peurifoy's conception of his!
role in the Guatemalan Govern-
ment-United Fruit fight is to act
as the transfer medium for Gua-
temalan proposals to the State
Department, which in turn acts
as the transfer medium for the
fruit company,
Approach Called Difficult
Without so ,formally express-
ing himself, Mr. Peurifoy has let
it be known unofficially numer,
ous times that he would prefer
to devote his diplomatr, ener-
gies here almost solely to what
he considers the greatest obstacle
to international understanding,
Communist infiltration and? ex-
pansion in Guatemala,
the Guatemalan Embassy here
to receive funds, and named
.Guatemalan military attche Col.
'Luis Morales as his contact.
I Although Honduran author!-
, ;les were advised of the plot it
has not been made public inas-
much as Mr. Mendez Rodriguez's
wife and children were in Gua-
temala, he said. They crossed
the frontier yesterday, he said.
However, tonight he received a
message from Guatemala that
his wife and children were not
falibusted2600/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000300200002-7
3D
Approved For Release 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000300200002-7
Noe -Nor'
N.Y. Times St.
JUN 1 1954 p
Plot in Guatemala Charged.L
n21 r"etsiln KEPT
As 5 Flee to Embassy Haven' ON
IAD Rtr
ON EMBASSIES
11 GUATEMALA
By PAUL P. KENN,AMI
Special to The New Tint TIM%
GUATEMALA, May 31?The Government announced to-
day the discovery of 6, plot to overthrow President Jacobo
Arbenz Guzman. The announcement followed a series of raids
and arrests in the last forty est of more than 100 persons,
eight hours. of which about seventy have re-
At least five Guatemalans, mained in jail without a trial.
three of them well known, have
sought political asylum in two
embassies here, and an unknown
number of persons have been ar-
rested in the provinces, espe.:
cfally along the Honduran bor-
der.
Augusto Charnaud MacDonald,
Interior Minister, issued a state-
ment early today promising to
give details of the intense police
activity as quickly as possible,
probably tomorrow. He said a
plot had been discovered and
smothered in its early stages.
The raids started about 6 A. M.
Saturday and were confined to
two houses of the Goicoleas, a
well-known old Guatemalan
family. Jaime Rosenberg, Mayor
and chief of police, led the raids.
He acknowledged that he had
had no search warrant. The po-
lice searched the houses /or
three hours.
Among those who gained
political asylum were Dr. Hector
Goicolea, former secretary of the
economics faculty at National
University, and his brother,
Domingo. The former fled with
I three others to the El Salvador
jEmbassy.
Domingo Goicolea, who had
been sought by the police since
the abortive Salama revolt in
IMarch, 1953, found asylum in the
Ecuadorian Embassy.
On Saturday night, guards
were placed at the embassies of
all Western Hemisphere coun-
tries, including the United States,
presumably .to prevent further
attempts to obtain asylum.
The raids and arrests were
reminiscent of the Salama upris-
ing, and particularly of the Jan.
29 announcement of an alleged
plot to overthrow the adrninis-,
tration. The quelling of tlis
Salerno. revokriflitatlie Ch Ewe&
There were only a few arrests
In the January episode, but sev-
eral persons were exiled in con-
tradiction to explicit injunctions
in the Constitution against such
acts.
As in the uprising at Selma; a
northern village, aid the Janu-
ary seizures, a growing opposi-
tion had applied sustained pre-
sure on the Government. In each
Instance the oppositioh appeared
to be effectively smothered.
The opposition recently had
been getting stronger and bolder.
It was only a matter of time be-
fore the regime would have to
lash out again.
In late April, a clandestine ra-
dio station began a series of viru-
lent attacks on President Arbenz
and his regime. This was followed
by minor irritations, such as
painting walls with the numeraa
"32" to signify the constitutional
article forbidding Communist ac-
tivities.
Attacks Renewed Recently
The recent receipt of Czecho-
slovak arms in Puerto Barrios
with the resultant international
publicity aroused renewed at-
tacks on the Government by op-
position forces abroad. These
were epitomized by a group
around Col. Carlos Castillo Ar-
Refugees Sought in
Roundup of Opposi-
tion Leaders Follow-
ing Reported Plot.
are coming so they can escape
or seek refuge."
Five leading opponents of
President Jacob? Arbenz's gov-
ernment already have found
asylum in the embassies of El
Salvador and Ecuador. Reliable
reports said the government was
maintaining a guard on these
' and other embassies to prevent
other tagitives escaping to
them. ,
Meeting Reported.
Unconfirmed rep or ts said
seven of the Latin American
ambassadors to the Guatemalan
capital -met Sunday to discuss
possible action if a wave of
refugees descended on them.
El Salvador's ambassador Al-
berto runes, host to four of
the oppositionists; made a quick
trip home for instructions. He
was expected back today,
The continuing police
searches fel' rebels and arms
increased the capital's uneasy
tension and r ?due ed ' fresh
rumors hoUrly. Guatemalans
have been jittery since the
United States began blasting
their government for receiving
a large shipment of arms from
Communist Poland two weeks
ago.
The refugees in the Salva-
dorean embassy were Jose B.
Linares, secret police chief 11
years ago under the rule of the
late President Jorge Ubicts
Hector Goicolea, an economics
professor; and two anti-Commu-
nist workers, Aquillo Morales
and Manuel Gonzales. Hector
Goicolea's brother, Domingo, a'
student leader who has been
underground for almost a year,
was reported in the Ecuadorean
embassy.
The newspaper El Espectador
said "recruiters" for Col. Carlos
Castillo Armes, a leading oppo-
nent of. Arbenz now living in
neighboring Honduras, had been
discovered near ,the Honduran
border. Without giving any
source for its report, the paper
said the government has found
evidence of a "vast conspiracy"
to build up a rebel army.
To Take Over Radio.
The government announced its
plans to take over the Puerto
Barrios radio formerly operated
by the United States - owned
United Fruit Co. The company
las operated the station since
he 1920s under a contract pro-
iiding for government4takeover
in payment of compensation to
se agreed on. Under Communist
prodding, Arbenz's government
already has confiscated large
tracts of company land but re-
imbursement to the company is
still under dispute.
In Tegucigalpa, capital of
Honduras, a 45-year-old man
identifying himself as a Guate-
malan named Rafael Mendez
Rodriguez summoned corre-
7 (ck,*-
GUATEMALA, June 1 CAP)?
Guatemala's leftist government
kept a close watch on Latin
American embassies here today
for fugitives from a roundup of
underground opposition leaders
in Guatemala.
Local newspapers said wide-
spread police searches so far
had uncovered nothing to sup-
port the government's charges
Sunday that plans were under
way for an uprising and that
arms had been assembled se-
cretly. 1
One diplomatic source viewed
this as evidence that anti-gov-
ernment forces had "well or-
ganized intelligence" forcet, en-
abling them to learn "an hour
or two before the raids that they
Diplomatic sources revealed
that three others besides the
Giocoleas were:
Jose Bernabe Linares, former
head of the secret police under
President Jorge Ubico; Aquilino
Morales and Manuel Gonzales,
both described as laborers.
The dropping of anti-Govern-
mas, in exile in Honduras.
The Foreign Office was ad-
ment leaflets by an unidentified vised by both embassies of the
plane last week possibly set off granting of asylum. Safe conduct
police raids. the El Salvador Embassy on the
papers will be asked for those in
as much as anything else the P
The appearance of the plane, return of Ambassador Abel Ro-
which flew low and in visibility mero from his homeland, Em-
that few pilots would challenge bassy aides said.
in this mountainous country, It was not indicated whether
fired the imusination of Guate- the Ecuadorian Embassy would
malans, at least those in this ask safe conduct for Domingo
city. After nearly a week, it is
still prime conversational mate-
rial.
The interior Minister did not
tell of the number of arrests nr
Goicolea.
Observers who have seen this
type of police activity here in the
past expect the Government to
put out a brief description of the
alleged plot, probably Involving
where they had occurred, nor did the United States and the United
:zot
he identify those who had gained Fruit Company, against which it
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spondents to a grout conference EVENING STAR, Washington, Wask. Even' Mat
yesterday and said Guatemala's WEDMISDAYs 411701S 2, 1054
secret police chief had sent him
to kill Col. Castillo.
The man's story closely re-
sembled that told recently by
Soviet secret police Capt. Niko-
lai Khokhlov, who gave himself
up to the United States Army in
West Germany earlier this year
and said he had been ordered
to kill a prominent anti-Soviet
Russian leader.
Mendez said he had not dis-
closed his story previously in
order to lain time to get his
wife and five children out of
Guatemala. He said he did not
know yet whether they had
escaped, Mendez said he had
held, secret conferences about
the plot against Castillo with
Col. Jose Luis Morales, Guate-
malan military attache in Tegu-
cigalpa.
Most Formidable Attempt.
Asked about Mendez's dis-
closures, Morales 'said he had
neVer heard of either the alleged
plot or the man, Castillo, how-
ever, said "many times Guate-
mala has made plans to kill me
and this was the most formidable
attempt." He said Mendez had
disclosed to him the names of
six other Guatemalans who were
to join in the plot.
At Charleston, S.C., the United
States Coast Guard last night
boarded the Panamanian freight-
er Franco List as it entered
Charleston harbor to take on a
load of tall oil, a paper mill
by-product.
Capt. George H. Miller, cap-
tain .of the port, said the inspec-
tion was ordered by the Coast
Guard commandant in Wash-
ington.
.1
. I
U. S. Forwards Arms \
Guatemala President
By Ship to Honduras,
Trains Troops There
By the Associated Press
TEGUCIAGALPA, Honduras,
June 2.? The United States
stepped tip military aid today,
to Honduras, southern neighbor
I of Communist-influenced Guate-
mala and a potential ally in
blocking any Red move toward
the Panama Canal.
United States Army Col. M. C.
Shattuck, chief of the United
States military mission in Hon-
duras, lined up a training pro-
gram for officers of a new 800-
man combat battalion.
The Honduras war minister,
Gen. Leonidas Pineda, an-
nounced the United States is
sending more arms and tanks for
the outfit.
'Col. Shattuck said his staff
would begin training officers and
noncoms for the battalion to-
day.
"By the time troops are re-
cruited," he went on, "there will
be ample of their own instruc-
tors to show the men how to
use the weapons."
Munitions Come by Sea.
Gen. Pineda said the addi-
tional arms are en route here by
ship to supplement weapons air-
lifted from the United States
last week after it was learned
Guatemala was getting arms
from behind ,the Iron Curtain.
Authorities here said the total
tonnage of arms being shipped?
a military secret?was "consider-
able." There appeared little
doubt it would narrow the advan-
tage the Guatemalan army ob-
tained in last month's shipment
of arms from Red Poland. A sim-
ilar air shipment of United States
arms went to Nicaragua, south of
Honduras.
Gen. Pineda said in an inter-
'view the new combat battalion is
being formed from the ablest
men in Honduras' 5,000-man
armed force. He said it was being
readied for use "in case of any
war or internal trouble."
Honduran Foreign Minister J.
Edgardo Valenzuela warned to-
day his government would have
to take "some measures" if the
crippling, month-old banana
workers' strike does not end
Sees Tension Easing
Tension Easing
mala's policy to grant such safe
conducts," Arbenz declared, "and
we will in this case."
' The President did not give de-
tails of the alleged plot against
his government, which the Unit-
ed States has claimed is Com-
munist-dominated.
He said his country has no
plans to expand the size of its
army despite the shipload of
arms which arrived here last
week from the Red Polish port
of Stettin.
In another development yes-
terday, Foreign Minister Guil-
lermo Toriello conferred with
United States Ambassador John
Peurifoy on the long-simmering
dispute over compensation for
expropriated lands formerly
owned by the United Fruit Co.
The foreign minister reported
? the results of his meeting to Mr.
Arbenz and said later he was
optimistic a solution would be
worked out.
Riot in Interior Reported.
Delayed reports said Commu-
nists joined up with members of
the government's Revolutionary
Party to stage a riot in rural
Mazatenango and attacked the
mayor. The newspaper La Hora
said armed troops put down the
violence.
G,u ate a 1 a 's government,
meanwhile, got a message of
sympathy from former President
Lazaro Cardenas of Mexico. He
referred to Guatemala's war
against monopolies in the face
of a threat to national sov-
ereignty "on the pretext of
I combatting international com-
munism."
Mr. Cardenas has been iden-
tified with the Communist-
sponsored World Peace Congress
since he was named a vice-
president of the group in 1949.
He was elected a presidium mem-
ber by the 1950 peace congress
I Warsaw.
By the Associated Press
GUATEMALA, June 2.?Gua-
temala's President Jacobo Ar-
benz Guzman said yesterday a
well-financed plot of "serious
proportions" against his leftist
government had been uncovered
in this country.
It was the first official con-
firmation of the widespread
rumors which followed the dght
ot five Guatemalans to foreign
embassies here for asylum and
reports of unusual police activity.
The President said in an in-
terview he believed, nevertheless,
the internal situation in his
country was under control and
that general conditions through-
out jittery Central Ameri="1,p-
parently had eased.
Safe Conduct Pledged,
Mr. Arbenz said the four
Guatemalans who took refuge in
the Salvadorian Embassy and
the other man, who fled to the
Ecuadorean Embassy, would be
given safe passage out of the
country if they wished to go into
exile.
"It always has been Guate-
quickly.
Great Cost Cited.
Mr. Valenzuela told newsmen
the strike, involving some 25,000
United Fruit Co. employes, is
costing his government hundreds
of thousands of dollars.
Company officials said they see
little .hope of resuming negotia-
tions, which collapsed yesterday
when strike leader Cesar Augusto
repudiated points settled in pre-
vious talks. ,
Workers of the Tela Railroad I
Co. became involved in a dispute
among themselves over the col-
lapse. One group refused to sign
an agreement which would per-
mit a train to run once each 10
days to carry foodstuffs to the
strike area. Another group im-
mediately demanded Mr. Au-
gusto resign.
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N.Y. Times
JUN 3i4
r. S. Aid to Grow
Special to The New York Times.
'WASHINGTON, June 2?Sub-
stantial United States military
assistance will begin to flow to
Honduras and Nicaragua in about
a month, defense officials report-
ed today.
A shipload of weapons and sup-
plies, provided under the terms
of military assistance agree-
ments, with the two Central
American republics, will supple-
ment the recent airlift 0 arms
flown to those countries? in the
wage of an estimated 1,900-ton
shipment of arms to Guatemala
from Poland:
Officials sal dthat the airlift
was intended to give a '"psycho-
logical" lift to the neighbors of
Communist-dominated Guatemala
and to dramatize the cuncern
with which the United States re-
garded the shipment from behind
the Iron Curtain.
The airlift included jeeps,
weapeins carriers and arms and
amintinition. The shipload of
supplies now being assembled, it
was emphasized, will be the "nor-
mal fellow-up" to the airlift and
start the flow of aid under the
military aid agreements.
N.Y. Times
JUN 3 lqk
PLOT STILL F04116111
BY GUATEMALANS
Regime Continues to Combat
'Best Organized Attempt
in History of Nation
persons arrested and the data
already uncovered because it
would be "prejudicial" to the rest
of the campaign against the
plotters.
He implied also that a suspen-
sion of constitutional guarantees
had been contemplated but that it
was not considered necessary at
this tithe. The Go,-ernment wants
to give the press every possible
liberty, he added, but there are
newspaper men who are Writing
"sheer lies."
. Move Began Last Week
The Government's move against
the plot began late last week. The
first news was made public MonL
day morning, When it wa's discov-
ered that five persons had gained
political asylum in the Salva-
dorean and Ecuadorean Embas-
sies. By Saturday night guards
had been placed before the em-
bassies, presumably to head off
any other persons seeking asylum.
Since that time there havc
been an unannounced number, of
arrests here and in the provinces.
Estimates of these arrested, here
Irange from seven upward. Sefioi
Charnaud MacDonald said he wa
going to withheld the names o
those arrested because 'they
form the vanguard of farces
abroad."
This is the third major plot un-
covered against the present Ad-
ministration. The first, in April,
1953, was broken up after a small
shooting affray in the village of
jSalarna, north of Guatemala City.
An unknown nuinber of arrests
were made at that time and
about seventy persons still re-
main imprisoned without having
been brought to trial,
The second plot uncovered was
in January, when the Government
reported the seizure of documents
? By PAUL P. KENNEDY
Special to The New York boles.
GUATEMALA, 34ne 2? The
Guatemalan Government will use
all its means to smash the "best
organized plot in the history of
the country," Interior Minister
Augusto Charnaud Ma6Donald
said today.
In a news conference, which he
said he had called to acquaint
the p:ress "with the gravity of
the situation," he implied that
the plot had not yet been entire-
ly rooted out. He said he would.
not give details concerning tug
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JUN 5 1954
Guatemala Moving
should trouble start.
? .
To Curb Opposition' centration camps, becauee t
It is not necessary to have con-
fui st stick to be heard in case of
an emergency we will order the
beheading of all anti-Communists,
committee of the National Peas-
ants Confederation and a Com-
munist member of Congress,
caused a sensation last night by
declaring that anti-Communists
were in danger of being beheaded
By PAUL P. KENNEDY
goe6tat fp The Nevi 'rOr Titttea.
? GUATEMALA, June 4?Evi-
dence is multiplying that the
Guatemalan Government is mov-
ing quickly and forcefully to take
over the initiative held briefly by
the opposition.
That the boldness of tlie under-
ground opposition had awakened
the regime and its supporting
groups to near belligerency was
indicated in statements by lead-
ers of Communist-dotninated la-
bor organizations.
Cesar Montenegro Paniagua,
chairman of the.lar-dispute
arge number of unspecified tech-
nicians.
Of the five persone now in
exile, four are in the Salvadorean
embassy and one in that of
Ecuador. 'Only'the latter 'indi-
vidual, Domingo Goicolea, a mem-
implicating Nicaragua and the
United Fruit Company in a plan
to overthrow the Government by
force, Few arrests were made,
ber of a prominent family in op-
position to the Communist-influ-
enced Government, has applied
for safe conduct out of the coun-
try. It is not known whether
his request has been granted, but
President Jacobo Arbenz Guzman
indicated in an interview yester-
day that all such aPplications
would be approved. ? Senor Goi-
colea has been in hiding since
the Salama uprising.
President Denounces U. S.
GUATEMALA., June 2 (UP)?
President Arbenz Guzman ac-
Used United States interests to-
day of trying to-provoke a "frat-
ricidal struggle" in Central Amer-
ica under the "pretext of combat-
ting so-called international com-
munism.
but a number of persons were
The statement was contained
exiled,
in his reply to a message of sym- Concha Estevez, an outstanding
The third plot, Safi Charnaud pathy received from former Mexi- anti-Communist, took refuge in
MacDonald said, differed from can President Lazar? Cardeeas. legation.
the others in that it Was a highly In a letter to Foreign Minister thel iipSleaFas secretary general of the
Corn-
developed organization that, in- Guillermo Toriello, Senor Carde- Women's Anti-Communist Com-
nas said Guatemala was "waging mittee. With Horacio de Cordoba,
war against monopolies, in the she founded a powerful anti-Red
vestigstion showed, was .,far au_
perior" to that of lite previous 'face of a threat to national soy-, radio program, the operation of
ones. . ereigntx:
eaTelddiRcithill 612(drasvuz-
- -00865R0OuSIKT200-00!-
c
which forced Sefior de Cordoba
he said at a press conference.
While those present took this
and similar statements more or
less lightly, newspapers here did
not. The statements were gener-
ally of a violent pattern and they
evoked an immediate protest
from several independent papers.
Leonardo Castillo Flores, Sec-
retary General of the peasant
group, sent telegrams last night
to all confederation chapters, tell-
ing members, in view of the latest
alleged plot against the Govern-
ment, "to be very vigilant for
acts of reactionary elements."
In cases of Unusual activity,
the message said, members should
inform the central committee and
await instructions "on how to
combat immediately the enemies
'oferr evo lution "
_
Prensa Libre, a morning paper,
had a big headline on the "Dan-
ger of a Saint Bartholomew."
This alluded to the massacre of
thouands of Huguenots in France
on Saint Bartholomew's Day,
Aug. 24, 1572.
Peasant Group Chided
Impacto, another paper, chided
the peasant confederation for an
attempt ascribed to it to arro-
gate to itself the duties of the
army.
The Confederation of Labor,
also heavily infiltrated by Com-
munists, pledged "our lives in
defense of democratic liberties"
in a telegram to President Jacobo
Arbenz Guzman.
Meanwhile, the Government it-
self was pushing its campaign to
crush what it called "the best-
organized plot in the history of
the nation."
While no new arrests were re-
ported, another case of political
asylum was made known. Sefiora
35
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into exile early this year.
Seliora Estevez said she had
sought asylum because she was
persecuted by the police.
Granted Safe Conduct
Thus far, eight persons have
been granted safe conduct from
the country and are preparing
to leave. They have taken refuge
in four foreign missions, those
of El Salvador, Costa ica, Ecua-
dor and the Vatican.
Continued police activityl
against political suspects? state-
ments by Government and labor
leaders and the constant activity
of opposition propaganda agen-
cies have kept the people in a
nervous state. A clandestine radio
and the distribution of pamphlets
warning of an air raid are adding
to the tension.
The most telling tactic so far
has been a warning to all non-
Government persona to evacuata
residences in a four-block radiv
of the National Palace. This
hammered out incessantly on th
radio. Pamphlets containing th
warning were slipped unde
doors yesterday. Some familie
have moved out of .the neighbor
hood.
The clandestine announcement
say an air raid will be carriel
out to wipe out Government offi
cials. They add that the time o
the raid has not been decided oi
yet, but that it will not be an
nounced until the final minutes
Wash. Pod
JUN 6 '1954
Billings Ends Secret Survey
Red Plot to Seize
Latin America Seen
New York News
Representative Patrick Hill, would fly to Washington today
Ings (R-Calif.) keturned yester- and report to Kersten and Vice
cl
ay from a secret trip to Red President Richard M. Nixon, - his close friend. Nixon is ? ex-
dominated Guatemala an d pected to relay the report to
neighboring countries, con- the National Security Council
vinced that the Czechoslovak. next week.
Ian Legation in Mexico City is , Besides holding hearings,
}fillings said, Congress should
the headquarters of a Russian "reajlpraise" the Fqreign Aid
effort tq, take over Latin Program to give more than 1.3
Amerka. percent of it to our friends in
Highlights of Hillings' con- Latin America.
elusions during his nine-day He urged U.S. labor leaders
survey were: to invite anti-Red union lead-
e
? "There is no question thatrs from south of the border,
the leaders of Guatemala arej here and show them how Corn.
taking orders from Soviet1 munism has been licked in
Russia." most American unions.
? There is a "definite" anti-
Red underground in Guate-
mala.
? The Communists' next tar-
get is Honduras, where a "defi-
nitely Communist-led strike is
in progress against the United
Fruit Co.
? The quick action of the
United States in shipping arms
to Nicaragua and Honduras has
"had a very good effect."
? The House Committee on
Communist Aggression headed
by Representative Charles Ker-
sten (R-Wis.) should hold hear-
ings on 'Red infiltration of
Latin-America quickly.
"The cancer is definitely
If a conference of West-
ern Hemisphere nations were
called, ?he said, the conferees
should "seriously consider eco-
nomic sanctions" against Guate-
mala. A cdnference "just for
talk" would do more harm
than good, he declared. But if
the United States and its al-
lies stop buying Guatemala cof.
fee, and refuse to sell fuelk the
Communist regime"mightvery
I well collapse."
"In all this, we should make
it clear that the issue is not
Guatemala, but international
communism directed by Soviet
Russia, Hillings emphasized.
"We have many friends among
the people of Guatemala. I
understand that the number of
Guatemalan leaders going to
the Soviet Union has doubled
In the last six months," Hillings
reported. "Much of the negotia-
tion has been handled through
the Czech legation in Mexico
City. In fact, that seems to be
be the headquarters. Orders are
going out from there to Com-
munist leaders, throughout all
of Latin America."
The ihvestigators twice vis-
ited Guatemala and stopped al-
so in neighboring Honduras, ap-
parently the Communists' next
target, a few hours away from
the Panama Canal.
Hillings' companion, whose
name cannot be revealed at this
time, is also back in safe terri,i
62-00865R000300200010
there," he declared. "I think
the American people must know
more about it. The Red menace
In the Western Hemisphere is
very real, very serious,"
Hillings made his trip as a
member of the Kersten Com-
mittee. Accompanied by a Com-
mittee investigator he tray-
eled through Latin-America for
nine days. His trip was not an.
nounced in advance, and- ocea-
sionally he fohnd it wise to
drop his congressional title.
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'd954
irhirtAtis AIM
FOR MOBILIZATION
80,000 Members of Peasant
Federation Are Notified?
Newspapers Protest
By PAUL P. KENNEDY
Special to The New York Timm
GUATEMALA, June 5?Mobi-
lization plants for timid 80,000
members of the National Confed-
eration of Peasants are under
study.
These plans and the moves
that led to them have caused a
furor in the local press, adding
to the general state of tension.
Editorials were virtually unani-
mous in warning that recent
events speled the formation of a
"people's army."
Reports published in this morn-
ing's PrOnsa, Libre and verified
by authoritative sources said that
trial mobilizations would be held
tomorrow in El Progresso and
Zacapa, principal cities of the
Guatemala Department, or prov-
ince. The primary object of the
call is to study "action against
any intent of reactionists and in-
terventionists," according to a
telegram sent to all chapters of
the peasant organization.
Forerunner to Plan
Leonardo Castillo Flores, sec-
retary of the group, could not be
reached today. His circular tele-
gram, however would be a logical
forerunner of a mobilization plan.
The telegram urged all mem-
bers to be "alert and vigilant for
reactionary elements." It further
advised provincial leaders that
should "anything new occur, the
central committee will advise
immediately as to how to proceed
against the enemies of our revo-
lution."
Impacto, a morning newspaper,
called this the first step toward
a people's army and warned of
the possibility of civil War.
It warned that a word from
Senor Castillo could 'launch ac-
tion against the defenseless peo-
ple of the country and villages
and cities, and start a killing
orgy without parallel in the coun-
try's history.'
The paper voiced the hope that
authorities would calm the pop-
ulace by assurances that a civil-
ian army would not become a
reality. I
Since yesterday, a clandestine
radio has reported that the mili-
tary's old arms are being stored
ffa distribution among civilians.
- /Events of the. last week have
_
ftist?
ley
Approved For Release 2000e103 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000300200002-7
Noe.
Ial,the grounthirork for the
mobilization plan. Political ar-
rests and the flight of political
suspects to displomatk asylum
heightened unrest. Augusto
Charnaud MacDonald, Interior
Minister, announced Wednesday
the existence of a highly organ-
ized plot to overthrow the Gov-
ernment.
On Thursday, both the peas-
ants' group and the Confedera-
tion of Workers issued state-
ments pledging their support to
the Government.
In the revolt of 1949, arms
vvere passed out to union mem-
bers.. Most of these were never
re*rieved.
thlr. Thou
1954
drAimirAls CASE
DUE FOR SCRUTINY
American States Expectedio
Convene This Month to
Discuss Red Activity
By SYDNEY GRUSON
Special to The New York Timm
MEXICO CITY, June 6?It is
almost certain thItt the Organizi-
tion of American States will meet
by the end of this month to dis-
cuss the case of communism in
Guatemala.
According to reliable informa-
tion here, preliminary conversa-
tions in the last two weeks
among members of the Organiza-
tion of American States have
shown that a sufficinet number
are agreed on the necessity of
a meeting. Th enegotiations now
going on are to decide what ac-
tion against Guatemala can be
agreed on beforehand.
[Col. Rodolfo Mendoza Az-
rudia, Guatemala's foremost
flier, fled the country Friday
In a private plane.] ,
Under the Rio de Janeiro pact,
eleven of the twenty-one nations
in the organization must agree
before a consultative meeting can
be held. For diplom?atic or eco-
nomic sanctions there Must be
fourteen votes or a unanimous
vote, save for the country against
whom action is contemplated, is
necessary to approve militaw
Approved ror
tervention.
Guatemala has hever ratified
the Rio pact. However, she can
participate in the consultative.
meeting without the right to
vote.
Guillermo Toriello, Guatemalan.
Foreign Minister, has said he
would attend a meeting if one
were called. He has also said
that Guatemala might appeal to
the United Nations Security
Council if any action against her
Were decided on by the 0. A. S.
At the very least, according to
information , here, the United
States wants communism in
Guatemala condemned by the or-
ganization as a ?menace to hem-
isphere peace. But there are no
illusions among United States
officials or Latin diplomats that,
mere condemnation would? re-
solve the Guatemalan problem.
The administration of Presi-
dent Jacobo ArbenZ Guzman is
far too firmly entrenched to .be
shaken by resolutions.
It will be difficult to get, a
sufficient number of Latin-Amer-
ican republics to go further at
this stage. The informatin lure is
that many of them have agreed
to a meeting with considerable
reluctance, and only because the
United States has been persuasive
On the issue of Guatemala's re-
cent purchase of 2,000 tons of
arms from Czechoslovakia.
The first reaction of many
Latin countries to the arms trans-
action was that Guatemala had
acted normally, especially since
the United States had refused to
sell her arms and had used its in-
fluence to bar purchases in other
non-Communist countries.
Patient explaining by United,
mates representatives was saici
to succeed in putting a different
light on the transaction. Accord-
ing to diplomatic sources here,
the United States supplied de-
tailed figures to show how ex-
cessive were 2,000 tons of arms
for a nation with, a 6,000-pan
army.
The United States also drew
attention to the fact that the
secret and roundabout manner of
the arms purchase and shipment
hardly fitted the picture of a
normal transaction, which Gua-
temala had tried to paint.
Mexico is an example of the
countries that have come to view
the Guatemalan case differently
since the arms shipment in mid-
May. For Mexico, the principles
of nonintervention and the right
of a people to decide its own po-
litical future; without foreign
pressure, are sacred.
These were the principles on
which Mexico argued so vigor-
ously and effectively at the tenth
Inter-American Conference in
90150/175,03 ?tAtIRCI
Wash. Post
JUN ,8
Guatemalan
Unions Back
Government
GUATEMALA, June 7 (R).?
Guatemalan workers gathered
at four Communist-dominated
mass meetings yesterday to or-
ganize vigilante defense units.
The rallies served as a show
of support for President Jacobo
Arbenz Guzman's leftist gov-
ernment.
The meetings were called by
the Nation's two 'biggest labor
organizations?the, General
Confederation of Workers
(CGTG) and the National Con-
federation of Farmers (CNCG).,
Both are controlled by the Reds. '
The CGTG sponsored a meet-
ing at Puerto Barrios. CNCG
rallies' were held in Guatemala
City, El Progresso and Zacapa
to lay the foundations for a
farmer's milita to defend "the
national sovereignty."
Some newspapers have re-
ported this militia would be
The fact that Mexico has now
agreed to participate in a con-
sultative meeting on the Guate-
malan case 'reflects the belief
that this country is no longer so
sure there has been no Soviet
intervention in Guatemala.
However, like many other Latin-
American governments, Mexico
has not yet decided how for the
0. A. S. should go in trying to
change the situation in Guate-
mala. A member, of. the Govern-
ment said privately that he
thought President Adolfo Ruiz
Certines would approve "any
reasonable action."
However, as of this moment,
"reasonable action" for the Mex-
icans does not include economic
sanctions, and definitely not mili-
tary intervention. But if economic
conditions were voted , by the
0. A. S., it is most likely that
Mexico would observe them, how-
ever reluctantly.
This country's help in enforc-
ing such sanctions would be im-
portant. Guatemala is dependent
on the United States for gasoline.
It is known that many GUata-
malan officials hope that Mexico
would sell enough to Guatemala
to sustain her essential services
if the 'United States cut off
supplies.
1
67-170665-ROG03002uouoz--1 .
armed with weapons discarded
by the army. Gen. Carlos H.
Sarti, Army Chief of Staff, said,
however, the army had no con-
nection with the project.
Guatemala received a 10 mil-
lion dollar arms shipment last
month from Stettin in Com-
munist-ruled Poland. As a re-
sult, the army reportedly is get-
ting rid of some of its older
weapons.
The former chief of the
Guatemalan Air Force, Col.
Rodolfo Mendoza Azurdia, fled
the country yesterday in a pri-
vate plane. Informed sources
said he had received asylum in
El Salvador.
The newspaper Prensa Libre
said Mendoza was accompanied
on the flight by Ferdinand F.
Schupp, 38, a former member
of the United States air force
mission to this country.
35
Approved For Rehease 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865Rele0300200002-7
.THS'NfAsfrelMstosi MTV/ IMO, '700:524314.V. jtnollel"
War's Not a Factor
Reds Sent Arms
to Guatamala
for a Toehold
By EDWARD TOMLINSON
The charges and conflicting opinions arisen here over Guate-
mala's importation of arms from behind the Iron Curtain is what
the Moscow propaganda doctors pr,icribed. This is the opinion
of one of the highest Latin diplomats here in Washington.
pened in Guatemala and is happen-
"If you take stock in such scare- Ing in Honduras.
heads as 'imminent warfare in Cen- I Tho the United States is their
tral America' and 'threatened at- main target, no South American
tack on the Panama Canal,' you will Red is naive enough to advise
be underestimating the intelligence taking us op openly. And if we
of the Red brain trusters in this started distributing rifles and
hemisphere, and losing sight of Limbers overealrond
uaraasndanl flying
hemisphere,
main strategy." Central Americas, they can howl
about the Yankee "big stick."
? First, the Kremlin, and its
stooges in Guatemala, know they OUR ACHILLES HEEL
could not get away with open war-
Our Achille's heel is our economic
stake in Latin America?$6,000,000,-
000 worth of investments and our
$7,000,000,000 annual trade. If they
could immobilize all the mineral
mines and oil fields, branch plants
and factories, the agricultural de-
velopments which produce raw ma-
terials and foods that we need, it
would be one of the severest blows
unified action so
they could deal us.
'quickly. Nor
would any Latin In Central America their imme-
American Govern- diate aim is to disorganize, destroy
ment expect Uncle the crops of the big United States
Sam to haggle owned agricultural developments,
about what should throw thousands out of work, bank-
be done, or who rupt the employing classes and then
should do it first. blame us. This is what they have
done to the banana industry in ,
? Second, it would be contrary to
Guatemala.
communist tactics employed every-
The Reds are not after the
U ,
where else in the world. Their . _ _ _
United States Fruit Company, as
methods are more devious. such. They want to destroy it be-
cause it is a U.S. investment, it's
HOW THEY DO IT big and plays an important part
They first indoctrinate selected in the economy of these little
natives, ambitious labor leaders and nations.
small bore politicians, who in turn If they can destroy the Fruit
innoculate and subvert their own company in Guatemala, Honduras,
Costa Rica and Panama, they could
people. Then follow strikes, demon-
destroy the United States' gigantic
strations and pressures against big oil industry in Venezuela, the Am-
busines s enterprises, especially erican operated copper industry in
Yankee firms. This is what hap- Chile and others. They wott do it
Approved For Release 2000/05/03: CIA-RDP62-0
fare against any-
body in the Am-
ericas. That auto-
matically would
invoke the hemi-
sphere defense
treaty. Nothing
would produce
'A444111/
Exile Warns of Red Plans
MEXICO CITY, June 7 MD?
The head of the anti-Commu-
nist Guatemalan exiles abroad,
charged today that the Guate-
malan Government, acting under
Communist inspiration, were arm-
ing, "popular militias" recruited
from Communist-led labor groups
against democratic Latin-Ameri.
can government.
Lieut. Col. Carlos Castillo
Armas said the $10,000,000 arms
shipment to Guatemala from be-
hind the iron curtain last month
was being used "to arm the fifth
column that is soqn to extend
its radius of action against the
democracies of this continent." ;
Colonel Castillo Armas has his
headquarters in Honduras, where
most of the Guatemalan exiles re-
side. His statement was made in
reply to a: questionnaire sent to
him at Tegucigalpa, Honduran
capital.
with guns or bombs, but by carefully
directed labor turmoil, anti-foreign
demonstrations and if necessary
local civil strife.
THEY NEED A BASE
What, then, were the Russian
arms for? To tighten the commun-
ist hold on the government and
maintain Guatemala as a base of
operations. They already were get-
ting worried over the possibility of
the Arbenz Government being over-
thrown.
The broadcasts from secret anti-
communist radio stations have them
jittery. They also are haunted by
signs that substantial numbers are
responding to the call of the Catho-
lic Church for a "crusade against
communism," and the effect the
stories of tortured exiles is having
thruout Latin America.
Meantime, Moscow strategists
hope their ruse in getting a big
cargo of arms into Puerto Barrios
under our noses will divert attention,
from eventS elsewhere. Throwing a
scare into us in our own front yard
will take some of the pressure off
in Southeast Asia, Geneva, Germany
and other areas of the world.
0865R000300200002-7
Approved For Release 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000300200002-7
4vesse
sky. Times
JUN 9 1954
IIILLES FOR AIRING
GUATEMALAN CASE
Favors Hemisphere Meeting
on Red Threat, but Awaits
Views of Other Republics
Special to The New York Times.
WASHINGTON, June 8?Sec-
retary of State Dulles said today
the United States favored a spe- At an extraordinary session, the cently.
cial inter-American Meeting on
ted unanimously fort Cabinet voted the Communist threat from will. Specifically, suspension of
Guatemala. However, he added the 'suspension, which custom- guarantees means:
that a decision on such a matter arily is resorted to only in times !Eleven articles In the Con-
must await consultations with of national emergency. The last stitution are inoperable during
other
talks are now going on the period. The first withdraws
was ther American governments, time guarantees were suspended
amid reports that the Organiza- a person's right to remain in
in July, 1951, early in the Ad-
tion of American States, the? ministration of President Jacob? Guatemalan territory Or to enter
twenty-one nation alliance of this Arbenz Guzman, when rioting it, whether or not he is a Gua-
hemisphere, would convene July 3, broke out and guards fired over temalan national.
Calling attention to both the
at Montevideo, UrUgUaY I crowds before the National Pal-
!Services such as tranSporta-
anti-Communist resolution adopt-i ace. tion and communications can be
ed at the hemisphere conference[In the 1951 incident, troops utilized gratuitously by the Gov-
in Caracas, Venezuela, last March I fired on anti-Communist dem- ernment.
and the "surrrePtitious shipment I onstrators July 12, killing three !Freedom of assembly is auto-
of arms to Guatemala from be- persons and wounding thirty. matically suspended. This means Censorship in Guate la de-
hind the Iron Curtain," the Sec-
retary Said "we are disposed to -
The shooting began when that not more than two persons layed receipt of the rest of the
feel that thee situation is one soldiers tried to disperse the can legally converse at any oneI foregoing dispatch.
which calls for such a meeting." marchers. It followed two days place.
But he spoke of "keeping our of disorders in the city of
!Liberty to organize political 2 at Liberty in El Salvador
minds open" until arguments on Guatemala. The demonstrationsSAN SALVADOR, June 8 UP)
the other side had been heard.
were touched off by the Gov-
parties is suspended. The right Rules Out Presidential Talk ernment's removal of three
Mr. Dulles diScouraged any Sisters of Charity from an
suggestion that the President of ornhanage staff.]
Guatemala meet with President -
Eisenhower "to iron out differ-
Under the Constitution, suspen-
ences between the two countries! sion of guarantees can be in-
"There is a persistent effort voked in the first instance for
by the authorities in Guatemala only thirty days. However, that
to represent the present problem means little because the Consti-
there as primarily a problem be- tution further specifies the
tween Guatemala and the United suspension can be renewed at
States relating to the United
Fruit Company," he said.
"That is a totally false pre-
sentation of the situation. There In a statement issued after a
is a problem in Guatemala which talk with Henry F. Rolland, AS-
affects the other American statessistant Secretary of State for
just as much as it does the United 'Inter-Arnerican Affairs, Senor
States, and it is not a problem Facio said that Costa Rica was
which the United States regards consulting with her neighbors 011
as exclusively a 'United States the "situation in Central Ameri-
" ca,'I-and that he expected a "firm
Guatemala problem.
If the United Fruit Company and common policy" to develop.
"gave a gold piece for every ba-
nana," the problem of Communist Washington was requiring the
"home-
Infiltration in Guatemala would , Soviet Union to do such work" as Moscow was.forcing the
remain, Mr. Dulles asserted.
-' United States to do in the case
Support For Costa Rica of Guatemala.
The secretary answered yes,
Support for the Secretary's
position came quickly from Am-
Antonio A. Facio of
Costa Rica who said his Govern-
N.Y. Times
JUN 9 1954
Guatemala Calls Emergency
And Suspends Civil Liberty
By PAUL P. KENNEDY
Special to The New York Timm
GUATEMALA, June 8?The Guatemalan Government to-
day suspended constitutional guarantees of freedom. Affected
were the freedom of speech, press and assembly and the in-
violability of home and the re- eliminated. This provision also
quirement for arrest warrants. had been largely overlooked re-
The immediate cause of the
drastic Government action was
laid to the reappearance of an
unidentified plane over the capital
last night. It frew directly west-
ward and dropped opposition leaf-
lets over Quetzaltenango, the sec-
ond largest city.
On May 24, a, C-47 without
markings appeared over the cap-
ital at almost roof-top height and
dropped hundreds of anti-Govern-
ment leaflets. The pilot braved
weather conditions that had
grounded all commercial and pri-
vate flights.
While officials were silent on
both plane incidents, speculation
centered on the disappearance
Friday of Col. Hodolfo Mendoza,
the country's foremost flier, and
Ferdinand F. Schupp, former
United States Air Force major.
According to information re-
ceived here, Colonel Mendoza
took off in a borrowed private
plane, landed in a pasture to pick
up Mr. Schupp and then flew on
to El Salvador.
Of citizens to exercise suffrage
is also suspended. However, no
elections are scheduled for some
time.
Leaflets Dropped Again
All documents, private or Colonel Mendoza said he re-
otherwise, are subject to exami- ceived information that the
nation without a court order. Guatemalan Government had or-
!Legal rights regarding home
dered his arrest.
entry are suspended. Authorities am anti-Communist,' he said. Mr.
I belong to no party, but I
may invade a home at any time Schupp, a native of Loinsville,
without a court order. 1Ky., resigned his official job in
41Guarantees regarding the11851 . .
6
habeas corpus are suspended.
illesetofore, persons arrested were
supposed to be either arraigned
or brought to trial within forty-
eight hours. This constitutional
provision had been overlooked
since the Government began to
move against what it alleged to
be a plot to overthrow it.
(IGuarantees against arrests
for major crimes without written
order are suspended. .
qFinally, a provision that au-
-- th t more of cia
and observe a
had defected from the Soviet re- thorities must, on demanding an
gime in the last six months than interview with a person, explain
?Ferdinand F. Schupp, former
United States Air Force mission
aide in Guatemala and Col. Ro-
dolfo Mendoza Azurbia, former
Guatemalan Air Force chief have
received full liberty in El Salva-
or after their flight here.
?
merit had iteriACkkrnelPligiffrff
: - DP62-00865R000300200002-7
ever before.
the object of this Interview
Approved For Relike 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R0(16400200002-7
N.Y. Times
JuN 1 0 1954
PANAMAFORAIRINt andpla cocefuo
lrd then fix
Some
the repotritmsehaanvde
indicated that the date has been
GUATEMALAN CAS
Efixed at July 1 and the place at
Montevideo, -Uruguay, but State
Department officials say those
details are still to be discussed.
Accepts U. S. Sid to Attend
?a Hemisphere Meeting
on Communist Threat
SPecial to The New York Times.
WASHINGTON, June 9?Ap-
parently confident of support by
a majority of the other American
republics, the United States is
prepared to call for a meeting
soon of the American Foreign
Ministers on the Guatemalan
situation.
One sign of that support came
today from Panama, where it
was reported that the Pana-
manian Government had accepted
the United States "invitation" to
a high-level conference on the
Communist threat to the hemis-
phere.
State Department officials
"categorically" denied that an
"invitation" had been extended,
but it was clear that discussions
between this and other American
governments had encouraged au-
thorities to expect an affirmative
decision, possibly as early as next
week.
Costa Rica and Nicaragua have
also informally but publicly pro-
posed a meeting of consultation
by the American Foreign Minis-
ters, charging the Communist-
influenced Guatemalan regime
with having aggressive inten-
tions on their countries.
When the decision has finally
been made to hold a foreign min-
isters meeting, the procedure
might be for some Government--
the United States is ready to
take the initiative--to go before
the Council of the Organization
of American States and ask for
a meeting of the foreign min-
isters.
By a majority vote, the coun-
ell could agree to call a meeting,
The foreign ministers meeting,
which is second in importance
only to the full-dress Inter-Amer-
ican Conference, such as the
Caracas conference, held every
five years, could take the follow-
ing action against the offending
government, in this case, Guate-
mala:
By a two-thirds vote, diplo-
matic restrictions or economic
auctions; by a majority vote,
excepting the defendant, military
action.
United States authorities are
encouraged by two developments
emerging from their consulta-
tions with other American capi-
tals. rhe first is the public sup-
port by Costa Rica, which is cred-
ited here with being influential
with Latin Antericans because of
her democratic nature.
The second is the progress be-
ing made in winning the support
of Mexico. Mexico and Argentina
were the only two governments
to abstain from the Caracas vote
approving the. Washington-spon-
sored anti-Communist resolution.
Guatemala, at which it was
aimed, opposed it.
N. 1. H. T.
JUN 1 0 1954
The Real Issue in Guatemala
The problem that confronts the United
States in Guatemala was once again clearly
stated by Secretary Dulles at his news confer-
ence on Tuesday. It is, he saiu, "the presence
of Communist infiltration" in that country.
Communist charges that the real issue is
Yankee imperialism, and specifically the stake
of the United Fruit Co. in Guatemala, are
"totally false." Even if the dispute arising
from the expropriation of United Fruit ba-
nana land were settled on the most generous
terms, the essential problem of Communist
infiltration would remain just as it is.
The Guatemalan government's attempt to
shift blame to the fruit company's shoulders
has not been faring very well of late. Its own
attitude to its neighbors has been called into
question by its extraordinary importation of
arms from behind the Iron Curtain, and its
relations with Nicaragua and Honduras have
turned sharply downward. Mexico, which gave
some support to Guatemalan views at Caracas,
Is reported to be taking a new look at its
foreign 'policy. And Costa Rica, which has
been far from hostile to the Guatemalan gov-
ernment, has undertaken consultations with
certain of its neighbors which may result in a
meeting of a larger organization of American
states to consider the Guatemala question.
Meanwhile the United Fruit Co., regarded
as a tool of imperialism by some in Guate-
mala, has been demonstrating a quite unim-
perialistic attitude a little farther south. Com-
pany representatives in Costa Rica have nego-
tiated an agreement with the Figueres govern-
ment providing, among other things, for an
increased income tax on net earnings, an
adjusted wage scale and a new schedule of
customs duties. This agreement, which should
prove a boon to the Costa Rican economy, has
been hailed with cordial satisfaction both by
President Figueres and by company officials.
A diplomatic achievement of no mean propor-
tions, it may well serve to show, as Mr. Dulles
suggests, how the governments and peoples of
this hemisphere "may profit by the co-opera-
tive attitude of United States enterprise."
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38/
Approved For Release 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000300200W-7
Now
-THE WASHINGTON DAILY NEWS, THURSDAY, JUNE If, 19M
Leff-Wing Figueres Against Guatemalan Reds
Costa Rica Offers Support'
but Warns Against Big Stick
By CHARLES LUCEy Scripps-Howard Staff Writer _
SAN JOS, Costa Rica, June 10?President Jose Figueres, a shrewd, nimble poli-
tician of the non-communist far left, said today his country would support the United
States at the expected Montevideo conference to act against the rise of Guatemala')
communism. T At a time when Guatemala and
But he warned against Wash- Honduras are in turmoil over '
ington brandishing a big stick. United Fruit Co. operations, Mr.
The pint-sized man known as Don Figueres has been able to gdt what
P looks like a model arrangement
epe is one of the most controver-
? with the company by comparison
with his neighbors.
The fruit company has agreed
that Costa Rica gets 30 instead of
15 per cent tax on its income, and
this is seen as giving the Govern-
ment a stake in stabilized opera-
tions and continuing good business.
sial figures in Centra America.
He's in a wrangle at the moment
with Anastasio Somoza, the one-
man boss of neighboring Nicaragua,
who claims Mr. Figueres was in on
a plot to bump off Mr. Somoza and
overthrow the Nicaraguan Govern-
Many charge Figueres with a At the same time plantation work-
Messiah complex and a wish to ers will be raised about 20 per cent
Govern-
ment some weeks ago.
run not only Costa Rica, but all to a minimum of about $2.40 a day.
Central America. Which way he Labor unions have been weak up
jumps in the coming months is im- to now and mostly communist dom?
,
ortant in this whole tense area. mated. Mr. Figueres says he is
tr in to drive out the Reds and
Up and down the mountain ridge
that runs from Mexico City to Pan_ let non-communist unions organize.
ama, Mr. Figueres is accused of left-
The communists are outlawed by
1st political beliefs from moderate law but keep burrowing.
socialism to pro-communism. MUST BE ALERT
Mr. Figueres says he recognizes
the Red danger. He agrees that "It
would be ruinous, to our institu-
tions if the banana workers went
communist." He says the commu-
nists have infiltrated Guatemala?
now the same way they were here
a few years ago, and believes the
best way to 'control communism in
Central America is for each coun-
try to be alert.
The fact is, it's almost impossi-
ble; even in Nicaragua with the
SAT OUT CARACAS
He and Costa Rica sat out the
Caracas conference which acted
against communism in the Western
Hemisphere. He says it was to pro-
test the fact that nobody ever re-
members to say anything against
dictatorships such as he sees exist-
ing in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba,
the Dominican Republica and else-
where.
In an Interview Mr. Figueres
denied most of the charges against
him. He talked a good case against
communism and said he recognized
the danger of a Soviet outpost in
this hemisphere. He said he under-
stood the U. S. State Department's
concern and agreed Red growth
could present another Indo-China In
Central America.
CITES UNITED FRUIT
"But," he said, "if stern measures
are taken it could do more harm
than good. The United Fruit Co.,
powerful in Central America, is a
symbol of colonialism.
"If there is going to be a spon-
sored revolution, who in Guate-
mala will explain to 160,000,000
Latin Americans that this is not
an economic move upholding the
fruit company? It would be taken
as a sign of the big stick again."
strongly anti-communist Somoza
regime they are not stamped out.
Here Mr. Figueres believes that if
the coffee-banana prosperity con-
tinues and social measures are de-
veloped, communism can be licked.
It is plain to this government as
to others in Latin America, that
letting communists run free leads to
trouble. Examples are sharp in
'Guatemala and now in Honduras
where strikes have paralyzed the
banana plantations for weeks.
Mr. Figueres denies any part in
the attempted assassination of Mr.
Somoza. He says the Nicaraguan
President is trying to make the
'affair appear an assassination
when in fact it was an attempted
overthrow which shows the real
sentiment among Nicaraguans
against Mr. Somoza.
Mr. Figueres is well aware of Mr.
Somoza's bitter hatred of him.
"I reciprocate," he 'says con-
? vincingly.
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Approved
Thasi
JUN ii 1954
GUATEMALA SAYS
'FOREIGNERS PLOT
,
New Element Has Taken Over
Subversion, Chief of Police
Tells Tense Populace
For Releitse 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R089800200002-7
By PAUL P. KENNEDY
Special t2 The New York Times.
GUATEMALA, June 10?For-
eign elements in Guatemala have
taken over the plot against the
Government, Maj. Jaime Rosen-
berg Rivera, chief of the National
Civil Guard, said last night.
In a nation-wide broadcase de-
signed to keep the public calm in
the face of suspension of consti-
tutional guarantees, Major Ro--
senberg said: .
"These foreign elements have
thus taken in the interior of the
country the direction of the prin-
cipal ramifications of this new
conspiracy."
He referred again in his state-
ment to a "new plot," and did not
clarify whether this ineant a
later plot than that reported June
2 by Augusta Charnaud MacDon-
ald, Interior Minister.
"The people of Guatemala
should be certain that police or-
ganizations have complete con-
trol over this situation," Major
Rosenberg's statement said. It
added:
"Not only do we know the
new plot thoroughly, but we
know the identity of those active
n the conspiracy from their for-
eign inspirers and executives,
down to the last of their Guate-
malan co-conspirators."
Cites War of Nerves
"We have been able to prove
that suspension of guarantees has
been sufficiently efficacious to
cope with the war of nerves and
with the lack of tranquility that
had been instilled by the enemies
of democracy and independents
Within the country. ,
"This war of nerves had as its
objective, as is easily proyed, the
owing of panic among our peo-
ple, the paralysis, in short, of
all democratic eleielents within
Guatemala, in order to make
easier the work of conspirators
and produce uprisings within the
country."
The police chief said the "est-
tire conspiracy" would be un-
masked in due time. He suggest-
ed, meanwhile, that the people
"remain tranquil."
His statement obviously was
Issued to ease coneern over ' ru-
mors that had arisen from cen-
sorship.
"The people of Guatemala and
conscientious citizens who follow'
honest and normal activities have
nothing to fear from police au-
rioorities and official organiza-
ns, despite the fact that some
constitutional guarantees bave
been suspended," Major Rosen-
berg d
For the first time it was
charged officially that "subver-
sive foreign elements" were in-
'volved in sabotage and incite-
ment to overthrow the Guate-
malan Government.
I ,siness Showe Effects
So far as could be learned in
the capital, the country was
calm but tense. It was apparent
that the drastic curb on travel
had affected business here. Com-
plaints were mounting.
The censorship situation im-
proved last night with an an-
nouncement by Carlos Gonzalez
Orellana, chief of the Palace
press and propaganda, tat for-
eign dispatches henceforth would
be censored and cleared during
three periods daily. Censorship'
af local newspapers and radio!
appeared to be lightening.
Suspension of -guarantees al-
tered little the procedures that
had been carried out immediate-
ly before the decree was in-
voked, except for complete con-1
trol of the press. That the Gov- '
ernment had decided hastily to
act was evidenced in the censor-
ship, which seemed ill-prepared
for the emergency.
The effect of the suspension
order was immediate at the
United States Embassy. United
States citizens flocked there
anxiously for information or in-
structions. They were told to re-
main in their residences until
the situation had been clarified.
Another development was a
ommunicationh Department
order shutting down all amateur
radio stations. Operators of
these stations were directed to
dismantle sets and bring them
in for an official seal.
All afternoon papers Tuesday
carried stories of the decree, but
there were no editorials about
it. ImpaCto, whose entire edition
was seized Tuesday morning,
came out yesterday. The Gov-
ernment paper, Nuestro Diario,
appeared with several blank col-
N. LILT.
JUN 11 Issi
Guatemalan Exiles Charge
Government Readies 'Plot'
By Wireless to the Herald Tribune
Copyright, 104, N. Y. /braid Tribune Inc.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras,
June 10.?Responsible sources in
the anti-Communist movement
of Guatemalan exiles here told
today about a purported propa-
ganda plot in Guatemala de-
signed to label the United States
as a fomenter of revolutions.
According to these reports, the
propaganda plot has the backing
of the Communist-influenced
Guatemalan. government and in-
volves also the American-owned
United Fruit Co. in Guatemala.
This is the scheme, according
to the. informants here: The
Guatemalan government on Fri-
day will announce the "discov-
ery" of a cache of military sup-
plies on United Fruit property in
Guatemala. V5ith the arms Will
be fake documents purporting to
show that the materiel was im-
ported by the United States gov-
ernment ant United Fruit and
A theory being widely circu-
lated is that the Government
acted because it was hard
pressed by the opposition abroadi
and felt it -must have complete
control at home to be tree to
strike back. This opposition is
centered largely in Honduras.
Chile Web:mines Parley
SANTIAGO, Chile, June 10
UP)?The Foreign Office said to-
day that Chile had accepted a
United States suggestion that a
conference of American foreign
ministers be held to examine the
situation in Guatemala.
? Honduras Rejects Pact Bid
Special to The Na,, York Times,
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras,
June 10?Honduras rejected to-
day Guatemala's proposal for a
nonaggression pact. She said
such a pact would be viewed with
concern by the other Central
American republics. The added
that existing international and
inter-American treaties guaran-
teed cordial relations.
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labeled "replacement machi-
nery."
This is to be advanced by the
Guatemalan government as
"proof" that the United States
is helping anti-Communist ele-
ments in Guatemala in an effort
to overthrow by force the gov-
ernment of President Jacob?
Arbenz.
[A New York source in close
touch with the Guatemalan
situation said some details of
the purported plot were broad-
cast a week ago by the
clandestine anti-Communist ra-
dio in Guatemala. The broad-
cast did not Mention June 11 as
the date for the plot.]
Meanwhile, Honduras today
formally rejected a Guatemalan
offer of a treaty of "friendship
and non-aggression Made May
27. Foreign Minister Guillermo
Tiriello said in a note that exist-
ing international pacas cover the
situation.
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Wash. Post $LTimes
JUN 12 1454 JUN 1 2 1954
GUATEMALA ACTS
Mexico Would join TO DISPEL RUMORS
Guatemala Study
By Laurance F. Stuntz
MEXICO CITY, June 11 US.?
Mexico?a chief critic of United
States efforts to fight commu-
nism in the Americas?stood
ready today to join in a hemi-
spheric study of charges that
the Reds boss neighboring
Guatemala.
Acting Foreign Minister Jose
Gorostiza announced last night
his government would go along
with the "general sentiment"
among the American republics
for such a review.
Since Mexico has been one of
Guatemala's stanchest defend-
ers, her consent virtually as-
sured the holding of an Inter-
American conference to find out
what is going on in the banana-
producing republic 1000 miles
northwest of the Panama Canal.
Gorostiza's statement retailed
that under the Rio de Janeiro
Defense Pact any country is en-
titled to ask for a meeting to
discuss defense matters. Thus,
he said, Mexico "Is in accord"
with recent informal proposals
for a session.
There was no indication yet
who Would call the conference.
Secretary of State John Foster
Dulles told newsmen in Wash-
ington this week that the
United States favors such a
meeting to discuss the Guate-
malan situation. But the United
States, conscious of traditional
Latin-American aversion to
"pressure" from the big north-
ern neighbor, would like to see
another of the republics take
the lead.
. At the Inter-American Con-
ference in Caracas last March
Mexico was one of three calm-
_
ties which did not support
United States sponsored resolu
tion condemning Red inffitra
lion in the Americas. She ab
stained along with Argentina
Guatemala voted against it.
? The United States argued
that establishment of a Com-
munist government in the
Americas was intervention from
pbroad, to be combatted under
the terms of the Rio Defense
Tact.
- Mexico's Foreign Minister
Luis Padillo Nervo argued that
c un ry s own affair if
It wanted to set up a Red gov-
ernment.
The apparent reversal of this
policy by last night's announce
ment raised speculation here
about Padilla Nervo's future
The Foreign Minister has not
been at his office for the past
week and is reported suffering
from "nervous exhaustion."
American concern over Com-
munist influence in Guatemala
came to a head last month
when the Latin American re-
public on Mexico's southern
border received 10 million dol-
lars worth of arms shipped
from Red Poland. The United
States promptly increased arms
aid to neighboring Nicaragua
and Honduras.
Guatemala countered by of-
fering a friendship and .non-
aggression pact to Honduras,
her immediate southern neigh-
bor. The Hondurans announced
yesterday they have turned
I down the bid.
Press and Radio Deny Arrest
of High Officers and Alleged
Disappearance of Planes
By PAUL P. KENNEDY
Special to The New York Times.
GUATEMALA, June 1.1 ? A
drive against rumors that have
- been gathering momentum here
in recent days has been launched
by the press and radio.
For the first time since consti-
tutional guarantees were sus-
pended on Tuesday the Govern-
ment has acknowledged the ex-
istence of rumors that have been
going the rounds on the streets
and in cafes..
Heretofore the publicizing of
their existence has been frowned
upon by the official censorship.
Two appraches directed toward
dispelling of these rumors were
made last night by the Govern-
ment's organ Guardia Judicial.
The Guardia Judicial message was
? published and broadcast last
night at the request of the Sec-
retary of the Press and Propa-
ganda and fhe Censorship chief.
The message stated that "in view
of a series of rumors that have
been manufactured by the ene-
mies of the revolution and of na-
tional tranquility the Guardia
Judicial considers it its duty to
contradict them in order to re-
Store tranquility among our
citizens."
The Guardia Judicial bulletin
mentioned two of the most prom-
inent rumors racing through the
capital in the last day's bulletin
stated that "rumors have said
that because of the suspension of
Some constitutional guarantees
the chief of the armed forces, the
Army Chief of Staff and Col. El-
fego Monzon, Minister without
Portfolio, have all been arrested."
These rumors, the bulletin stated,
"are completely false and the of-
ficials mentioned are at their re-
spective offices."
In the second instance the bul-
letin said it had been rumored
"that air force planes flown re-
cently in the line of duty had dis-
appeared from the country with
their pilots. "This rumor also,"
the bulletin declared, "lacks truth
and the pilots are now performing
their normal functions."
A. decree canceling flights of
all private planes was made pub-
lic today.
The decree states that authori-
zations and permissions for all
private planes, whether sport or
commercial planes, to fly in Gua-
temalan territory have been with-
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drawn.
All flying fields in the national
territory and private airstrips be-
longing to private persons, or
sports organizations, or commer-
cial firms, henceforth will oper-
ate under the )strict control and
vigilance of the army air forde,
the decree says.
The decree further regulates
entry and eXit procedures for in-
ternational comtnercial lines,
which generally are excepted
from the foregoing articles. It
also places the implementation of
the decree under the chief of
staff of the army.
Cuba to Join Parley
Special to The New York Times.
HAVANA, June 11?Cuba is
ready to discuss the Guatemalan
situation with other American
nations and will attend a meet-
ing of the American foreign min-
isters when called by the council
of the Organization of American
States, Dr .Miguel Angel Campa,
Minister of State, said today.
The feeling of the Government
that Guatemala constitutes a
Communist threat in the hemi-
sphere was emphasized by Er-
nesto de la Fe, Minister Withotit
Portfolio in a broadcast today.
"Guatemala at this time rep-
resents the tentacle through
which Russia wishes to suck the
liberty of America," he said.
Meanwhile the resurgence of
Communist influence in Cuba is
being viewed with concern by
Government, industrial and la-
bor circles and repressive meas-
ures have been enacted.
President Fulgencio Batista
conceded recently that "Commu-
nism is gaining ground."
Last night the Cabinet pro-
hibited the issuance of passports
to any persons attemptin; t
visit countries behind the Iron
Curtain or to attend internation-
aauscpoincefesr.ences under Communist
The Ministry of Education has
begun the dismissal of Commu-
nist teachers and professors and
other departments of Govern-
ment are preparing dismissals,
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ti:;61NRIT5 1954
U.S. Flyer
Menaced in
Honduras
By Wireless to the Herald Tribune
Copyright. 1954, N.Y. Herald Tribune Inc
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras,
June 12,?An American pilot,
Capt. L. J. Carlin, of Miami, re-
later today what he described as
a "close call" from b,ostile na-
tives in the Honoduras north-
coast strike zone Thursday when
his plane crashed in a strike-
bound banana plantation. I
Capt. Carlin said he was fer-
rying a new plane from Miami
?to El Salvador but was forced
to detour around Guatemala due
to the present ban on foreign
aircraft flying over the country.
The detour took him' out over
the Caribbean and to the coast
,of Honduras where he ran out
of gas and crashlanded in the
strikebound United Fruit Co.
plantation near Puerto Cortes.
The plane nosed over, and
Capt. Carlin was shaken but un-
hurt. "The plane was immedi-
ately, surrounded by hundreds
of hostile and grim-looking
natives," Capt. Carlin stated.
"They apparently thought I was
a Communist from Guatemala,
and they certainly were un-
friendly but did not actually put
their hands on me."
? Plane Landings Reported
Guatemalan planes have been
recently repprted landing in re-
/note sectimis of the Honduras
-strike zone with Communist
.literature and strike agitators.
The strikers?of whom there are
?25,000?assert they are elimin-
!Ming any Communist influence.
Capt. Carlin said police ar-
rived and took him into custody
."for my own protection, they
said, but they sure acted as
though I was an international
Communist spy."' He spent two
days in Puerto Cortes jail be-
fore his identification was con-
firmed and he was released.
Capt. Carlin, who left for
Miami by commercial plane to-
day, said his plane could be
repaired but that he had no
plans to treturn "until that
strike is over and they learn to
tell a Communist froma non-
Communist."
Wjatsit. IE.. 4Star
Guatemala and the Americas
Guatemala's extremely leftist government
has now ordered a 30-day suspension of all con-
stitutional guarantees. In effect, this means
that freedom of the press and other civil rights
affecting individual and group liberties have
ceased to exist in the country for the time being.
It could also mean something more ominous and
permanent than that?something serving as a
prelude to a Communist coup.
The staging of such a coup is a very real
possibility. Indeed, tIA government itself?
since it is already strongly influenced by them
?might connive in turning over full control to
the Communists. They are riding high down
there, and the recent arms shipment from Red
Poland has very probably given them a great
deal of additional strength. Accordingly, now
that I' ,e constitution has been suspended, they
may move out in the open to take over the whole
of Guatemala for the greater honor and glory
of the Kremlin. And if that happens, then
Honduras and other neighboring states will be
threatened with serious trouble. The situation
is thus. one that calls for the kind of hemi-
spheric meeting that Secretary of State Dulles
has just said he favors?a meeting of the for-
eign ministers of all the Americas.
Such a get-together?expected to begist in ,
July?will be altogether in order because Guate-
mala seems definitely in danger of becoming a
captive of international communism?a captive
that would quickly be a menace to its neighbors.
The Rio de Janeiro pact and the Caracas decla-
ration provide for common action to cope with
any threats of that kind, and the inter-Vimeri-
can community should not hesitate to invoke
them if need be.
N.Y. Times
JUN 1 a 1954
GUATEMALAN PACT
ENDS FRUIT STRIKE
Accord, Increasing Pay, Aids
Country?More Political
Exiles Are Departing
Special to The New York Times.
GUATEMALA, June 12?A
United Fruit Company official
said today that an agreement
had been reached with workers
to end the strike that began
May 20.
The strike had virtually para-
lyzed the company's Atlantic
Coast plantations, affecting 2,000
acres cultivated to bananas and
abaca or hemp plant. About 4,000
men were affected.
The settlement was reached
through mediation by Roberto
Fanjul, Minister of Economy.
Under the new two-year working
agreement, 60 per cent of the
laborers will reoeive an immedi-
ate daily wage rise of 28 cents.
Workers earping between $1.64
and $4 a day will get 15 per cent
Increases, and higher salaried
workers will get a 7 per cent rise.
The agreement will be retroac-
tive to May 20, so that the com-
pany will pay the strikers full
wages for the time of the work
stoppage.
Other benefits granted include
improved housing, insurance and
social security.
Labor Must Ratify
The agreement was signed last
night by management and union
officials in the presence of carlos
Manuel Pellecer, Communist Con-
gressman representing the Guate-
malan Confederation of Labor,
which supervised the strike. The
agreement still requires ratifica-
tion in a general assembly of
the laborers. Workers are expect-
ed to return to work Monday.
The company estimates a week-
ly loss of 15,000 stems of bananas
during the strike.
Eleven persons who had sought
political asylum in the Embassies
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Con A" ?
Approved For Release 2000/05/03 : CIA-RDP62-00865R000300200W-7
Noe
recent data leave duate-
mala today under safe-conduct
passes granted by the Foreign
Office. This brought the total of
such persons leaving the country
to about twenty since the an-
nouncement by the Government
of the discovery of a plot to
overthrow the regime.
Col. Miguel Mendoza Azurdia, a
Presidential candidate in the
1950 elections and a brother ,of
Rodolfo Mendoza Azurdia, who
fled the country to El Salvador
in a bortowed plane last week,
was among those who sought
asylum.
Others are Capt. Rodolfo
Rodas, Capt. Augustin Castro
Monzon, Jos?orales Torres, Err
nesto Gomez Savedra, Flavio
Segura Ruiz, Maj. Enrique Trini-
dad Oliya, Aden Manrique Rios,
Carlos Alberto Recinos, Juan Fer-
min Valladares and Rodolfo Cas-
tubo Armas. None was active in
military service.
The Foreign Office denied that
the Government was exercising
control over exit visas or pas-
ports. No restrictions have been
decreed about granting visas to
citizens or foreigners wishing to
leave Guatemala, a Foreign Of-
fice spokesman said. The rumoredl
restriction stemmed from a Gov-
ernment decree last Tuesday 'sus-
pending several constitutional
guarantees for thirty days be-
cause of a "national emergency."
In Guatemala by political foes of
President Jacobo Arbenz Guz-
man was joined openly today by
another station in a near-by
country and one in the Domini-
can Republic in predicting that,
the uprising might come next'
week.
Parley Call Expected
Special to The New York Times.
WASHINGTON, June 12?The
United States is expected to issue
a call next week for a special
hemispheric conference of foreign
ministers on the ?threat of Com-
munist-infiltrated Guatemala.
A tentative draft of a resolu-
tion designed for consideration
by the ministers, it is understood,
would exhort the people of Guate-
mala to rid their country of Com-
munist influence.
To avoid doing anything that
would resemble intervention, the
resolution would not seek any
diplomatic or economic action
against Guatemala except what
the Guatemalans themselves
might take.
Because the State ,Department
has all but decided on that
course of action, rather than on
more drastic measures, it has ap-
parently won the support of the
other American republics excepts
Guatemala.
Consultations have been going
on between the United States
and those states since the ar-
rival at Guatemala of about 1900,
tons of arms from the Polish
port of Stettin, behind the Iron
Two Policemen Killed
GUATEMALA, June 12 (tIP)?
Villagers killed two. policemen
and routed others when officers
tried to arrest an opposition
leader yesterday in Amatitlan, it
was reported today.
Col. Rogelio Cruz, director ef
the civil guard, said the deputy
chief of the detachment stationed
'in the town, nineteen miles
southwest of here, and a guards- curtain.
man had been killed by "thirty Washington sources suggest
men armed with machetes." that the foreign ministers' con-
Colonel Cruz did not identify the ference would probably be held
anti-government "plotter." Nu- early in July, but other diplo-
merous opposition leaders have matic informants mention June
' been arrested in the last two 28 as the tentative date. Monte-
weeks in a reported conspiracy. video, Uruguay, is mentioned
most often as the probable site.
Exodus to El Salvador What has also impressed the
SAN SALVADOR, June, 12 UP)
American republics, t is under-
arrived stood, is the earnestness with
?Jittery Guatemalans
today in a general exodus of which the United States has pre-
wives and children of foreigners, pared its case against Guate-
of wealthy Guatemalans and
mala, a case that, despite a
even of some Guatemalan of fi-
fairly skeptical reception at the
start, has won wide support.
cials. It is expected that the United
They reported that rumors of
revolt fill the air in Guatemala.1 States will propose a resolution
To the man in the street, they against communism in G1iate-
1
mala under the terms of the
declared, the big question was
not whether but when a revolu-
Inter-American Treaty of Re-
tion would start.Rio de Janeiro in
ciprocal Assistance, signed at
Lol
The clApptivir etrincypERMas bwaap6
N.Y. Times
JUN 1 4 1954
GUATEMALA HELD
RIPE FOR REVOLT
Leader of Exiles Says 90%
ef .People Are Ready to
Rise Against Regime
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras,
June 13 ,UP)?Guatemalan exiles,
eager for their country to throw
off its leftist government, say
1954 is "the year of independence
from Russian imperialism."
Their leader is a 40-year-old,
slender, soft-spoken former lieu-
tenant colonel in the Guatemalan
Army, Carlos Castillo Armas. Ie
calls his resistance movement the
Anti-Communist Front of Guate-
malans in exile.
Colonel Castillo Armes. keeps
silent on any plans he may have
to end the regime of Guatemalan
President Jacobo Arbenz Guz-
man. But he said in an interview
that a "tiny spark" of uprising
within the country could trigger
a revolt of the entire resistance
organization, both inside and out-
side Guatemala.
People Held Ready to Rise
"I am certain that 90 per cent
of the people in Guatemala are
thoroughly ready to rise up and
fight against the government,"
Colonel Castillo Armas said. "I
think one of the reasons the
Arbenz Government bought arms
from the Communists is to pro-
tect itself from a revolution by
the people."
He was referring to a recent
shipment of arms from Commu-
nist-governed Poland that pro-
voked a sharp protest by Wash-
ington.
Asked if his forces had arms,
he replied with a smile: "that is
our secret."
Guatemalan officials say they
attach no importance to Colonel
Castillo Armas. But his followers
call him the Government's No. 1
enemy in exile. He says the
Guatemalan Government has in-
spired several attempts to kidnap
2-00865R000300200002-7
or kill him.
The main propaganda weapons
in the exiles' control are a roving
radio station inside Guatemala
that has to keep moving to escape
detection, two stations in Hon-
duras broadcasting across the
border, three newspapers in
Honduras and one each in Mexico
and El Salvador.
7 Dead In Guatemala Clash
Special to The New York Times.
GUATEMALA, June 13?Seven
persons are dead, one seriously
wounded and many are under
arrest following an armed clash
in the village of El Durazno,
twenty-four miles from the cap-
ital, between Civil Guards and
villagers.
A bulletin released today by
the Civil Guard said the clash
occurred when a guard unit
sought to arrest several villagers
in a plot to overthrow the Arbenz
Guzman regime. The leader of
the Guard detachment, Lieut.
Antonio Sanchez Gaitan, and an-
other guard were among those
killed.
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N.Y. Times
JUL 1 5 1954
AID TO ARBENZ PLEDGED I
Three Guatemalan Parties Issue
Manifesto of Support
Special to The New York Times.
GUATEMALA, June 14?Three
political parties supporting Presi-
dent Jacobo Arbenz Guzman pub-
lished today a manifesto pledging
to assist this Government "in a
moment in which external and
internal forces are plotting to
subvert the constitutional re-
gime."
The organizations are the Party
of Revolutionary Action, Party
of the Guatemalan Revolution
and the Labor party, which is
actually the Communist party.
The manifesto referred to so-
cial reforms gained by the ad-
ministration, It said the three
parties had an interest in "main-
taining the unity of the popular
forces" and to explain "the mo-
tives through which amalga-
mated, imperialistic monopolies,
principally the United Fruit Com-
pany, with their feudal land man-
agement" maintained their poli-
cies.
It described unidentified for-
eign investment companies as "dis-
qualified elements which, through
tne years, have gained their ends
by inhuman exploitation, by deny-
ing our sovereignty and by dic-
tatorial oppression." ,
The document accused the
"enemies" of Guatemala of hav-
ing found a "pretext" at the
tenth Inter-American Conference
at Caracas, Venezuela, last March
for "presenting an accusation
against this nation."
This is "believed to have been
indirectly responsible for the de-
barkation recently of arms in
Puerto Barrios," the manifesto
declared. It held that the United
States was using the arms ship-
ment as a lever to convene the
American states.
On Friday, two labor confeder-
ations issued a joint resolution
.callint, on members to become
active In their support of the
iregime. They were the General
'Confederation of Workers and
, the General Confederation of
' Peasants.
N.Y. Times
JUN 1 5 1954
Shells for Guatemala Held
At Hamburg Under Inquiry
Special to The New York Times.
BONN, Germany, June 14?The United States announced
today that six tons of anti-aircraft shells in 'transit from Switz-
erland to Guatemala had been intercepted in Hamburg. German
;port police, acting with United
States and British authorities,
prevented the loading of the
20-mm. shells aboard the Ham-
burg-American line freighter
Coburg about May 20.
sisted today that the ammunition
destined for Guatemala was live,
although a port representative
said it had been marked "dummy
ammunition," meaning that the
shells were without explosives.
The confusion apparently was
An official of the United States cleared up in Berne, where Swiss
saidl
chased a quantity of 20-mm.
High Commissioner's Commissioner's office officials said Guatemala had pur-
the documents that accompanied
the shipment were in perfect or-
der. The (' lents described the,
contents of six packing cases andl
covered shipment from Basel,;
Switzerland, to ?the free port of
Hamburg.
The official explained that the
shipment was legitimate export
and therefore had been detained
but not confiscated. An investiga-
tion is continuing.
[Washington has rejected
Guatemala's proposal for a con-
ference to study "all causes of
tension" between the two coun-
tries.]
The legal authority of the oc-
cupying powers in connection
with the shipment is not clear,
since no fraud by the shipper
was indicated. Occupation au-
thorities are empowered only to
seize weapons and munitions
manufactured in Germany.
It was believed the port police
would probably have to release
the shipment if the consigner
were to decide to transship the
ammunition through another
country.
aircraft shells with cheap prac-
tice heads several months ago.1
They added that such shells had
been made for a pre-war type of
gun, were not high explosives and
could not pierce armor.
United States action in re-
questing the Germans to hold up
the ammunition appeared in line
with a policy of alertness that
Washington has maintained since
an arms shipment from Czecho-
slovakia reached Guatemala last
month.
Hamburg is in the British oc-
cupation zone. A spokesman for
the British consulate said Ham-
burg-American's refusal to for-
ward the cargo to Guatemala had
come after a discussion with Bri-
tish authrities "in which our [the
British and American] view was
made known to,the company au-
thorities."
On Central American Run
The 2,399-ton Coburg sailed
from Hamburg May 30 for Bar-
ranquilla, Colombia. The 311-foot
motor vessel was scheduled to
call at Venezuelan, Colombian
Shells Pre-War Type and Netherlands West Indies
HAMBURG, Germany, June 14 ports, according to shipping cir-
GT1?United States officials in- cies in New York.
On her previous voyage the
vessel, employed in the line's ser-
vices to Central America, called
at Pacific Central American
'ports, among them Sall Jose de
Guatemala.
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Approved For Release 2000/W3 : CIA-RDP62-00865R0003002000Q2
?lice:kilo 14,1y Naws
%lune 1151-i
CAN'T BE BLUFFED
Gentle Archbishop
Leads Fight on
Guatemala Reds
Communists' Aims Stymied
ily Prelate's Hold on People
BY EDWIN A. LAHEY
Daily News Foreign service
GUATEMALA CITY?The .small band
of tightly knit Communists in Guatemala
bare their fangs occasionally in episodes that
might herald the coming of a police state.
But they also show a cautious regard for the anti-Commu-
nist forces in this little republic, and tread gingerly In dan-
gerous social zones.
The most powerful single
anti-Communist force in the
country today .is a slender,
64-year-old man, whose ascetic
gentleness belies not only his
courage but his defensive
power against Reds.
He is the Most Rev. Don
Mariano Rossell y Arellano,
beloved 'Archbishop of Guate-
mala, to whom the Commu-
nists behind the scenes of gov-
ernment would like to give
the Cardinal Mindszenty treat-
ment if they thought they
could get away with it.
? * *
ARCHBISHOP Rossell y
Arellano has been threatened
with physical violence and
with exile from his native
Guatemala, but he has called
every bluff, official or unoffi-
cial, with increased toughness
on his part.
As recently as Palm Sun-
day in early April, the Arch-
bishop challenged the Commu-
nist influence in Guatemala
with a vigorously anti-commu-
nist pastoral letter, of which
460,000 copies have already
been distributed through the
country.
"Com munist propaganda
has reached the most remote
corners of Guatemala," the --
Archbishop said, "and has
spread its ugly seed in many
Places."
In the strongest terms, the
Catholic prelate denounced
"the castoffs of other coun-
tries who have paid for the
hospitality of Guatemala by
spreading class hatred to pre-
pare for the hour of national
assassination."
* ? ?
THE ARCHBISHOP called
upon all Catholics in this
Catholic nation, especially the
workers and peasants, to fight
against "Communism's hypo-
critical and criminal intrusion
into the social life of Guate-
mala."
The ieftwing press in Guate-
mala exiiressed mild criticism
of this pastoral letter, and the
leftwing political parties that
control the government pre-
tended to ignore the letter,
but they were furious at the
Archbishop.
The pro-Communists and
professed Communists are re-
strained from silencing the
Archbishop because of his
deep hold on the sentiments
of the people.
* * *
THREE TIMES, between
1944 and 1951, in the first
years of the "revolution,"
there were discussions in the
government about exiling the
, Archbishop, but the proposal
never came to a head.
"The wise ones knew that
if they touched him they
would be sunk," an inter-
preter explained during an
interview with the Arch-
bishop in his palace, which
looks across the main plaza
of Guatemala City at the
government palace.
In February, 1953, govern-
ment officials, under the
goading of party leaders, ap-
parently decided to exile the
Archbishop and get it over
with.
"I had been threatened so
many times before, I paid no
attention to this report when
it came to us," the Arch-
bishop said through our in-
terpreter.
"But the word spread in
the streets, and the people
came to the Archbishop's pal-
ace. The women from the
market nearby came first,
and said they would defend
us. They slept in front of
the palace all night."
? * *
THE STATE police head fi-
nally came over to assure the
Archbishop that the govern-
ment war. not going to exile
him. The police chief did not
dare to enter the front of
the Archepiscopal palace
through the mass picket line,
but made his entrance through
the rear instead.
There is an ostensible free-
dom of press in Guatemala,
and some of the newspapers
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criticize the government free-
ly.
But not more than 25 per
cent of the people can read,
so the written word is not re-
garded by the Reds as a
threat to their influence
among the peasants, or "cam-
pesinos."
? * *
THE RADIO reaches these
people, however, and the Gua-
temalan radio stations have
learned that it is unwise to
specialize in anti-Communist
programs.
A few weeks ago four
masked thugs entered a down-
town radio station which had
a daily anti-Communist pro-
gram, and wrecked the place.
Shortly after this radio sta-
tion had its equipment broken
up by the unidentified thugs,
another radio station in Gua-
temala City prudently discon-
tinued using the program of
one of its news commentators,
who was consistently anti-
Communist.
* * *
A CLANDESTINE radio
has been set up somewhere
near ? Guatemala, and blasts
the government daily with
charges of Communist domi-
nation.
The radio, which calls itself
"The Voice of Liberation,"
recently claimed credit for
the "army of liberation" for
the dynamiting of a train car-
rying arms from Puerto Bar-
rios to Guatemala City.
45
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dash. EvenIntstar
JUN 1 9 Mgr
Glitemall4ests
Itimore Reporter
NJ. Times
JUN 1 6 1954
'DULLES 'PICTURES
GUATEMALAN FEAR
Says People Would Clean Up
Country if Red Terror
Could Be Overcome
Special to The New York Timm
WASHINGTON, June 15?Sec-
retary of State Dulles said today
that the "Communist type of ter-
rorism" in Guatemala was all
that stood in the way of an anti-
Communist house-cleaning by
the Guatemalan people.
The ,Secretary, at a news con-
ference, said the State Depart-
ment had no information about
Guatemala "from a clearly de-
pendable source," but he added
that "no doubt there is going on
somewhat of a reign of terror."
His reference to a lack of de-
pendable information was taken
to mean that, in view of guate-
mala's tense political situation,j
normally reliable sources of in-
formation, had been closed even
to John? E. Peurifoy,. United
States Ambassador.
Hopeful About People
"There is no doubt, in my opin-
ion, but what the great majority
of the Guatemalan people have
both the desire and the capability
of cleaning their own house," Mr.
Dulles said.
"But of course, those things
are difficult in the face of the
Communist type of terrorism
which is manifesting itself in
24uatemala, and which is perhaps
most dramatically expressed by
the statement of one Communist
member of the Guatemalan Con-
gress that if there was a dis-
turbance, that would mark the
beginning of a beheading of allr
anti-Communist elements in Gua-
temala.
"I am confident that the great
majority of the Guatemalan peo-
ple do not want that state of
affairs."
The Secretary's remarks were
in response to_a_cruestion about
a report that GUatemalan Army
officers had delivred an ulti-
matum to President Jacobo Ar-
benz Guzmar to break with com-
munism or resign.
Mr. Dulles disclaimed any first-
hand knowledge of the report, al-
though he said the State Depart-
ment had also heard it. ?
He was asked, too, about re-
ports that the United States9
would use tomorrow's meeting o?f
the Council cAlip1115WIL1AS110
By the Associated
BALTIMORE, June 19.?Staff
Correspondent Patrick Skene
Catling of the Baltimore Sun re-
ported from Guatemala today
that he and another American
newspaperman had been ar-
rested and held for a short time
by "Communist-prodded nolice "
Mr. Catling, in a front-page
dispatch, identified the other
newsman as Tom Gerber of he
Boston Traveler.
He said: "We had been taking
pictures at the scheduled scene
of a loyalty demonstration for
President Jacob Arbenz?a dem-
onstration which, of course,
was called off because of the
news that the cciuntry was at
war.
"Before long we were spotted
by Victu. Gutierrez, Guatemala's The report said that eighty
No. 1 Communist. Aithough not army heads had invited the Presi-
officially connected with either dent to meet with them and that
NN.Y. Times
JUN 1 6 1954
Pd SAID
To
President Arbenz Reported
Asked toe a Flit Decision
on Policy Toward Reds
, Special to pe New, York Times.
MEXICO, June 15?The Guate-
malan Army was reported here
today to have called on President
Jacob? Arbenz Girzinan to make
a firm decision on governmental
policy toivard communism.
the government or the police, the
sallow-faced, shabbily dresser./
Gutierrez ordered a spic-and-
span police sergeant to put us
under arrest." ,
of American States to call for
an inter-American foreign.minis-
ters' conference on the Guate-
malan situation.
Tells of Exchange of Views
He could not confirm that re-
port, either, Mr. Dulles said, but
that does not mean it is untrue.
He explained that the United
States had been exchanging views
with the other American states
on the possibility of such a meet-
ing, but he did not know whether
at their meeting had submitted to
him a list of questions regarding
administration policy. According
to the report, the President asked
until some time this week to give
his replies. The report came from
a source whose ability to obsebe
the Government's activities is un-
questioned, according to visitors.
[This news threw a different
light on reports in Washington
Monday night that the Guate-
malan Army had given an ulti-
matum to President Arbenz to
break with the Communists or
resign. Secretary of State
Dulles said in Washington
the question would be raised at Tuesday that the State Depart-
the council session. hent had heard about the ulti-
Speculation persists, however,
matum reports, but that he had
that the United States is ready to
propose the meeting in view of no first-hand knowledge of
the support it has received from their basis. He said the "Com
almost all of the Latin-American munist type of terrorism" in
governments. It is believed that Guatemala was all that stood
the conference may open as early in the way of aNanti-Commu-
as June 28.
nis,t house-cleaning by the rie0-
It is understood that the United
States position has gained sub- pie of that country.)
stantial strength since Washing- This week could be a decisive
ton first reported, with some con- one in the Arbenz administration,
cerq, the shipment of about 1,900 travelers arriving front pirate-
tons of arms to Guatemala early
mala said. Tension has been build-
last month.
Mr. Dulles said the arms ship- ing up at such a rate in the coun-
ment greatly exceeded Guate- try that there seems to be little
mala's legitimate defense needs more capacity to maintain pres-
and had given the Communist- sure without some sort of solu-
infiltrated country military su- tion.
periority in Central America.
Except for Costa Rica and This tension is indicated not
only in the activity of the oppo-
sition, but in the 'proportionately
Nicaragua, there appeared to be
little imedmiate support for the
United Stites expressions of stepped up activity of th Gov-
ficial tabulation listed 325 politi-
cal arrests in the city of
Guatemala alone.
Travelers reported that the
Guatemalan police were *operat-
ing in plainclothes and using
jeeps. Official police cars are
rarely seen is political arreats,
they said.
? ' `?
It wa- reported that rite body
of a min who had disappeared
Friday was delivered to his
family this morning. The police
said that the man, who obviously
had been beaten to death, was a
suicide. The family suspected
that the man had been seized on
political suspicion.
Responsible observers in Guate-
mala were said to suspect that
the regime was indicating des-
peration by the mass arrtsts.
This has become apparent, par-
ticularly in lwallit censorship,
the reginie was displaying des-
peration in the mass arrests.
This has become apparent, par-
ticularly in press censorship,
which began in chaos, settled
temporarily into something de-
scribed as reasonable and then
leaned more and more toward
total irresponsibility, according
tolreports from Guatemala.
One correspondent in Guate-
mala complained to a visitor that
among the items deleted was a
comment that the Guatemalan
press was paying particular at-
tention to the forthcoming Marci-
ano-Charles heayyweight cham-
pionship bout.
The effects of suspension of
constitutional guarantees were
described as becoming more pro-
nounced daily. Several articles
in the Constitution guaranteeing
basic fr,gedoms were suspended
last week in what was officially
termed "a national crisis."
Homes Are Invaded
Suspension of guarantees, for
the most part, was a legalization
of practices that had been in
force many days before the for-
mal act was taken. Homes were
invaded and arrests made with-
out warrant and informal gath-
erings were broken up.
According to travelers from
Guatemala, the present custom
of talking softly and looking over
one's shoulders dates to last Tues-
day when suspension of civil
rights was officially announced.
Events have moved with
greater tempo since. All political
parties and groups supporting
the Administration have warned
their members in published man-
ifestos of "grave" disaffections
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4/1
111810"
Approved For Release_2000/05/03 : CIA RDR62-00865R000300200002-7
throughout tb.e country and
urged them to close ranks and
fight off attempts to overthrow
the Government.
While these manifestos were
printed in the Guatamelan press,
foreign Correspondents were pro-
hibited from sending reports on
them, informants said.
During this build-up of tension,
Leonardo Castillo Flores, sec-
retary geheral of the Commu-
nisted-infiltrated National Con-
federation of Peasants, issued
mobilization notices to the mem-
bership. These notices were inter-
preted by the press, which then
was independent, as the first step'
toward a civilian army.
Senor Castillo denied this em-
phatically, but visitors from
Guatemala cited credible reports
that peasants were being armed
by the Civil Guard.
Many believe that the spark to
ignite an explosion was given off
in the town of El Durazno in the
jurisdiction of Amatitlan, near
the capital. Seven persons, in-
cluding two civil guards, were
:killed in a clash there when
guards attempted to arrest anti-
Communists. Two guards were
slashed to death and five civilians
were rounded up by reinforce-
ments from the capital and
executed.
This incident is having a pro-
found effect on civilian in the
capital, according to reports.
Exile Chief Vows Return
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras,
June 15 (1P)?An exiled Guate-
malan leader said today he would
return "very shortly" to Guate-
mala. A showdown there between
the army and the leftist Govern-
ment of President Jacobo Arbenz
seemed imminent.
Carlos Castillo Armes, former
Guatemalan Army officer who
heads the resistance movement
here, issued a statement ad-
dressed to his compatriots. He
told them to "have faith and con-
fidence that I shall be with you
very shortly."
A broadcast by the Guatemalan
Governrnent radio, heard here to-
day, denied "categorically" the
report of the army ultimatum.
It said:
"Now , more than ever, the
army and people of Guatemala
offer their support" to the
President.
Germans Bar Arms Cargo
HAMBURG, Germany, June 15
UP)?German officials said today
that six tons of Swiss anti-air-
craft ammunition consigned to
Guatemala, but held up here at
the request of the United States,
Approved For Re
Wash. Past
JUN 16 195f
Czech Reds
Shipped Guns
To Guatemala
I BONN, Germany, June 15 (18.
Communist Czechoslovakia
shipped 100 pistols through the
German port of Hamburg in
March to Guatemala, American
High Commission officials said
today.
The pistol shipment was
made two months before the
United States disclosed that
the Communist Czechs had
shipped 2000 tons of assorted
infantry weapons from the
Polish port of Stettin to Puerto
Barrios, Guatemala. The United
States accuses the Guatemala
government of having Commu-
nist sympathies.
Yesterday the High Commis-
sion disclosed that American,
British and West German
agents had intercepted in Ham:
burg 8 tons of Swiss 20-
millimeter antiaircraft train-
ing ammunition destined for
Guatemala.
would be returned to the shipper.
The shipper's name was not dis-
closed.
The officials said the German
Shipping Association had agreed
not to carry such cargoes in the Ii
future.
lease 2000/05/03 : CIA-RD 13
N.Y. Tunes
JUN 1 7 1954
GUATEMALA SPURS
PRO-REGIME UNITY
AS-UNREST WIDENS
Army Ultimatum to Arbenz
Denied?Red Party Role
in Coalition Defended
By PAUL P. KENNEDY
Special to The New York Times.
GUATEMALA, June 16 ?
Events of potential political im-
portance have been piling up here
within the past twenty-four
hours,
The Army and the Government
denied that President Jacobo Ar-
benz Guzman had received an
ultimatuth from the armed serv-
ices to resign within the twenty-
four-hour period ended last night.
Hardly less important was a!
resolution published by the Com-
munist party organ Tribuna Pop-
ular in which the Guatemalan
Revolutionary party strongly de-
fended inclusion of the Commu-
nist party in the National Demo-
cratic front. This coalition of
three political, parties and two
labor confederations supports the
regime of President Arbenz. In-
terior Minister Augusto Charnaud
MacDonald is chief of the Revo-
lutionary party.
[President Arbenz called a
Cabinet meeting Wednesday to
discuss political matters of
"transeendent importance," the
Guatemalan radio said, accord-
ing to an Associate Press dis-
patch from Tegucigalpa, Hon-
duras.]
The director of public relations
far the Army Chief of Staff and
the Secretary of Press and Prop-
aganda for the National Palace
issued a joint statement yester-
day denying foreign reports that
the Army had given President
Arbenz an ultimatum Sunday
night. The report "totally lacks
truth," the statement said, add-
ng: "Today more than ever the
atriotic army of the National
Ev'O85fOt@2O6O&27
to Citizen President Jacobo Ar-
benz."
[A dispatch filed from Mex-
ico City Tuesday quoted re-
ports dere as having said that
eighty army heads had sub-
mitted to President Arbenz a
list of questions concerning,
, Guatemalan administration
policy.]
National Rally Organized
Daily this week the pattern of
seeking unification and as much
support as possible for the regime
through loyalty pledges has con-
tinued to expand. The Arbenz
supporters hope the pattern will
reach its most vigorous point
Friday, when a nation-wide rally
is scheduled here.
The planning of this rally, at
which the sponsoring committee's
spokesmen have said 80,000 par-
ticipants are expected, has taken
on the energy and force typical
of the organization of a May Day
celebration. Through strict disci-
pline and army-like timing, these
celebrations usually are medels of
mass reunion sita performance.
For nearly a week the parties
and organizations supporting the
regime have been calling their
forces into conference to consider
their pain of action in what has
been called in censor-passed press
dispatches a "national emergen-
cy" and a "thhe of crisis."
The latest of these was a four-
day committee meeting of the
Guatemalan Revolutionary party,
headed by Interior Minister
Charnaud MacDonald. The meet-
ing adopted a resolution that
emphasized that separation of
the Communists from the Gov-
ernment would result in the de-
struction of forces supporting
the Arbenz regime. ,
= The objective of the "forces of
reaction" is to destroy the unity'
of these supporting factors, the
resolution declared. It continued:
"The reactionary forces know
that, while the people of the dem-
ocratic organiz,ation maintain
their unity around their revolu-
tionary government, it would be
practically impossible to conquer
their political power.
"To reach their objective, the
reactionaries insist that the cause
of all difficulties can be traced
to the Guatemalan Workers party
[Communist] and the support
this party gives the Govern-
ment."
These
opposition forces, the
&keit
.g41 12
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resolution said, "feel that the re-
moval of all those [Communist]
officials from Ale Government
would make peace and transquil-
ity prevail in Guatemala. This is
completely false."
Sefior Charnaud MacDonald's
party ia one of three supporting
the Arbenz regime, the others
being the Communists and the
Revolutionary Action party. The
Central Committee of the latter
party met late yesterday to con-
sider the external and internal
political situation of the country
at this moment."
Officials' Kin in Mexico
By SYDNEY GRUSON
Special to The New York Times.
MEXICO CITY, June 16?The
16-year-old daughter of the
President of Guatemala and the
wife of a former Guatemalan for-
eign minister? have arrived in
Mexico.
Their arrival here coincided
with unconfirmed reports that
President Arbenz was on the
verge of resigning or of being
forced out of office by a group
of army officers concerned over
the rise of Communist influence
in Guatemala.
The President's daughter, Ara-
bella, was said to be en route to
a school in Montreal and Sefiora
Bertha Osegueda to be visiting
her daughter, who lives in Mexi-
co City. However? Guatemalan
exiles here read into the arrivals
fresh indications that President
Arbenz and his close collabora-
tors of the last few years might
be preparing to leave Guatemala.
Roberto Alvarado Fuentes,
Guatemalan Ambassador to Mex-
ico, arrived here yesterday. He
said. "there is no truth whatso-
ever" to reports that the Army
had demanded President Arbenz's
resignation.
"I have received information
from the high command of the
Guatemalan armed forces," Se-
fior Fuentes said, "asking me to
deny categorically all informa-
tion that involves the Army in
political problems. I have also
been asked to state that the
armed forces are giving their
complete support to the Govern-
ment presided over by Colonel
Arbenz in these trying times."
The ambassador's description
of Guatemala. is "tranquil and
calm" was contradicted by
United States travelers who
reached here yesterday from
Guatemala. They said a tense sit-
uation that might "blow up" any
minute existed there.
Because of this, Pan American
World Airways' regular south-
ward flight to Panama was in-
structed today to omit its 'regu-
lar stop at -Guatemala and pro-
ceed directly from Mexico City;
to San Salvador. The flight plan
was drawn p to avoid flying
over Guatemalan territory.
Pan American offices here did t
not know how long the order to
bypass Guatemala would remain
in effect. Taca International Air-
ways, which flies there four
times a week from Mexico City,
said its flight tomorrow morning
would be made as scheduled.
Information was extremely
limited, but according to reports
by travelers from Guatemala who
reached here today, these pare-
roopers were seen by an agent
at a small international railway
station In the San Jose section
of the coast. The agent notified
his chief dispatcher, who notified
the police in the city of Guate-
mala. There also were persistent
Mexican Reds Demonstrate
Meanwhile, Communist leaders
in Mexico prepared a series of
demonstrations in support of
Guatemala and in an effort to
dissuade the Mexican Govern-
ment from joining the United
States in the expected meeting
of the Organization of American
States to discuss the Guatemalan
situation.
The Mexican Government ab-
stained from voting on an anti-
communist resolution involving
Guatemala at the recent inter-
American conference in Caracas.
But it ';as since changed its atti-
tude toward the Guatemalan sit-
uation and .has implied it would
support an anti-Guatemalan res-
olution at the projected meeting.
The first of the Communist-
organized demonstrations was
held today. Between 200 and 300
high school and university stu-
dents paraded with placards pro-
claiming support of Guatemala
and denouncing the United States.
The authorities took no chances.
They posted riot policemen armed
?with tear-gas guns through the
downtown area and around a
square where the students met
briefly. The meeting passed off
peacefully.
The afternoon newspaper Ulti-
mas Noticias editorially called
Gen. Lazaro Cardenas an "indis-
creet demagogue" for having sent
telegrams of support to? the
Guatemalan Government. General
Cardenas is ? former President]
of Mexico who expropriated for-
eign oil properties here is 1938
and has remained a powerful
political figure.
In effect, the -newspaper told
General Cardenas to mind his
own business and advised him
that, if he had counsel to give on
international affairs to give it to
the President or the Foreign Min-
ister of Mexico. This is the first
1 time in most observers' memory
? that General Cardenas has been
attacked this way publicly.
Parachute Landings Reported
Special to The New York Times.
MIAMI, Fla., June 15?The
landing of six paratroopers In the
Pacific Coast section of Guate-
mala was reported to the police
there last night.
reports of several arms drops in
the Tiquisate area of the Pacific
Coast.
[Guillermo Palmieri, Guate-
malan chief of tourism, said in
Panama that he had learned
by telephone that ammunition,
not paratroopers, had been
dropped and that farmers had
turned it over to the Govern-
ment. Sefior Palmieri has not
been dismissed from office, as
reported earlier.] ?
The reported parachute drop
was of a series of events that
have been keeping Guatemala on
edge for the last few days, ac-
cording to reports from that
country. The most .recent to
arouse interest in political circles
was the revelation' that 'Jose .An-
tonio Palmieri, an outstanding
'anti-Communist editor, had taken
poiitical asuylum in the Salva-
doran embassy.
Editor of the evening news-
paper El Imparcial, Senor Pal-
mieri is known throughout Cen-
tral America as "Jap" and as a
forceful writer on communism. It
was considered unusual when his
daily column did not appear yes-
terday.
He is a brother of Guillermo
Palmieri, head of the National
Tourist Bureau, who yesterday
was read out of the Guatemalan
Revolutionary party, of whicb he
was secretary for press and prop-
aganda. The two brothers have
been at political odds since the
start of the present regime.
Guillermo Palmieri went to
Panama Saturday to attend the
Central American Tourist Con-
gress.
He and Alejandro Silva Falla,
another secretary, were stripped
of their party jobs for "having
abandoned their country in a
national emergency." Sedior
Silva Falla, who was secretary
; of agriculture in the party, was
known to have been openly criti-
cal of Communist activities within
the national agrarian reform
movement.
KA. Tim!
JUN 1 7 1954
EISENHOWER SEES
GUATEMALA PERIL
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President Deplores Pressure
on Reds' Foes?Bid for New
Arms Stores Reported
By WALTER H. WAGGONER
Special to The New York Times.
WASHINGTON, June 16 ?
While President Eisenhower de-
scribed recent developments in
Guatemala as very disturbing,
the State Department paid today
that the Communist-dominated
government there had been try-
ng to buy large quantities of
;military vehicles, aircraft and
ammunition.
The State Department's dis-
closure followed by only a few
hours the President's news con-
ference remarks deploring the
suspension of constitutional
rights and the arrest of anti-
Communists in Guatemala.
The State Department said it
was "significant" that Guatemala
has been especially interested in
buyin gmachine guns, automatic
rifles and small arms. The De-
partment announced last month
that Guatemala had received
1,900 tons of arms from behind
the Iron Curtain. Although the
composition of the shipment has
never been officially described,
it is understood the bulk of that
cargo was small arms and am-
munition.
The State Department added
in today's statement that this
dovernment was "making every
effort to prevent further ship-
ment of arms to that country
[Guatemala] and has consulted
with a number of the free world
[governments] to request their,
cooperation toward this end."
President Deplores Actions
President Eisenhower directed
his comment primarily to actions
being taken against the Guate-
malan people, such as the arrest
of some anti-Communists. Those
actions, he said, form the pat-
tern upon ' which the United
States has looked with great dis-
pleasure in more than one
country.
Yesterday Secretary of State
John Foster Dulles charged that
Guatemala was held in a "Com-
munist-type" reign of terror.
The President said the develop-
ments in Guatemala were the
sort of thing tht the recent Cara-
cas anti-Communist resolution
A
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was designed to handle.
That resolution, adopted at the
Inter-American conference at
Caracas in March, makes it pos-
sible for 'the American republics
to invoke the 1947 Rio de Ja-
neiro Treaty of Reciprocal As-
sistance or other hemispheric
pacts against Communist aggres-
sion or domination of the mem-
ber governments.
The President said the 'United
States was consulting with the
other Latin American countries
and that the Guatemalan 'situa-
tion was under the most urgent
and serious study.
The United States, meanwhile,
is expected in the near future to
call for a meeting of the Inter-
American foreign ministers to try
? to develop a hemisphere-wide
progress of checking the spread
of communism from its foothold
?in Guatemala.
Some observers had expected
the United States to take the
matter before the Council of the
, Organization of American States,
1which met this morning. The
move was not made there, but
officials said the Council could be
convened on a few hours, notice.
It is assumed that Mr. Dulles
would represent the United States
at the proposed foreign ministers'
conference, but if he could not
attend, it would not be improper
to send an alternate, authorities
said.
Latin Congressmen to Meet
Special to The New York Times.
SANTIAGO, Chile, June 16?
Preparations are well advanced
for a meeting here of Latin
American members of Congress
and other outstanding elements
to discuss the Guatemala prob-
lem, it was reported today.
The four-day gathering is
scheduled to open July 1 and it
is expected to cause repercus-
sions throughout the continent
before the meeting of foreign
ministers to discuss Communist
penetration in American repub-
lics, principally Guatemala.
A committee of Chilean leftist
I
members o Congress?four sen-
ators and t ine deputies?has ex-
tended an , invitation to all con-
gressional jbodies throughout the
continent. 1
,!5V61P 4 et r
4 1444,44 1,)1/
Anti-Reds Disappear
In Guatemala `War'
By Edwin A. Lahey
C.D.N. Foreign Service
GUATEMALA CITY, June 16.
A small minority of "agrarian
reformers" in one week has
turned the essentially non-Com-
munist Republic of Guatemala
into a pretty good reproduction
of a Soviet police state.
Since the Communist-influ-
enced government of President
Jacob Arbenz Guzman sus-
pended constitutional liber-
ties last week, potential lead-
ers of the anti-Communist
uprising have been arrested by
the hundreds. Some have dis-
appeared.
One shopkeeper, a member
of a wealthy family, was ar-
rested Saturday for having a
store of clandestine arms in
his possession. His body was
returned to his family Sun-
day, with an explanation from
the police that he had com-
mitted suicide.
Another anti-Communist,
married to a relative of Col.
Castillo Armas, who leads the
anti-Arbenz forces from his ref-.
uge in Honduras, was found
dead on the street near the
home of United States Am-
bassador John Peurifoy, an ap-
parent victim of a hit and run
driver.
Jose A. Miranda, editor of a
small anti-Communist weekly,
who was arrested Saturday
after police had confiscated the
Friday issue of his newspaper,
the Mundo Libre, has disap-
peared. Police told his wife
they knew nothing of Miranda's
whereabouts.
The Editor of El Especadore,
J. A. Palmyri, critic of the
Arbenz regime, has taken ref-
uge in the embassy of El Sal-
vador, awaiting safe passage
out of Guatemala. Another;
anti-Communist editor, Rafael;
Escobar Aiguello of Correo de!
Occidente, also has taken ref-
uge there.
? Offers to Play Host
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay.
June 16 I1P1.?The Uruguayan
government today formally of-
fered to play host to any inter-
American foreign ministers'
meeting held to discuss Commu-
nist penetratio nM Guatemala.
A Foreign Office communique
welcomed proposals to hold the
conference in Montevideo. It
added that there has not yet
been a formal request to con-
vene such a meeting from any
hemisphere nation as required
under the 1947 Rio de Janeiro
treaty.
"Wash. Past
JUN _1 8 1954
Exiles Say 1500
Are Held Hostage
MEXICO CITY, June 17 ,
? Guatemalan politic al '
exiles claimed today that
more than 1500 hostages are
being held in the presidential
palace in Guatemala City and
will be put to death the mo-
ment a revolution breaks out
against the present Commu-
nist-tinted government.
The hostages reportedly in-
clude many women and chil-
dren, relatives of government
opponents.
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eia. pines
(IN 1 8 1954
ANTI-ARBENZ MEN
MOVE IN HONDURAS
Open Activities of Uniformed
Throngs Bring Plea for Curb
.From Guatemala's Envoy
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras,
June 17 UPI ? Recruits for an
apparent resistance move against
Guatemala's leftist government
Tegucigalpa's streets in uniform
today, despite a plea from the
Guatemalan envoy to curb them.
Foreign correspondents in the
Honduran capital were impressed
by the numbers of khaki-clad
men in the city and gathered at
the airport. Wearing no insignia,
the men boarded planes without
any apparent effort to hide their
movements. Reports from San
Pedro Sula, a banana center 110
miles northwest of Tegucigalpa
and only twenty-five miles from
the Guatemalan border, said the
reistance forces also were mov-
ing about openly there.
Guatemalan Ambassador Ama-
dep Chincilla urged Honduras last
night to halt the movement of
men and arms to points near the
common border. But usually re-
liable sources said Guatemalan
exiles loyal to Carlos Castillo
Armas, who heads the resistance
movement here, still were being'
airlifted toward their native
country.
Senor Chinchilla made his plea
to Honduran Foreign Minister J.
Edgardo Valenzuela. Later he
told news men:
"We have reports that well-
equipped soldiers carrying guns
are being flown and driven by
car to points near our border.
They are being flown in chartered
planes."
Reports of Friction Heard
The Ambassador said Senor
Valenzueia had assured him Hon-
duras "will prevent any incidents
at the border and has given or-
ders for the seizure of any arms
there."
Senor Chinchilla said Col. Car-
los Diaz, chief of the Guatemal-
an armed forces, had told him by
telephone that two planes dropped
"modern arms" by parachute
Monday near Tiquisate, Guate-
mala, near the Pacific Coast. He
said the arms had been picked
up by farmers and turned over
to the police.
The Ambassador said many
Costa Ricans and Nicaraguans
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were believed to be "around Cas-
tillo Armas."
Senor Castillo Armas said his
resistance movement was manned
by Guatemalans, that some Costa
Ricans at his headquarters were
not taking an active part in it,
and thta there are no Nicaragu-
ans with him.
Additional reports of friction
between President Jacobo Arbenz
Guzman and the army and of
bloody clashes between the police
and anti-Communists filtered
through Guatemala's censership.
Most significant of these was a
report President Arbenz had met
frequently with leading Army
officesrs in the last two weeks
after rumors spread the Govern-,
ment would arm farm workers.
Informed sources close to the
President said he had been able
to placate the officers.
Earlier advices had said eighty
officers gave the President a
questionnaire last week-end call-
ing on him to clarify this week
his relationship with the Com-
munists.
Informed sources said eleven
persons were killed last week in
continued police round-ups of
anti-Communists, at least 450 of
whom are being held in the capi-
tal's jails.
Flight from Guatemala
Special to The New York Times.
NEW ORLEANS, June 17?All
Indications are that the mother
and two children of President
Jacobo Arbenz Guzman left
Guatemala by military transport
plane late Tuesday night, accord-
ing to visitors reaching here to-
day from Guatemala. .
A series of bewilderingly rapid
events that has served to keep
Guatemala off balance this past
week seems to be leading almost
certainly to a conclusion that will
decide whether the present Com-
munist infiltrated Guatemalan
regime can survive.
An opposition force within and
Without the country has been
gaining momentum rapidly these
past few days. According to ob-
servers from Guatemala, the time
must come soon when the two
forces must come to grips with
the Government or dissolve.
Arrests, Beatings, Torture
Thus far, even without direct
clashes, there have been mass ar-
rests, brutal beatings and three
known instances in which victims
have been killed by authorities
during or after torture. '
These events have occurred
within the past twenty-four
hours:
flTravelers from the southwest
coastal area are being searched
dozens of times while en route
to Guatemala City. The searches
are being conducted by armed
peasant groups.
(iThere were drops of arms by
parachute over this area, partic-
ularly around the port of San
Jose 'during the past three nights.
tIThe Cabinet met with Presi-
ent Arbenz late yesterday after-
noon in an extraordinary session
which was called shortly before
noon.
(I The number of political ar-
rests have been increased dras-
tically. The nearest count as of
Wednesday morning was that
apwards of 800 had been arrested
m suspicion of political opposi-
tion activity. Eighteen who sought
mlitical asylum in the Salvador
Embassy left the country by
)lane this morning, according to
;ravelers.
The flight of the military trans-
mrt plane caused a sensation in
Guatemala, according to visitors
from there.
At about six o'clock soldiers
with bayoneted guns surrounded
the airport and prohibited en-
trance not only of the public but
of airport personnel. Both Pan-
american and T. A. C. A. Airline
personnel were forbidden to en-
ter, the visitors reported.
According to the witnesses,
Col: J. Arturo Mendizabal, com-
manding officer of the airport,
called his superior, Col. Luis A.
Giron, chief of the Air Force, to
ask for an explanation. He was
reportedly told there would be no
explanation.
Shortly before ten o'clock the
Presidential automobile, a black
Cadillac bearing the license plate
No. 1, came to the airport en-
trance. It was surrounded by
soldiers for some moments and
then witnesses could see a large
number of packages being re-
moved.
It seemed likely that one or
more persons had entered the
airport terminal while the auto-
mobile was surrounded, accord-
ing to witnesses. At about 10:45
P. M., the transport plane, a
DC-3, took off. About five min-
utes later two fighter planes
took off, presumably as an escort
and disappeared in a westerly di-
rection.
President Arbenz' mother,
Senora Octavia Guzman Serra
had been living at the Presiden-
tial residence some tirne. The
President and his wife have three
children, Anabella, 14; Leonora,
12, and Jacobo, 8. The eldest
has been visiting in Canada since
last week.
According to the visitors, Gua-
temala abounds in rumors that
the days of the Arbenz regime
are numbered. The report of the
Tuesday night plane flight am-
plified these rumors to encom-
pass the possibility the President
and his wife had fled the coun-
try. This, was discounted later
in the day but as of last night
Senora Arbenz had not been seen.
N.Y. Times
JUN 1. 9 1954
[OIL STORES BOMBED
Minister Says Foreign
Forces Join Exiles
in an Invasion
By PAUL P. KENNEDY
Special to The New York Times,
GUATEMALA, June 18?The
battle for Guatemala is on,
Foreign Minister Guillermo
Toriello announced today.
Speaking from his office in the
National Palace, he said that un-
identified planes from an un-
known take-off point bombed the
country's gasoline stores last,
night. He did not identify the
location of these stores, but it
was believed one target was San
Jos?major port on the south-
western Pacific coast.
Shortly before 10 A. M. today,
word reached this correspondent
that shooting had broken out in
Puerto Barrioes, an East Coast
port. No details were available.
A half-hour later, word came
that the uprising had begun in
the town of Retalhuleu, about
thiryt miles south of the Mexican
border.
[In a broadcast heard in ?
Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Sefior
Toriello confirmed that an in-
vasion had started in Puerto
Barrios and San Jose.]
Minister Shows Strain
Sehor Toriello began his press
conference with this announce-
ment:
"As most of you know, Guate-
mala is faced with a grave situ-
ation. At this moment, our coun-
try is under attack."
He did not say that land forces
had invaded Guatemala, but he
constantly used the word "inva-
sion." He said planes had in-
vaded Guatemalan territory.
During his explanation, Sehor
Torrello continually referred to
"Guatemalan exiles." When
asked whether the invasion forces
were composed only of Guate-
malans, he replied: "There were
others, including Cubans, Nica-
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raguans, Dominicans and merce-
naries."
Asked whether the attackers
were led by Col. Carlos Castillo
Armas, exiled Guatemalan Army
officer, the Minister replied:
"Exactly."
Sehor Toriello emphasized
Guatemala's friendship with Hon-
duras and exonerated that coun-
try from participation in the at-
tack. He spoke bitterly of Nica-
ragua, especially President Aria-
,stasio ,Somoza.
He charged that Nicaragua had
"helped this attack" and that the
?
invasion hadt,inid 'the direct as-
sistance, of GeheralBomoza.
Foreign elements) especially
the United Fruit company, are
helping the invasion and trying to
establish tyranny over Gatemala,
the Minister asserted.
Arms Dropped by Air
? The peeple learned for the
first time late yesterday that
foreign unidentified planes not
only had flown repeatedly over.
the country without permission,,
but had dropped a significant
amount of arms and ammunition.
Also made known in the last
twenty-four hours: were the fol-
lowing:
qVVholesalers and retailers
have been notified that further
upward price adjustments of
basic commodities will be punish-
able.
ci1Officials are considering the
creation of a spe6ial police agen-
cy to combat smuggling which
has been increasing in the na-
tional emergency.
411The Information Ministry re-
vealed that the appearance of
unidentified aircraft had been re-
sponsible for the country's first
blackout Tuesday night.
The blackout caught the popu-
lace completely by aurprise. It
was evident that many had
thought it to be simply a power
failure. The drone of the planes
was the conclusive clue, how-
ever.
According to an 'official com-
ment, a plane flew over the south-
ern coast Monday night and
parachuted arms and ammuni-
tion in the area around Tiquisate,
where large United Fruit Com-
pany holdings are situatedePacke
ages containing the arms were
quickly discovered and turned
over to the civil guard, the Gov-
ernment said. "Great numbers of
farm workers, residents in the
area, were said to have cooper-
ated "with great efficiency and
patriotism in the work of locat-
ing and turninrover these para-
chute drops."
Unofficial ' reports Tuesday
morning said that an agent of
("ON la
Ms"
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Noe
Exile. Its policies have been
called the liberation of his coun-
try from foreign domination and
exotic doctrines.
Reds Hold Vital Posts
Neither Guatemala's president
nor its Government is CP111111U-
iiist. But the Guatemalan Work-
ers' party, which is Communist,
is pa'rt of the Government ctali-
tion, and the president has al-
lowed avowed Communists to
hold important sub-Cabinet posts.
In. ad4ition Guatemala recently
purchased $10,000,000 worth of
arms from behind the Iron Cur-
tain. This purchase was protested
by the United States, and Colonel
Castillo Armas charged that the
arms were not going to the Army
but to a "fifth column that is
soon to extend its radius of action
against the democracies of this
Continent."
Colonel Castillo., Armas has
been in opposition to the present
reghne in Guatemala since the
March, 1949, assassination of
Col. Francisco Javier Arafia,
then the chief of thern country's
armed forces.
Colonel Arafia was one of the
leaders with President Arbenz of
the revolution of October, 1944,
that overthrew the then acting
President, Frederico Ponce.
Two days of riots in Guate-
mala City followed the assassi-
nation of Colonel . Arana, and
after they were quelled Col
Castillo Armas was removed
from his post of chief Of the
Fourth Military District.
In November 1950, during the
elections that made,Sefior Arbenz
president, Colonel Castillo Armas
was the leader of an abortive up-
rising. With a force of seventy
civilians he attacked the base of
the First Infantry Regiment on
the outskirts of the capital, and
in the clash sixteen were killed
and ten wounded.
Colonel Castillo Armas was ar-
rested and confined in the central
penitentiary. In June 1951, how-
ever, he succeeded in tunnelling
his way 'to freedom "sand took
refuge in the Colombian legation.
He received a safe conduct from
the Foreign Ministry and left the
country.
Colonel Castillo Armas will be
40 years old in November. He was
born in Guatemala, was gradu-
ated from the Polytechnical
School and was commissioned in
1936. From July, 1945, to Febru-
ary, 1946, he attended a ground
and service course at Fort Leav-
enworth, Kan.
the International Railway Com-
pany in the Tiquisate area had
spotted at least six parachutes
at the same time as the arms
were dropped.
Markings Are Described
The parachuted packages were
said to have contained machine
gunS, automatic pistols, rifles,
hand grenades and a large
amount of cartridges of various
caliber.
The machine guns had no par-
ticular markings to identify their
manufacture. The cartridge belts
appeared to be of a type used
by the United States.
The Army announcement said
markings on the rifles "lead us
to believe they were manufac-
tured in the Soviet, Union since
they bear a little circle in which
is enclosed a hammer and sickle,"
the Government statement added.
It added that apparently the
arms had been directed to "groups
of conspirators whb, because ,of
suspension of constitutional guar-
antees, have been brought under
national control."
The Government's statement
ended by demanding that sanc-
tions be brought against the
country responsible for the arms
drop.
Meanwhile, the Confederation
of Labor appealed today to "all
organized labor,Avederations and
democratic'forme" to attend a
mass meeting arranged by the
Democratic University. Front to
show support for the regime of
President Jacob? Arbenz Guzman.
The appeal urged that it was
necessary that "we give, clear
and categoric answer to interial-
ist Yankees and their lackeys, the
feudal landowners and the great
merchants, that the people of
Guatemala do not intend to al-
low delivery of our country to
foreign powers or to take one
step backward in the support of
the Arbenz democratic regime."
Approved
N.Y. Time
JUN 1 9 1954
UPRAIN PLOTTED
EARLY THIS YEAR
Anti-RegimeForcesH aveBeen
Massing in-Honduras?U. S.
Accused by Guatemala
Col, Carlos Castillo Armes, a
leader of the resistance move-
ment in the Guatemalan armed
forces, has been massing forces
in Horiclura,s since early this year
in preparation for an invasion.
Just two, days ago, when re-
ports filtered out of Guatemala
that the army hadT called on
President Jacob? Athena Guz-
man to make 'a firm decision on
his attitUde toward communism,
Col. Castillo Armes told his fcil-
lowers to "have faith and con-
fidence and I will be with you
shortly."
In an effort to forestall the
threatened invasion, Guatemala
proposed to Honduras late last
month that' the two nations Sign
a pad of friendship and non-
aggression.
The bid followed the flight of
a C-47 plane over the city of
Guatemala dropping leaflets call-
ing on the people to join with
Col. Castillo Armas in the strug-
gle against communism in Guat-
emala.
Guatemalan Scores Flight
Guillermo Toriello, called the
flight a "provocation of the ut-
most gravity" and declared: "If
they could drop paper leaflets
one day, they, could drop other
things, too."
Earlier Guatemala had charged
that the United States, which
had protested the country's ap-
parently increasing orientation
toward communism, was plotting
an invasion through Nicaragua.
And it charged the United Fruit
Company, which has large ba-
nana holdings in Guatemala,
with supplying arms to the plot-
ters.
That company had 233,973
acres of its land expropriated by
the Guatemalan Government un-
der a land reform program, and
is facing the expropriation of
174,000 acres more. The United
States has protested the com-
pensation offered to the com-
pany.
Col. Castillo Armas calls his
resistance organization, which
has its headquarters in Teguci-
galpa, Honduras, the Anti-Com-
munist Front of Guatemalans in
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N.Y. TWA
JUN 1 9 1954
EXILE REBEL HEAD
IN RADIO 'WARNING'
Castillo Armas Broadcasts to
Backers and to Guatemala
From Honduran Center
By MILTON BRACKER
Special to 'The New York Time,.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras,
June 18?Headquarters of Lieut.
Col. 'Carlos Castillo Armas, leader
of the Guatemalan forces in ex-
ile, said tonight it would have an
important announcement within
a few hours. In the absence of
Colonel Castillo Armas, believed
to have flown to join his sup-
porters at an assembly point near
the border, this was taken as
confirmation that the invasion of
Guatemala iiad begun.
Earlier, Colonel Castillo Armas
in a broadcast monitored here,
appealed to friends in Guatemala
to withdraw money from banks
and to leave the lights in their
houses on to guide rebel bombers
through the blackout of the cap-
ital city.
Colonel Castillo Armas said
that otherwise invading airmen
could not be responsible for what
they might hit in the center of
the city.
From Guatemala, Foreign Min-
ister Guillermo Toriello in a
broadcast for the Arbenz Gov-
ernment, made a direct personal
appeal to President Juan Manuel
Galvez of Honduras to disown
the Guatemalan exiles. Sailor
Toriello said that Guatemala
had always respected the inviola-
bility of the territory of her
neighbors.
In another government broad-
cast from Guatemala, it was said
that nee had starter, presumably
in Guatemala City, but the gas-
oline dumps were nowhere near
the flames and that there was no
danger of explosion.
The Guatemalan Government
alio said that two planes had
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S
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flown over the national capital,
but had been routed by anti-air-
craft fire. The National Palace
is a beautiful building, of pale
green stone and is noted as a
landmark throughout Latin
America. It contains the offices
of the President and Cabinet
members.
The Guatemalan Ambassador
to Honduras, Arnadeo
received urgent instructions from
Senor Toriello to protest to the
Honduran Foreign Ministry and,
if possible, to see President Juan
Manuel Galvez. Foreign Minister
J. Edgard? Valenzuela of Hbn-
duras left his office this evening
before the Guatemalan envby
could arrange an appointment.
Earlier, it was clear that the
build-up, of a potential striking
force of Guatemalan exiles was
continuing under the noses and
in plain view of Honduran offi-
cials. The charter aircraft busi-
ness at Toncontin airport boomed
So that it was virtually impos-
sible to hire a private plane:
It Was confirmed that the
forces of Colonel Castilla ,Arrnas
had concentrated in the area be-
tween Nueva Ocotepeque and Co-
pan, near the Guatemalan-Hon-
duran border. From either point
It is only a few Miles to the
border. Men from here were be-
ing joined along the frontier by
other exiles from El ,Salvador.
The, three countries 'come to-
gether just Weft of Nueva Onto-
peque. ?
Armarnent assembly .1:4y the
rebels--some of which has been
flown_ in to ,Toncontin 'iAirpert
here in unmarked transports--
includes mortars. Bi-en guns and
at least one flamethrower. The
man who said he saw the flame-
thrower in a crate at the air-
port, an oldtime resident hem
thought he saw the marking,
?"Veracrus." There is a tiny
community by that name a few
miles northeast of Nueva Oc-,
topeque. "
Estimates of the number of
Guatemalans gathered between
Nueva Ocotepeque and the Gua-
temala border ranged from 300
to 5,000. Since the men were
known to be converging from two
countries?and possibly three to
the extent that some Guatema-
lans may be coming out acrose
theb order -to join their compatri-
ots on the Honduran side?there
wag no way to fix the figure.
At least aik chartered flights
of DC-3 planes have left Tongon-
tin with twenty-eight passengers
each. A. four-place Stinson has
been making at least one flight
The men who pianage and fly
these planes naturally do not aware of such a. threat.
N.Y. Times
JUN 1 9 1954
U. S. CONTACTS CUT
planes had bOmhed Guatemalan
icted to meet in Montevideo
oil storage facilities, one infer- )(int July 1, to consider actioh
mant said that appeared to be a halt the spread of communistrii
"logical strike" if an invasion om Guatemala. 1
T
were actually in preparation. he resolution was understood
contain the following points:
It is understood that Guite- vile American states reserve
male's easoline and oil reserves sir right to exercise the power
are severely limited, and may
amount to only a two or. three-
week supply.
But Reports Assert the Another observer said it was
reasonable, too, that an invasion
Revolt Is Serious?
Capital Watchful
might be timed with the anti-
Government uprisings. There
were no indications, however, that
Guatemala City had yet felt the
? unrest of the widely separated
By WALTER H. WAGGONER
Special to The New York Times.
WASHINGTON', June 18?The
State Department said this eve-
ning it had information of "seri-
ous uprisings" in Guatemala but
had received no 'word about a
bombing announced by the Guate-
malan Foreign Minister.
Through sources that it declined
to disclose, the Department said
it had learned that anti-Commu-
nist uprisings were under way in
Puerto Barnes, Qustzaltenango
and Zacapa.
"Because of these uprisings,"
a Department spokesman said,
"our communications are not
functioning as they should."
Despite the difficulty of com-
municating with the United
States Embassy in Guatemala,
Ambassador John E. Peurifoy
has standing instructions, which
aply to all chiefs of diplomatic
missions, on the protection of
American life and property.
Department officials declined
to comment on the Guatemalan
Foreign Minister's announce-
ment that his country was being
bombed and that the troops were
mobilized in Honduras for the
invasion of Guatemala.
'Logical Strike' Seen
To Fereign Minister Guillerno
Toriello's statement that foreign
Puerto Barrios Zacapa and Que-
zaltenango.
The first two are close to
Guatemala's border with Hon-
duras, while the third is closer to
Mexico in the mountainous re-
gion overlooking the Pacific.
Puerto Barrios was the des-
tination last month of a shipload
of arms, estimated at 1,900 tons,
that originated in Stettin, a port
in Conimunist Poland.
The big question-mark here to-
night was the possible effect of
the developments in Guatemala
on the proposed Inter-American
of search and sei re On the
high seas. This right would bel
zu
exercised only as a I last resort
after other measures to prevent
arms shipments to Guatemela
had failed.
igThey call upon all American
republics to regulfite travel ' of
known Communist agents.
commision to put these recom-
mendations into efect.
ilThey call upon the Gate-
malan Government and people to
rid their country of Communist
subversives. , -
State Department officials de-
clined to confirm or deny that
the draft existed, but pointed
out that the Department was
consulting with Latin American
Governments on steps to be
taken at a meeting of the Organ-
ization of American States.
tinder international law a
country may exercise the power
of search and seizure on the
,high seas by consent or if it is
maintaining an effective block-
ade. The declaration contained
in the proposed United States,
Foreign Ministers' meeting tenta- resolution would therefore coneti,-I
tively scheduled for Montevideo, tute a warning that the blockade
Uruguay, early next month. might ..Undertaken,
There appeared to be no doubt , Peruvian Sees Eisenhower
but that the uprisings, the bomb- The Peruvian Foreign Minister,
ings, and the poised invasion Ricardo Rivera Schreiber, con-
force in Honduras?if the report ferred with President Eisenhower
this morning and later lunched
with Secretary of State John
Foster Dulles.
The minister said later that he
discussed with President Eisen-
hower the problems of preserving
democracy and combatting com-
munism in the American hemi-
sphere. With Mr. Dulles he said
he discussed the possibility that
the United States may increase
the tariff on lead and zinc or
isnit its imp "tation by quota.
om Guatemala is true?could
?riously disrupt plans. for a
eeting based instead on the po-
"ntial threat of Guatemala to
'r neighbors.
Officials declined-to speculate
what the purpose of the
iatemalan Foreign Minister's
mouncement would be, if it is
,t true, but they emphasized
at, until its own official m-
irth began coming through, the
.ate Department would adopt
"wait and see" attitude.
Right of Search Urged
The State Department is seek-
g the backing of Latin Ameri-
a governments for a declara-
of Pan American ?Airways, whith m of the right of the American
has a fleet of ,ei,ght planes, con- ates to search ships on the high
firms merely that it hai always as for arms destined for Gua.t-
catered to charter flights at the rue&
rate of $200 an hour. Latin American diplomats ,said
The ground Around Nueva Oco- day that the declaration was
tepeque is fairly high,- but the IA of a draft resolution, pre-
valley of the Lempa,River, which 'red for the meeting of the Or-
flows from Guatemala into Hon- mization of American States,
duras and then into El Salvador, hich the State Department has
would provide a logical invasion
route_ At the same time, defend-
ing iorces Would certainly be
rculated among Latin Ameri-
In governments. The Organf-
Ltion of American States is ex-
Sahsa, ate
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ILYA. T. JUN 1 9 1954
Took Credit for Reform
Communists Moved Slowly
And Carefuly in Guatemala
Communist dominance in Gua- had already been done, and
temalan politics Was not an Arevalo compounded his initial
event that occurred overnight, error by allowing the Commu-
although it seemed so to many
Americans, and neither has it
reached its ultimate goal: Com-
plete, undisguised rule of Gua-
temala, Latin America's most
populated country.
Preparation and infiltration continued to build.
began after the "October Rev...^- They were ready when Jacobo
lution" of 1944 when the "genial Arbenz, who had risen from cap-
dictator," Gen. Jorge Ubico Cas- tai, to colonel since Ubico's re-
teneda, was ungently hoisted movalo won the 1950 election and
from office after thirteen years sacceeded to the presidenay on
of rule. , March 15, 1951.
When the Guatemalan army i 'There were, and are, relatively
and? students of the National f)w Communists, but, what they
University of San Carlos banded Leked in numbers, they Made
together to send Gen. Casteneda-tp in determination, energy and
into exile at New Orleans, a willingness to play along with
revolutionary 'junta?including any plan so long as it furthered
the then-Capt. Jacobo Arbenz? t ieir ultimate aim.
assumed control. Land Reform
President Arbenz knew he
faced strong opposition in his
determination to push through
a country-wide program of land
reform, including those prop-
erties owned by the United Fruit
Co., and he gladly accepted the
aid of the energetic Communists.
The Communists immediately The Communist Party adopted
set up a Marxist indoctrination the land reform program as its
school, the Escuela Claridad, to own, changed its name to the
lure and train Guatemalan youth Guatemalan Labor Party, moved
who knew there had been social more and more into the open,
!injustice but did not know what and convinced near-starving
to do about it. The school told peasants that communism, and
them. communism alone, provided the
In 1946, President Arevalo, his Agrarian Reform Law of June
political innocence seemingly 17. 1952.
wearing off, closed the school President Arbenz; also im-
on the grounds that the consti- pressed, has taken more and
tution forbade 'political organi- more outright Communists or
zations of a foreign or interna- fellow travelers into his coalition
tional character" and, in 1947 government, and anti-Commu-
he exiled several Communist nist demonstrations generally
leaders. The damage, however, have been dealt with severely.
nists to return.
Take Credit
When the Congress passed the
country's first social security
law in 1946, the Communists
quietly claimed the credit and
Professor Elected ?
Juan Jose Areval, a university
professor who held rather-vague
theories of socialism, was elected
president and, with the junta's
consent, declared that all politi-
cal partis were welcome.
ILL JournaAnuttietra
Iffi I 9 lgt
Guatemala's Arms
Made by Czechs'
'By JOHN H. MARTIN
THAT famous ten-million-dollar cargo
1. of arms shipped into Guatemala,
where a Communist-backed government
reigns 700 miles from the Panama Canal,
has been identified as coming from
Czechoslovakia.
A reliable report to the Free Europe
Committee says that since Jan. 1 in
Czechoslovakia the Brno Armament fac-
tory bas been producing pistols of a
known French military pattern.
One interesting part of this informa-
tion is that the' copied French pistols do
not bear the usual trade mark of "Made'
In Czechoslovakia."
The wooden crates in which the arms
leave the factory at 'a rate of 10,000
weekly also are not marked except for
serial numbers.
These pistols have been shipped to
Poland. The Free EuroPe Committee does
not speculate about the eventual destina-
tion of these arms, which are only one
type of many turned out by experts in
Czechoslovakia.
But the implication seems clear that
some of these arms are going to Guate-
mala, where early last night the anti-
Reds invaded the country.
The United States, not Guatemala,
first disclosed the landing of the arms
In Guatemala. Washington officially said
;they left the Polish port of Stettin and
originated in Czechoslovakia,
Another Red Fraud
A report of another bit of Communist
.fraud that has reached the Free Europe
Committee is that a Soviet Russian
company last year filmed "a docu-
mentary film" on alleged "American
atrocities in Korea." Not in Korea, but
made in Czechoslovakia.
Details of this deception reached the
Committee through a young Czecho-
slovakian soldier who was a member of
a special military guard covering the
film area in the vicinity of Naklerov,
near Usti and Labem, North of Prague.
Czechs dressed in American uniforms
acted out such atrocity scenes as setting
fire to a church in which little Korean
children were "burn to death."
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OIL Time;
AIN 20 1954
Hundreds Join Rebel Push,
Base in Honduras Reports
By MILTON BRACK=
Special to The New Yeeig, Thee.
COPAN, Honduras, June 19--Guatemalan insurgents under
1Col. Carlos Castillo Armes an "marchitg on the capital" against
light resistance and are being joined by "hundreds" of their
countrymen as they advance Guatemalan national flag, which
is blue and white.
A Guatemalan party, gath-
ered near the tiny airport here,
which normally serves traffic to
the ruins of Copan, were in in-
formal uniforms and bore side-
arms.
The party included Manuel
Orellana Portillo, a business man
wearing suntans , and with a
heavy growth of %black whiskers,
and Manuel Orellana Cardona, a
Guatemala City attorney who
had a German machine pistol in
his belt. was in the Guate-
malan diplomatic service in Eu-
rope for twelve years and took
exile in the Costa Rican Embas-
sy two weeks ago.
? Others in the party were Juan
Fermin Valladares, a landowner,
whose property is at San Jos?
Pinula, near the capital, and who
left on June 13; Carlos A. Re-
cinos, another lawyer carrying a
German Luger and belted with
38-caliber ammunition; Luis
There were some clashes, in- Davis Eskanasy, a chemist who
1 eluding one at Zacapa, opposite had attended a recent anti-Com-
here, but a spokesman said so munist conference in Mexico, and
far no insurgent casualties had Edrain Espinosa, a Honduran
C. who lives and has a shoe store in
been evacuated. Guatemala.
Colonel Castillo -Armes has Information Chief Chosen
established his headquarters in Senor Orellana Portillo said he
Guatemala. A supply base exists had been chosen as chief of in-
between twenty and twenty-five formation by Colonel Castillo
kilometers on the Guatemalan Armes. He said there had been
side of the border! It is being no resistance to rebel planes that
bombed gasoline tanks at San
supplied exclusively by mule Jos?n the Pacific coast, Puerto
train. The country is roadless Barrios on the Atlantic and the
with thickly forested hills capital itself. I
creased by primitive trails.
The invaders have chosen as
identifieatiop. blue armband
bearing a conventionalized short
sword with a broad crossbar.
Their moito is "God and Hon-
or." Some units also carry the
alcording to a "liberation'
liaison unit here.
Copan is four miles from the
frontier and not far from the
point where Guatemala, El Sal-
vador and Honduras Meet. Copan
is the site of famed Honduran
ruins and is not to be confused
with the town of Santa Rosa de
Copan farther from the border.
After several days of secret
forays into Guatemala, the inva-
sion Started officially at 5 P. M.
'yesterday with heavily armed
men crossing into Guatemala at
"several points."
The insurgents said that in gen-
eral regular Guatemalan Army
forces had withdrawn, leaving
virtually the entire frontier un-
defended.
Mule Trains Supply Units
Continued on Page 3, Column 5
Fighting was said to have oc-
curred at Zacapa, twenty miles
west of here, but the impression
was strong that relatively little
combat actually took place along
this border region.
Senor Orellana Portillo said
Guatemalan farm workers had
been making their way to the
rebels' supply base where they
drew equipment and joined the
invaders.
Obvibusly aware of-the political
delicacy of the situation, Senor
Orellana Portillo said that "with
or without the recent declarations
of General Eisenhower and Sec-
retary [of State] Dulles [about
the Communist menace in Guate-
mala] we would have entered
Guatemala."
He added that the movement
did draw "some hope and optim-
ism" from recent expressions of
United States policy.
The Castillo Armes group, sur-
rounded by ?big- a e on .0-
ran peasants as they spoke, said
a two-motored Guatemalan recon-
naissance plane, flying very low,
had "crossed into Honduran ter-
ritory" at 12:15 P. M. yesterday.
They said Colonel Castillo
A,rmas had information that the
Arbenz regime had transformed
the National Palace in the city of
Guatemala into a great shelter
for women and children and that
up to 1,500 -efugees were living
there.
In Tegucigalpa, the Guate-
malan Ambassador, Amadeo
Chinchilla, was to see Honduran
President Juan Manuel Galvez
this afternoon. Senor Chinchilla
said he had a conversation with
Jos?dgardo Valenzuela, Hon-
duran Foreign Minister, late last
night and received "assurances"
that Honduras would not permit
abuses by the Guatemalan exiles:
Senor Chinchilla was received
by President Galvez this after-
noon. He asked the President
to assemble all Guatemalan exiles
with a view to seeing their status
unabused and he asked the ex-
pulsion of Colon& Castillo Armes.
According to Senor Chinchilla,
"the President said he would im-
mediately give strict orders with
a view to granting these requests
y Guatemala and seeing to it
that relations between the sister
republics remained unchanged
It was noted that Colonel Cas-
tillo Armes had left Honduras
and was already in Guatemala
with his insurgent forces.
An air tour of the border be-
tween Copan and Puerto Cortes,
with the -plane getting as .close
to Guatemalan territory as pos-
sible, showed no indication of
action in the frontier zone.
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law
N.Y. Times
JUN 0
TORIELLO HITS U S.
?a'
Foreign Minister Tells
Telephone Interviewer
Here of Casualties
By TAD SZULC
Guillermo Toriello, the Foreign
Minister of Guatemala, declared
early today that the entire na-
tion?the Army, the workers and
the peasants?stood united, be-
hind the Guatemalan Government
in the current crisis.
Senor Toriello said in a tele-
phone interview with The New
York Times that the "internal
front of Guatemala is perfectly
united."
"The Army is with the Govern-
ment, and so are the workers and
the peasants," he said. "The Gov-
ernment has the most cern-
plete support of all the patriotic
Guatemalans."
Supplying the most up-to-date
Government report on the mili-
tary operations resulting from
the invasion of Guatemala on
Friday by anti-Communist forces
led by Col. Carlos Castillo Ar-
mes, the Foreign Minister said
that the rebels occupied at noon
Saturday two, "small villages"
near the Honduras border. These
are Esquipulas and Joaatan, he
Strafing Plane Kills Child
Speaking from the National
Palace in Guatemala City, Senor
Toriello said that the capital was
attacked once yesterday by rebel
airplanes. One little girl was
killed when a plane strafed a
house in the capital and nine
persons were wounded, he de-
clared.
The aerial attack, he said, was
primarily directed at the mili-
tary base in the capital.
The Foreign Minister said that
damage caused at the military
base in the capital was insignifi-
cant.
The capital was attacked twice
on Friday.
out estettlay eggint?t the Atlan-
tic port of Puerto Barrios, Senor
Toriello insisted Omit, despite
rebel claims, Puertta Barrios re-
Mained Governuinnt bands.
"We are in full iiittrol of the
situation," he said.
Senor Toriello Said that four
rehel planes also attacked yester-
day the town of Chiquimula in
the Department of Chiquiraula
and another town in the Depart-
ment of Chalapa. He said that a
young girls' school in the latter
town was strafed by the attack-
ing planes,' '
Senor Toriello said that the
Guatemalan Army was purposely
refraining from attacking the
rebels, whose forces he estimated
at between 1,500 and 2,000 men.
4 ' ?
Another air raid was carried
iio aimed at "end He said that the President was rsidili ceuntr,
ing elanaenraey in Guatemala ta in the National Palace, having
impose in its plata a, tyranny completed hours earlier a radio
broadcast to the nation. When
, that would Serfs the interests,
11,e-was told- that the broadcast
of foreign companies."
"But the people of Guatemala could not be heard in New York,
are not disposed to permit the
success of this enterprise under-
Wants World to Know
"The Guatemalan Army does
not want to attack," he said
"We want the entire world to
become aware of the? aggression
agaiust our country."
He said later in the interview
that the command of the Army
would decide if and when an at-
tack on the rebels would take
place.
"It all depends," he added.
The Foreign Minister charged
that the "aggresision" had "the
firm support" of the United
States Department of State. He
said that Honduras and Nica-
ragua were guilty of aiding and
abetting the attack.
"The aggression," he declared,
"Is directed by the big interests
and monopolies, such as the
United Fruit Company, which
have the firm support of the De-
partment of State and of mer-
cenaries from the Dominican
Republic, Cuba, Nicaragua and
Honduras."
"Tits aggression is carried out
with the absolute tolerance of
the Honduran Government, with
which Guatemala always had un-
changing relations of friendship."
He said that instead of dis-
arming the rebels, the Honduran
Government was allowing rebel
planes to take off and land on
its territory on missions against
Guatemala.
Senor Toriello said that the
United Nations Security Council,
meeting this afternoon on Guate-
mala's request, would be asked to
take action under the Charter
against Honduras and Nicaragua.
The Foreign Minister, speak-
ing in Spanish in quick, short
sentences, charged that those at-
Senor Toriello said that "there
is a good reason for it."
"The reason is," he said, "that
taken with the complicity of
Honduras and Nicaragua, of the
foreign companies and of the
high officials of the [Unitea
States] Department Of State."
"The Department of State," he
said, "wants to end democracy
in Guatemala."
Senor Toriello branded as "ab-
solutely false" the recent charges
by Secretary of State John Foster
Dulles that a Communist terror
reigns in Guatemala. He said:
"This declaration is absolutely
false. It is completely tendentious
and false, because if it were true
the entire people of Guatemala.
would not be supporting the Gov-
ernment and the army. The
army would not, either, be
standing by the Government."
"This calumny tends to prove
that under the pretext of wanting
to combat the so-called interna-
tional communism, efforts are
made to destroy the progressive
Government of Guatemala," Sefior
Toriello aeserted.
He said that attacks were made
on Guatemala because she had
insisted on the "exercise of her
sovereignty" in her relations with
foreign companies.
Call Breaks Barrier
The New York Times interview
with the Foreign Minister was
believed to be the first telephone
call by a New York newspaper to
beleaguered Guatemala City since
early yesterday. The call was
completed many hours after it
was placed here, and it was made
possible when Sehor Toriello
agreed to a request channeled to
him through the Guatemala City
operator that he grant an inter-
view. Earlier yesterday evening
the Guatemalan Government had
banned all the press calla.
The Foreign Minister made the
following appeal to the Ameri-
can people:
"In the name of the people of
Guatemala I appeal to the demo-
cratic tradition of the people of
the United States, asking them
not to permit that the economic
interests of a handful of stock-
holders of foreign companies
stand as the motivation for this
criminal attitude toward Guate-
mala."
In response to questions, Seftor
Toriello said that President Jaco-
bo Athena Guzman, as the con-
stitutional supreme chief of the
Guatemalan Army, was directing
operations against the rebels.
Reports from Tegucigalpa, Hon-
duras, had said that President
.A.rbenz had assumed personal
command of the army only yes-
terday, but the Foreign Minister
said this was done as "a matter
of course."
special jamaniki.V stations have
been set up in the United States
to prevent oar broadcasts from
being heard."
In an answer 'to another ques-
tion, Sehor. Toriello said that "no
more than 100 prisoners" were
being held in prisons in Guate-
mala. He emphatically denied re-
ports of wholesale political ar-
rests in recent days. ?
The Foreign Minister, who
Spent nearly thirty-five minutes
talking to The New York Times,
stressed that rebel planes were
"attacking civilian populations
because the aggressors have
failed in achieving their objec-
tives."
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Amo
Lcan
12 0 19547
Invasion Chief
Aided Arbenz
Col. 'Carlos Castillo Armas, leader of the resistance
movement in the Guatemalan armed forces, has been
mapping the present uprising since he escaped as a po-
litical prisoner from the central penitentiary in Guate-
mala City in June, 1951.
Slender, soft-spoken, and determined, the 40-year-old head of
the invasion forces seeks to overthrow the Red-infiltrated regime
of President Jacob? Arbenz Guzman.
ILL leunial?Aswiaan
k20 1954
remlin Hailed
By Arbenz Pal
By TOM WHITNEY ?
Associated Press Foreign News Writer
One of Guatemala's top labor leaders, speaking in the
Kremlin a few days ago, swore fealty to moscow.
A Moscow newspaper which arrived here today published the
text of a speech made by the secretary of Guatemalan General
Confederation of Labor, Vergilio Guerra, whose organization is
one of the biggest supporters of embatEed leftist President Jacob(
Arbenz Guzman.
workers, the creators of the
In his speech Guerra made happiness of their own people
plain that he and his labor and of all humanity, point out
movement look to the Soviet to us the path.
Union for guidance. "Hail the friendship be-
tween the workers of the So-
viet Union and Guatemala!
Hail proletarian internation-
alism, peace and friendship
between all the peoples of the
world! Hail the glorious So-
viet Union.
Guerra said the working class
of Guatemala, "with delight,
tollow the Soviet Union and its
successes in the struggle for
peace, for the welfare of hu-
Guerra arrived in Moscow in
early June, to attend the Soviet
trade union conference. He
spoke June 11 in the Kremlin to
this assembly and his speech
was published in the Moscow
paper Trud June 13.
HE CLAIMS HAPPINESS.
Trud quoted him:
"The attainments of colon-
ial peoples, and in the first
place of the peoples of Viet
Nam who Ilave thrown off the
Imperialist yoke, serve us as
an example.
muccesses of Soviet
manitY." ? ?
He received, said Trud; stormy
applause from the Soviet trade
unionists. ,
He has been in oppOsition to
Guatemala's present leaders
since the assassination Of Col.
Francisco Javier Arana in March
1949. Arana then was chief of
the country's armed forces.
LED 1950 UPRISING.
Arena was one of the leaders
with President Arbenz in the
October, 1944, revolution that
overthrew the then acting presi-
dent Frederic Ponce and result
ed in Castillo's removal from his
post Of chief of the 4th Military
District after two days of fight-
ing.
In November, 1950, Castillo led
an abortive uprising during the
elections that made Arbenz pres-
ident. Castillo attacked the base
of the 1st Infantry Regiment on
the outskirts of the capital with
a force of 70 civilians.
Sixteen were killed and 10
wounded in the clash which end-
ed with Castillo's arrest and
confinement in the penitentiary.
He tunneled his way out.
He took refuge in the Colom-
bian legation,
Born in Guatemala, Castillos
was educated at the Polytech-
nical School and commissioned
In 1936. In 1945-46 he took a
ground and service eourst at
Port Leavenworth, Kane
54
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-Jur'
Times
JUN 20 1954
State Department Declares
Only a Revolt Is Indicated
Views events as Uprising of Guatemalans
Against Regime?Ambassador Peurifoy
Contradicts the Local Version
By WALTER H. WAGGONER
Special to The New York Times.
WASHINGTON, June 19?The fifteen kilometers inside the Gua-
United States rejected today temalan border, and that this
Guatemala's assertion that she constituted aggression and that
had been invaded, he had asked the [United Na-
The State Department, in a tions] Security Council to take
formal statement, said that it 11P the case.
"The department has no evi-
had no evidence indicating that deuce," its statement said, "that
the violent developments of the this is anything than a revolt of
Guatemalans against their Gov-
ernment.
Aggression Charge Discounted
The State Department made it
clear that it would not be dis-
tracted by Guatemala's charges
of "invasion" and "aggression"
from its intention to bring the
? Guatemalan Government's own
actions before a meeting of the
Inter-American Foreign Minis-
ters.
"The latest outbursts of vio-
lence," said the Department
statement, "are another confir-
mation of the previously ex-
A. M. today, local time,' accord_ pressed United States view re-
garding 'possible action by the
Organization of American States
on the problem of Communist in-
tervention in Guatemala.
. "The. Department has been ex-
changing views and will continue
to exchange views with other
governments in this hemisphere
last twenty-four hours were any-
thing but "a revolt of Guatema-
lans against the Government."
Today's statement was based
on telephone and telegraph re-
ports from Ambassador John E.
Peurifoy in Guatemala. Ambas-
sador Peurifoy, the department
said, also asserted that "there
had been no bombings by planes
in the Guatemala City area."
There had been "three over-
flights by unidentified planes"
between 4 P. M. yesterday and 11
ments from Central America re-
flected a widely-held hope that
those developments may in fact
be signs that the people of
Guatemala may have begun a on Honduras.
ing to the Ambassador, and while?
the appearance of the aircraft
caused alarm, "there have been
no disorders."
What the United States Am-
bassador reported to Washington
was quite different, however,
from what Guatemalan Foreign
Minister Guillermo Toriello had
asked him to report.
The State Department related
that the Foreign Minister had
called Ambassador Peurifoy, the
French minister and the British
charg?'affaires to the National
Palace last night and had asked
them to "inform their Govern-
ments that Guatemala City had
been attacked by two aircraft
which bombed a house near the
center of the city and strafed the
National Palace."
Senor Toriello also charged, ac.
'cording to the Ambassador's re.
port to the State Department
"mat troops had crossed the bor-
...ber and captured El Olorido,
mien sources, it was reasoned
that the Guatemalan Government
might have created the "inva-
sion" story to justify an 'attack
move in earnest against their
government.
If this were the case, it would
be a dramatic sequence to a
who are also greatly concerned
about action needed to protect
this hemisphere from further en-
croachment by international com-
munism."
Accounts of uprisings in wide-
ly separated points of the Central
American republic have now
reached the State Department
through official, first-hand re-
ports.
Those reports have not yet
confirmed the Guatemalan Gov-
ernment's announcement of an
imminent invasion from Hon-
duras, where "an army of libera-
tion" is said to be on the march
across the border. I3ut the re-
sponse here to the last twenty-
four hours is shaping into a con-
viction that Guatemala may be
faced with a full-scale anti-Com-
munist revolution.
The State Department's first
formal response to the develop-I
statement by Secretary of State
JohnFoster Dulles last Tuesday
..hat "the great majority of the
Cluatemalan people have both the
lesire and he capability of clean-
ng their own house."
President Eisenhower was at
he Marine Corps base at Quan-
deo, Va., attending a National
security conference, but James C.
_iagerty, White House press sec-
setary, said that the President
was very interested in the Guate-
malan situation and was being
kept informed of the latest de-
velopments by the State Depart-
:nent.
Secretary of State John Foster
Duller was at his retreat at Duck
Island Ont., and Robert Murphy,
Deputy Under Secretary of State, Congress to the Guatemalan de-
is acting Secretary. It is under- velopments ranged from cautious
stood that Secretary Dulles and almost to exultant. Senator
Mr. Murphy have also discussed Alexander Wiley, Republican of
the developments by telephone. Wisconsin and chairman of the
The Inter-American Division of Senate Foreign Relations Com-
the department was on a virtu-I mittee, said in a statement issued
ally full-mobilization basis today,' through his office here that it
and most officials connected in was "too early to predict the out-
any way with the area expected come of the revolutionary activi-
to return to their offices .amor- ties now taking place." '
row.
These informantsc, who do not
represent any of the Central
'American countries, explained
that Honduras would have to be
crossed if the Guatemalans were
to reach the "most important tar-
get," Nicaragua.
The Guatemalan charge d'af-
faires, on the other hand, insisted
that there had not been "one case
of uprising," but that an inva-
sion was underway supported by
planes flying from Nicaragua and
Honduras.
Alfredo Chocano, th a Guate-
mai an charg?said he had not
been instructed to make any rep-
resentations to the United States
about the reported invasion, but
he added:
"I would not deny nor confirm
that the United States Govern-
ment is behind it, but the United
Fruit Company is financing it."
Reaction from members of
Invasion Talk "Suspicious"
Some Latin-American diplo-
mats, meanwhile, found the
invatsion reports "rather suspi-
cious." Because all of them ap-
p?arid to be coming from Guate-
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THE NEW YQ1A/C TIMES, 'SUNDAY, JUNE 20,
1954.
Guatemala's Note mid U. N. Charter Articles Cited
Guatemalan Note
Speclol to The New York Times.
UNITED NATIONS',N.Y., June
19?Following are the texts of a
protest sent by Guatemala today
to the United Nations, addressed
to this month's President of the
Security Council and of the parts
of the United Nations Charter re-
ferred to:
I have the honor to address
Your Excellency on behalf of
the Government of Guatemala
in order to inform you of the
following: .
On April 1, 1953, the Govern-
ment of Guatemala informed
the UnitecrNationi of the inten-
tion of certain international
political groups to interfere in
the internal affairs of Guate-
mala and in the document it
submitted it set forth a whole
series of facts illustrating these
intentions. There have now oc-
curred events of such gravity
that my Government feels
obliged to appeal to the United
Nations Security Couneil in or-
der to prevent a disruption of
thweace in the American con-
tinent:
Since the are,ival in Guatemala
of arms for her .5rhteedefp,rcee,
official United States spoiries-
men have been sayieg, falsely
and tendenciously that tills de-
fense equipment, acquired by
My Government in the perform-
ance of its sovereign rights, was
intended for the purpose of at-
tacking neighboring Central
American countries. Such state-
ments were and are completely
false.
Aggressive Aims Denied
Guatemala has many times de-
clared that it neither had nor
has aggressive intentions. Events
have shown that while the Gua-
temalan Government maintains
an unshakable policy of friend-
ship and nonintervention, other
governments are pursuing a
policy of hostility and aggres-
siveness toward our country.
The first response to the in-
citement provided by the offi-
cial United States spokesman
came from the Government of
Nicaragua, which unilaterally
announced the breaking off of
diplomatic relations with Guate-
mala on 19 May, last. The Gov-
ernment of Nicaragua gave ex-
planations which were not only
false but which, even if they
had been true, would not have
justified a rupture of interna-
tional relations. Op 26 May,
1954, unidentified aircraft from
the direction of Honduras and
Nicaragua violated Guatemalan
territory by flying over the city
of Quatemala and dropping pro-
paganda leaflets ieciting the
Guatemalan army to rise against
Approved
? The New York Times
June 20. 1954
GUATEMALAN INSURGENTS ADVANCE:. The Govern-
ment annoanced a penetration of nine miles (1) inside the
border but digpnted the rebels' claim of the capture of
Puerto Barrios (2). The invaders said they had seized San
Jos?3). Guatemala City (4) was strafed, as several planes
flew, over, the capital reported.
the legitimate and constitutional
government of our country.
On 7 June, 1934, these planes
made another incursion and
dropped similar propaganda leaf-
lets over various parts of our
territory. On 14 June, the planes
did not confine themselves to
dropping propaganda .leaflets:
this time they parachuted arms
and ammunition Into the area
of Tiquisate, headquarters of the
Compania Agricola de Guate-
mala, which is a subsidiary of
the United Fruit Company.
These arms appear to be of So-
viet and North American make.
The Guatemalan Government,
reliably informed that expedi-
tionary forces. situated in Hon-
duras were preparing to invade
Guatemalan territory, made
representations to the Govern-
ment of Honduras through the
normal diplomatic channels, re-
questing it, for the sake of in-
ternational friendship) to re-
strain and control these armed
groups.
The Honduran Government in
reply gave assurances that these
elements would be restrained,
but in fact no measure was
taken for that purpose, as may
easily be proved by statements
In the Honduran press itself. On
^
15 'June the invading aircraft
again violated our territory, fly-
ing over the same area of Tiqui-
sate and other places.
On 16 June there was another
violation, apparently for the
purpose of carrying out recon-
naissance over various parth. of
the country. On 17 June I ap-
pealed directly to the Chancellor
of Honduras, and stated that in
spite of the assurances given by
his Government, the expedition-
ary forces preparing to invade
Guatemala had not been re-
strained, I repeated our request
in this connection, and demand-
ed that they should be disarmed
in accordance with international
law and the agreements in
force.
Cites Loss of Border. Post
The same day the diplomatic
representative of Guatemala in
Honduras made strong repre-
sentations to the Government of
that country, protesting agairet
the Government's passive atti-
tude toward the preparations
being made by the expeditionary
forces to invade Guatemala. At
the same time we reiterated our
desire to maintain the friendli-
est dt relations with that coun-
try and to avoid any breach of
the peace in Central America.
However, notwithstanding the
repeated requests which we
made in friendly fashion, the ex-
peditionary forces which we had
condemned captured the Guate-
malan frontier post of El Florio
in the Department of Chiqui-
mule, and later advanced about
fifteen kilometers inside Guate-
malan territory. These forces
are still in our territory and we
have not demanded their with-
drawal precisly because we do
not want to give other pretexts,
this time in connection with
frontier incidents:
This morning aircraft from the
direction of Honduras and Nica-
ragua have invaded our country,
dropping explosive bombs on
stocks of fuel in the Port of
San Jose and on the City of
Retalhuleu. Today at 4 P. M.
P-47 type planes of North Amer-
ican make also from the direc-
tion of these two countries at-
tacked the City of Guatemala,
Strafing government buildings
and private dwellings and bomb-
ing military bases. The same
aircraft later attacked the mili-
tary base at the Port of San
Jose.
The aggressor governments
and international provocateurs
have felt safe in comrniting such
outrages and acts of aggression
because they knew that Guate-
mala pursues a policy of friend-
ly and peaceful relations with
her neighbors, and also, more
particularly+, because the policy
of boycotting our country which
has been pursued by United
States leaders has left us with-
out an Air Force sufficient to
repel repeated acts of aggres-
81?nh
Tose governments prebe.blyi
felt safe, too, beeauee they have
recently signed inilittry agxee...
ments with the United States of
America, while at the same time
the Government of Honduras re-
jected the pact of friendship and
nonaggression offered by my
Government to that of Honduras
In proof of its friendly and
peaceable Intentions,
Aggression Held Proved
The facts we have lust cited
clearly prove that open aggres-
, Won has been perpetrated by the
Governments of Honduras and
Nicaragua at the instigation
of certain foreign monopolies
whose interests have been af-
fected by the progressive policy
of my Government
. Guatemala has simply defend-
ed her sovereign rights, by en-
acting and applying those laws
which seem to her necessary to
promote the country's eccinornio
and social progress.
For that reason the interne-
COW JOL,
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Now
tional crime which has been
committed is all the more to be
condemned. In view of the fore-
going, I would request Your
Excellency urgently to convene
a meeting of the United Na-
tions Security Council in order
that, in accordance with Arti-
cles 34, 35 and 39 of the United
Nations Charter, it may take
the measures necessary to pre-
vent the disruption of peace and
International security in this
part of Central America and also
to put a stop to the aggression
in progress against Guatemala.
I I have the honor to be, etc.
GUILLERMO TORIELLO,
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Sections of U. N. Charter
ARTICLE 34
The Security Council may in-
vestigate any dispute, or any
situation which might lead to
international friction or give
rise to a dispute, in order to
determine whether the continu-
ance of the dispute or situation
I s likely to endanged the main-
tenance of international peace
and security.
ARTICLE 35
1. Any member of the 'United
Nations may bring any dispute,
or any situation of the nature
referred to in Article 34, to the
attention of the Security Coun-
cil or of the General Assembly.
2. A state which is not a mem-
ber of the United Nations may
bring to the attention of the
Security Council or of the Gen-
eral Assembly any dispute to
which it is a party if it ac-
cepts in advance, for the pur-
poses of the dispute, the obliga-
tions of pacific settlement pro-
vided in the present Charter.
3. The proceeding of the Gen-
eral Assembly in respect to mat-
ters brought to its attention
under this article will be subject
to the provisions of Articles 11
and 12.
ART10E 39
The Security Council shall de-
termine the existence of any
threat to the peace, breach of
the peace, or act of aggression
and shall make recommenda-
tions, or decide what measures
shall be taken in accordance
with Articles 41 and 42, to main-
tain or restore international
peace and security.
N.Y. Times
)0N1 20 vs
REVOLT IN GUATEMALA
The expected has happened in
Guatemala. Elements opposed to the
slow Communist infiltration of the
Government have taken- up arms to
end it. Censorship yesterday delayed
or suppressed news from inside the
country. News from outside indicated
well-planned movements from Hon-
duras and from Mexico and from the
sea into Puerto Barrios on the At-
lantic side and San Jose on the Pa-
cific side. Between these two ports
runs the country's main railroad. On
the plateau on the railroad line be-
tween them is Guatemala City?a
spic and span metropolis familiar in
years gone by to thousands of Ameri- ?
can tourists.
The setting, with its great varia-
tions of climate, with its tall volcanic
mountains, is melodramatic. So is the
human background. This is a land of
an ancient culture and race overlaid
by the thin veneer of European civil-
ization. This is not to say that the
Mayas who make up most of the
population of Guatemala are a trucu-
lent or unintelligent people. They are
neither. They are quiet, soft-spoken,
long-suffering, hampered largely by
their lack of knowledge of modern
technological equipment.
These toiling millions, clinging to
their old traditions, cultivating their
corn according to those traditions
rather than to the latest findings of
the agricultural experts, had nothing
to say as ? to whether Guatemala
should be Communist or not. They did
have grievances that perhaps made
it easy to stir them against any
existing situation. They could not be
expected to know that if their lot
was hard now it would be infinitely
worse if a new Moscow-linked tyranny
were set up.
Guatemala has had ten years of un-
certainty since its dictator, General
Jorge Ubico, was thrown out in 1944.
For a time it looked as though dem-
ocratic reform might create and per-
petuate a fre6 country. But there
was unrest and rivalry among the pol-
iticians and these did not express
themselves freely in elections and
Congressional committee hearings as
they do here. There was and is a
genuine anti-foreignism, although this
has almost never showed itself in open
unfriendliness toward Individuals, and
although American-controlled under-
takings in Guatemala have greatly
liberalized and humanized their
policies.
It would be dangerously inconsist-
ent for our Government to welcome
any revolution in Latin America
achieved principally by troops moving
in from neighboring states. That prac-
tice, if used by reactionaries to over-
throw democratic governments, would
obviously seem wrong. We have to
withhold judgment on what has ;sap
pened. in this instance. We need not,
however, conceal our satisfaction if
what is happening now in Guatemala
were to result in a new trend toward
democracy and toward friendlier rela-
tions with other democratic cotintries.
We can only hope that this can take
place without needless loss of life or
destruction of property in that sadly
poverty-stricken country.
111.1f. Times
1 N 2 0 1954
ADVANCE 9 MILES
Anti-Reds' Invasion
Progresses?Arbenz
Assails Neighbors
By PAUL P. KENNEDY
Special to The New York Times.
GUATEMALA, June 19?The
Guatemalan Government has an-
nounced that the invading anti.
Communist rebel forces have
captured the town of El Florido
and have advanced about nine
miles into Guatemala from the
Honduras border.
Foreign Minister Guillermo
Toriello told United States, Brit.
ish and French diplomats that
ground forces under Col. Carlos
Castillo Armas, exiled former
Guatemalan Army officer, con-
tinued to occupy El Florido. '
This capital city awakened to
its second day under attack to
the gunfire of hostile fighter
planes and to its own anti-air-
craft fire.
An air raid early this morning
on the city of Guatemala was the
third since Foreign Minister Gui-
llermo Toriello announced yester-
day afternoon that the battle for
Guatemala was on.
One Port Disputed
[President Jacobo Arbenz
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Guzman of Guatemala, in a
broadca,st speech to his coun-
try at 10 P. M., Eastern day.
light time, accused Honduras
and Nicaragua of "open ag-
gression" in conjunction with
the United States. He said his
army would throw back the
Invasion and appealed to the
people for support.
[The invaders captured two
port towns?Puerto Barrio/3 on
the Caribbean and San Jose on
the Pacific?the exiles' head.
quarters in Tegucigalpa, Hon-
duras, reported, according to
The Associated Press. The
Gnatemalan Interior Ministry
denied that Puerto Barrios had
fallen. The insurgent army's
information chief said the in-
vaders had forces twenty-five
miles inside Guatemala.
[The Guatemalan radio said
the invaders seized a town
thirty miles from the Mexican
border and that President Ar-
bens had assumed personal
command of Guatemala's army.
"owing to the disaffection of
certain elements," The United
Press reported.]
The Interior Ministry, in a bul-
letin issued this morning, said
that a plane yesterday, last night
and this morning had "produced
a new and flagrant act of aggres-
ion." The bulletin said ,a fighter
,lane had strafed public office
mildings and dropped bombs on
a military establishment.
The bulletin continued: "The
Government denounces before na-
tional and international public
opinion these incidents, which
were brought about by the en-
emies of Guatemala and their
powerful allies."
Peurifoy Sees Torino
Meanwhile, Ambassador John
E. Peurifoy was called to the
Nati:Mai Palace last night and
was officially informed by For-
eign Minister Toriello that the
1 attack on Guatemala had begun
and that he had requested a con-
vocation of the United Nations
Security Council to study the af-
fair.
The Ambassador, with the
French Minister and the British
charge d'affaires, was called to
the Palace at 7 P. M. Other
members of the diplomatic corps
were called in later. .
The Foreign Minister 'also re. t
marked that two planes that
"buzzed" the capital yesterday
afternoon had been identified ag
of North American manufacture.
Mr. Peurifoy is reported to have
replied that ,planes of North
American manufacture were in
all parts of the world.
The planes that "buzzed" the
city were identified as P-47
Thunderbolts of post-World War
II design. They roared over the
downtown section at about 700
feet. They drew several bursts of
anti-aircraft fire and disappeared
in tile southwest, gaining altitude.
Each of the three raids drew
anti-aircraft fire, this morning's
the heaviest so far. There were
bomb detonations, though no hits
could be located. According to
authorities, these raids resulted
in bombing and setting afire the
heme of fait Rodolfo Mendoza's
mother. Colonel Mendoza was
former chief of the Guatemalan
Air Farce, .but, fled this country
to join Celenel Castillo-Armas.
The clandestine radio announced
that Colonel Mendoza was going
tor fly over the city of Guatemala,
but explained that it was to be
only a propaganda action and not
a honibing raid. No witnesses in
the downtown area could see evi-
dence that either plane had
dropped bombs yesterday.
Meanwhile, the first .casualty
of the attack was reported last
night when a Guatemalan AT-6
Orashed into a mountain north of
the capital, killing a man identi-
fied only as Castillo.
The United States Embassy an-
nounced today that Ambassador
Peurifoy had requested all United
States citizens to remain indoors
as much as possible and particu-
larly not to go into the streets
at night. Two rTnited States fam-
ilies in a technical assistance
project on the Pacific coast have
been evacuated to the capital.
Mr. Peurifoy said the embassy
had no immediate plans to evacu-
ate 1,200 United States citizens
from Guatemala. He explained,
however, that the embassy al-
ways had this under considera-
tion when trouble broke out.
Despite the excitement of the
air raid, the capital city re-
mained superficially calm. Down-
town streets were becoming in-
creasingly deserted and some
stores did not open for busi-
ness today. A majority kept
their iron window shutters closed
throughout the day. The effect of
attack is most ptonotmced
night, when an eerie silence falls
over the blacked-out city.
The police yesterday issued
warnings to motorists to draw
heir cats up to the curb during
a raid and to turn out lights. The
police put teeth into this orae
today with a radio announcement
that motorists disobeying would
be liable to being fired at
There wai an unverified report
that a motorist was picked up
last night while giving signals
to raiding planes.
r . The southerninost column of
the pincer Movement was said to
be advancing into Guatemala
from Ocotepeque in Honduras
neat the junction of the frontiers
of Guatemala, El Salvador and
Honduras. The center column en-
tered Guatemala at a point mid-
way between Copan and Florida,
Honduran border towns. The
third group attacked from Ma-
cuelizo and was apparently head-
ed for the Motagua valley be-
tween Bananera and Puerto Bar-
rios.
Oil Tanks Fliers' Targets
'TEGUCIGALPA, Honduraa,
Jtnie 19 UP)?Guatemalan offi-
cials said rebel ,planes had
bombed oil tanks and military
bases at San Jos?nd strafed
military targets and Government
buildings in the capital in other
flights- last night and yesterday
afternoon. There was no word
on any casualties. The planes
also dropped leaflets.
The first report. of looting said
thie peasants had stopped a train
between Puerto Barrios and
Guatemala and forced 150 pas-
t:enters to get off.
Pane American and other *-
lines announced suspension of all
operations in the capital.
Guatemalan radio stations
broadcast frequent appeals to
the people to aid the Government
in itse"fight against invasion."
The exiles' headquarters here
Said it was possible the Arbenz,
regime had sent reinforcements
Into Puerto Barrios and San Jose,
but no word along that line had
been received in Tegucigalpa.
Puerto Barrios served as the
hind the Iron Curtain?a move
received by Guatemala from be-
port of entry for arms seipments
that caused deep concern in the
United' States. San Jose, a small-
er town of 2,683, is pie site of
gasoline and oil storage dumps,
which are the principal source of
supply for Guatemala. San Jose
was a United States long-range,
pattol bomber base in World
War II.
A spokesman here 'for the re-
sistance group warned that
Guatemala's 6,000-man army was
strong enough to menace in-
surgent forces at all occupied
points.
REBELS SEVERING DEFENSE
Strategy of Cutting Guatemala
Government Lines Is Seen
The strategy of the ant: ?7_1orn-,
munist Guatemalan rebels at-
tacking Guatemala appeared
aim at the severing the nation's
only coast-to-coast railroad and.
bottling up the Government ie
the capital.
Private advices from persons
who left Guatemala last week
and remain in touch with the
situation through non-official
channels indicated that the pene-
tration of the forces under Col j
Carlos Castillo Armas followed'
a predetermined plan of actioe
involving a three-pronged drive
overland from Honduras.
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A rebel triumph in Zacapa,
the source said, cut the trans-
cotit'meatal airoad and deprived
the Arberm Government of coin-
M.unications linking' it to the
eastern seaboard. Zaeapa domi-
nates the Motagua Valley and is
the junction for the branch of
the International Railway lead-
ing into El Salvador.
Destruction of the petroleum
supplies at Puerto ki4.1TiOS and
San Jose on the Paelfic coast
deprived the Government of
much of its fuel reserves be-
cause only a small quantity is
Maintained in, the capital. One.
ef the Bret acts of the rebels
Friday was to bomb The gasoline
dumps 'in the two ports.
A Private telephone converse-
,
bibn. from here to Guatemala last
might reported that the main po-
llee station on Sixth Avenue,
near Fou31.eenth Street, in the
Guatemala capital was damaged
in a rebel aerial raid yesterday.
Reports iso said that civilians
armed with submachine guns
patrolled the streets of the cap-
ital, where outward calm pre-
vailed.
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Wash. Eventing Star
JUN 20 1954
Guatemalan President Arbenz
A Nervous and Reserved Man
Belief Widespread
That He Is Addicted
To Use of Narcotics
By J. A. O'Leary
Sallow, chain-smoking Col.
Jacob? Arbenz Guzman, presi-
dent of Guatemala, speaks so
softly I had difficulty catching
his words at all when I inter-
viewed him last year in the green
Palacio Nacional in Guatemala
City.
The interview itself was futile
since President Arbenz insisted
on submission of the questions
in writing and spoke only in
Spanish through an interpreter?
although he is fluent in English.
His replies were to be sent to me,
according to the arrangement,
but I never received them.
Col. Arbenz, who, is Only 39-
years-old, was very reserved.
Since controversial snbjects were
ruled out, he spoke only in gen-
eralities on the beauty and aims
of his mountainous land.
Called A Narcotics Addict.
He sat cross-legged through
the meeting, nervously rubbing
the thumb and forefinger of his
right hand. This nervous habit
has contributed, in part, to Col.
Arbenz' acquisition 'of the nick-
name by which he is best known
in Guatemala, "El Morfine."
This is a reference to the wide-
spread belief that Arbenz is a
narcotics addict.
The nation's volatile univer-
sity students?largely anti-Com-
munist in a country which has
lately been controlled by Red
sympathizers?made capital of
this belief in their annual Good
Friday parade last year. One of
their floats was a huge papier-
mache hypodermic needle
labeled "El Morflno" in a pointed
reference to the President.
Another parade feature was a
procession of students, garbed
as undertakers, carrying two
large coffins labeled "Hitler"
and "Stalin," and a small coffin
on which was written in Span-
ish "Ultimo?El Morflno."?
"Arbenz next."
There was no police interfer-
ence with the students parade,
partly because traditionally any-
thing goes on that occasion and
nartly because the government
ii,Ight have stirred up a hornet's
nest by attempting to break up
the anti-Arbenz demonstration.
Queries on Communism.
The questions I submitted
fruitlessly to Col. Arbenz con-
cerned the country's political
course and the bitter expropria-
tion wrangle with the United
Fruit Co. In one question, Col.
Arbenz was asked point blank if
he was a Communist or a Com-
munist sympathizer. In another,
he was asked to state the meas-
ure of Red influence on his re-
gime.
1-le has on other occasions,
however, denied there is any
Communist influence in Guate-
mala, facts to the contrary. It
was in Guatemala that the one-
chamber Congress decreed a
minute of silence in deference to
the death of Joseph Stalin al-
though only four members of the
body admit to the party label.
Col. Arbenz' course seems to
have been to play to the working
class and the Indians through
land reform and socialtted medi-
cine at the expense of United
Fruit and the big coffee and fruit
growers. His government took
over vast tracts of falldw land,
? to be paid for in government
bonds at an unrealistic tax eval-
uation. 1 Ostensibly he turned it
over to the landless Juan Chap-
ins (the Guatemalan equivalent
of John Q. Public):
90% of Population is Indian.
Even if the land reform pro-
gram had worked out as the
Arbenz government claims, there
seems room to doubt that such
a plan would ever be practical
in a country where more than
90 per cent of the population are
full or part-blood Indians who
will live nowhere excePt in the
village where they were born.
Col. Arbenz himself is ;of
Swiss-Spanish descent. He came
up through the Army and holds
the rank of colonel?highest title
in the 6,000-man Guatemalan
Army. The Army is a rag-tag
outfit, in which most of the
enlisted men are Indians who
earn only a few dollars a month.
The officers are well-paid, power-
ful social lions.
The soldiers Wear rumpled
American khaki uniforms and
are armed with little more than
rifles and pistols. Except 'in
Guatemala City and on the
marches of British Honduras?_
which Guatemalans call Belice
and covet to the extent of print-
.ing postage stamps which show
Belice as a part of Gupatemala
?the troops are not concen-
trated in more than company
strength.
Col. Arbenz' air force is a
motley collection of obsolete
American planes flown by United
States-trained pilots. He has
no navy or marine corps.
Arbon Led 1944 Revolt.
Col. Arbenz is no stranger to
the coup d'etat. He was a
leader of the revolt of 1944 in
which a triumvirate of Guate-
malans swept to power while
exiling Dictator Jorge Ubico.
Another leader of this rebellion
was Jorge Toriello, a bold and
blustery businessman know as
"El Citidano," the Citizen. He is
a brother of Guillermo Toriello,
former Ambassador to the
United States and now Foreign
Minister of Guatemala.
Many believe that Col. Ar-
benz master-minded the assas-
sination several years ago of
Gen. Francisco Arena, who
seemed likely to become presi-
dent., When Gen. Arana was
machine-gunned to death near
Lake Atitlan by unknown assail-
ants, Col. Arbenz became chief
of state.
How long he will coutinue in
office now that the anti-Com-
munist forces are on the march
remains to be seen.
Portrait of a Bad Neighbor
Son of Swiss-born druggist and Guatemalan
mother, President Jacob? Arbenz (photo inset) is
40, is called "The Sphinx," is shy, tense, nervous.
Organized army revolution which overthrew dic-
tator Jorge Ubico in 1944. Is ardent nationalist, has
deep-seated hatred of foreign monopolies.
Gave Reds subsidies for two newspaperx. Govern-
ment runs radio, press, movie propaganda campaigns
pitched to Moscow line. Sample: Kremlin-doctored film
of alleged U. S. germ warfare in Korea widely shown.
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N.Y. Times ,i?
JUN 1 19511
U. S. Likely to Get the Blame
However Latin Revolt Ends
Diplomats Believe Situation in Guatemala
Will Stir Up All the Old Antagonisms
By MILTON BRACKER
Spada. to The New York Times.
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras,
June 20?No matter how the '
Guatemalan uprising ends, the
United States is hound to be
blamed by elements throughout
Latin America, diplomatic ob-
servers agree.
All the old doubts about inter-
vention will be raised?even in
those countries where, officially,
there has been applause for the
United States, strong stand
against the Communist-infiltrat-
ed regime of President Jacobo
Arbenz Guzman.
It is assumed in informed quar-
ters that Washington was fully
aware of the probable march of
;events involving Guatemala once
the State Department took its
strong stand against last month's
arms shipments to Puerto Bar-
rios, Guatemala, from behind the
Iron Curtain. Col. Carlos Castillo
Armes, leader of the anti-Com-
munist rebels, had been appeal-
ing to his countrymen by radio
and in Salvadorean newspapers
for many months.
Since the start of the invasion,
Colonel Castillo Armas and his
top aides have been careful to
avoid suggesting that the United
States' attitude in any way
brought their plans to fruition.
Effect on Honduras Seen
In the first direct comment by
the insurgents in the invasion
zone, Manuel Orellana Portillo,
the rebel leader's new informa-
tion chief, answered a direct
question about the influence of 1903 Incident. in Panama
the United States' attitude this
way: It already has been suggested
"With or without the recent; that the situation is something of
declarations of General Eisen-' a throwback to the Panama inci-
'stand ha i had an encouraging
effect both on Colonel Castillo
Armas and on the apparent de-
cision of the Honduran Govern-
ment to look on blandly while
invasion preparations were going
on under its very nose.
One Honduran source felt
that his country was in a delicate
position because of the way the
Guatemalans had been permitted
to build up their forces here
despite the token gesture by
Foreign Minister Jos?dgardo
Valenzliela, who called in Colonel
dastilh Armas the day before
;the invasion and "warned" him
not to violate his status as an
exile.
A United States source conceded
this but suggested that if Hon-
duras had decided "to blink" at
what the exiles were doing, it
may, have been because Honduras
resented the Communist agita-
tion that led to the big United
Fruit Company strike at Tela.
Observers agree that Washing-
ton was aware of the danger of
alienating some sections of Latin-
American opinion when its strong
reaction to the arms shipment
was decided upon. It is noted
that a military assistance pact
with Honduras was signed within
four days of the announcement
that the arms we being un-
loaded in Puerto Barrios. It is
felt that hemisphere policy-
makers in Washington were wil-
ling to risk some resurgence of
old Latin-American fears in view
of the primary purpose: To' make
absolutely clear the United
States attitude on Communist
maneuvering in the heart of the
Americas.
hower and Secretary Dulles
[about the Communist menace
In Guatemala], we would have
entered Guatemala."
Sefior Orellana Portillo ac-
knowledged, however, that the
rebels did draw "some hope and
optimism" from recent indica-
tions of United States policy.
The Hondurans also are fully
aware that ' the United States'
dent of 1903, when the United
States encouraged revolt in
Panama, then part of Colombia,
because Colombia had refused ;to
ratify the accord making possible
the building of the Panama
Canal. On that occasion the up-
rising came Nov. 3 and United
States Marines landed Nov. 4'to
preserve order."
Clearly, the biggest single dif-
ference between that era and this
is the word "marines" and all
has come to connote in this part
of the world. Even the bitterest
foes of the United States these
days do not think President Ei-
stnhower would revert to that
particular tactic of Theodore
Roosevelt's. But the Guatemala
case is sure to make them sug-
gest?with or without Commu-
nist instigation?that the United
States, by extraordinarily under-
lining its own position, has tend-
ed to encourage a violent move
against a constitutional Govern-
ment.
One other matter is clear. The
Guatemalan regime certainly had
plenty of warning of the United
States attitude toward open Com-
munist infiltration. Yet Presi-
dent Arbenz took not the slight-
est step to alter the situation?
and its possible consequences.
While President Arbenz failed to
be moved by all the diplomatic
signs and portents, Col. Castillo
Armas plainly was heartened and
activated by them.
There lies the crux of the mat-
ter. Whatever the United States
does?or does not do?in Latin
American affairs, it may be in-
terpreted as "intervention." This
fact usually shows up most
sharply when the question of rec-
ognition of a revolutionary regime
arises. And Latins here nave no
doubt the United States would
recognize Colonel Castillo Armas
the minute he seemed to have
effective control of the country.
Nol. Times
JUN 21 1954
REBEL CHIEF NAPS
FARM LAW CHANGE
Castillo Armas Declares Life
of the Guatemala Worker
Must Be improved
Special to The New York Times
TEQUCIGA.LPA, Hondurn s,
June 20?Col. Carlos Castile
Armes' program includes dras-
tic revision of the Guatemalan
agrarian reform law. The statute
has been considered the heart of
the program of President Jacobo
Arbenz Guzman.
Colonel Castillo Armas, leader
of the Guatemalan revolt, gave
an interview Thursday night, just
before he flew north to his head-
quarters in Guatemala.
The colonel, who is 43' years
old, emphasized his awe rartess
that the standard of Ilya