810.20 Defense/1804
The Chargé in Guatemala (Dwyre) to
the Secretary of State
No. 2320
Guatemala, December 17, 1941.
[Received
December 19.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the
Department’s telegram No. 228 of December 13, 8 p.m.2 (which was not
received at the Legation until December 14, 6 p.m.) and telegram No. 231
of December 14, 1 p.m.3
(which was not received until December 14, 11:30 p.m.) instructing me to
discuss with the Minister for Foreign Affairs4 and conclude an agreement
with the Guatemalan Government with regard to unconditioned military
cooperation and the specific privileges set forth by the Department.
This subject was fully discussed with the Foreign Minister on the
forenoon of December 15, at which time I was informed that he would get
in touch with the President and call me by telephone. At that time I
prepared a memorandum to be given to the President himself by the
liaison officer designated by the President to provide immediate
informal communication between the President and the Legation. In this
way, the President was informed without delay of the Department’s
desires to obtain this cooperation and the privileges specified.
The action taken by the Legation resulted in telephone calls at 7:30 p.m.
from both the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the President’s
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liaison officer to the effect
that full approval of the Guatemalan Government with regard to the
cooperation and the privileges requested was granted. I immediately
prepared telegram No. 247, triple priority, of December 15, 8 p.m.,5 in which the Department
was informed of the Guatemalan Government’s full approval and in which
the Department was advised that a copy of the communication which I had
left with the Foreign Minister and the official answer, both of which
would constitute the exchange of written communications contemplated in
the Department’s telegram, would be forwarded.
I am now enclosing a copy of my Note No. 222 of December 15, 1941,
addressed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and a copy of his reply
(Note No. 17579), together with a translation thereof, which has just
been placed in my hands, wherein the Government expresses its full
cooperation and grants the privileges specified in both of the
Department’s telegrams under reference.
Respectfully yours,
[Enclosure 1]
The American Chargé (Dwyre) to the Guatemalan Minister for Foreign Affairs (Salazar)
No. 222
Guatemala, December 15, 1941.
Excellency: The provisions of Resolution
XV, which was adopted at the Havana Consultative Meeting,6 stipulate
that should there be an aggression “all the signatory nations or two
or more of them according to circumstances shall proceed to
negotiate the necessary complementary agreements so as to organize
cooperation for defense and the assistance that they shall lend each
other.” The events envisaged in that resolution have come to pass,
and our two nations are working together with a common objective of
defeating the nations who have been the aggressors.
It is desired to begin immediately an unconditioned military
cooperation and therefore I am instructed by my Government to
approach Your Excellency and to conclude an agreement with Your
Excellency’s Government with regard to the following privileges:
- a.
- Permission to fly over and land on Guatemalan territory,
without restriction as to number or type of plane or
personnel and armament carried. There would not be the
ordinary notice by means of military or diplomatic channels,
but only that required for technical reasons,
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probably direct to
the airport involved, except in cases of emergency and
should it be required by military necessity.
- b.
- The stationing of United States Air Corps detachments made
up of 15 technicians (8 privates and 7 non-commissioned
officers) each at San José and Guatemala. These will be
service detachments for the purpose of facilitating aircraft
movement.
- c.
- Permission to photograph the territory of Guatemala as
found necessary from a tactical standpoint or thought
desirable for air navigation charts’ compilation.
- d.
- Permission to make use of airports and their facilities,
such as repair shops, radio, telephone, and service
installations.
- e.
- Authorization allowing military personnel, armed and
uniformed, or otherwise, to circulate without restriction,
in connection with sending and receiving necessary
communications, servicing aircraft, and sheltering and
rationing personnel. Included in this permission would be
the use of roads next to airports, and permission to arrange
for the rationing and sheltering of personnel (at the
expense of the United States Government) as found necessary
when flights must make a stopover at any airfield.
- f.
- Permission to station one bombardment squadron of 700 men,
including ground troops, and 10 planes, at San José.
The United States Government feels confident that continued full
cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces will be
forthcoming for the achievement of our common aims. Should the
Government of Guatemala be prepared to grant the privileges
mentioned above, a communication signifying its approval will
constitute a formal agreement.
Please accept [etc.]
[Enclosure 2—Translation]
The Guatemalan Minister for Foreign Affairs
(Salazar) to the American
Chargé (Dwyre)
No. 17579
Guatemala, December 16, 1941.
Mr. Chargé: I have had the honor to receive
Your Honor’s kind Note No. 222 of the 15th of the present month, in
which you are good enough to state that there have come to pass the
events envisaged in Resolution XV which was adopted at the Havana
Consultative Meeting, which stipulates that should there be an
aggression “all the signatory nations or two or more of them
according to circumstances shall proceed to negotiate the necessary
complementary agreements so as to organize cooperation for defense
and the assistance that they shall lend each other.”
Guatemala and the United States of America are already working
together with the common objective of defeating the aggressor
nations
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and, Your Honor
informs me, your worthy Government desires to begin immediately an
unconditioned military cooperation, for which purpose you have
received instructions to enter into an agreement by which the
Government of Guatemala might grant the following privileges:
[Here follows descriptive list of privileges given in note No. 222,
supra.]
Your Honor states, finally, that your Government feels confident that
the continued and full cooperation between the armed forces of the
two countries will be forthcoming for the achievement of the aims
which animate both nations.
In due reply, it is for me a great pleasure to reiterate to Your
Honor, and through you, to the friendly Government of the United
States of America, that the Government of the Republic of Guatemala
is animated by the same objectives and, through its desire to lend
the most effective cooperation for continental defense, in
accordance with Resolution XV adopted at the Meeting of Havana, is
pleased to grant the privileges which are detailed in your kind
note, for the duration of the present emergency.
Therefore, in conformity with the statements which Your Honor was
good enough to make in your communication now being answered, the
present approval of the Government of Guatemala constitutes a formal
agreement to that end.
I avail myself [etc.]
