816.00/10–2644
Memorandum by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Caribbean and Central American Affairs (Cochran) to the Chief of the Division (Cabot)
Mr. Cabot: I think you will be interested in Mr. Simmons first extensive report49 on the political situation in El Salvador and especially his numbered comments beginning on page 3.
[Page 1108]At the end of item 7, he suggests that drastic action on our part might be effective in causing the downfall of the Aguirre régime. By this, he apparently means refusing to purchase Salvadoran coffee, stopping airplane and steamship service, etc. Obviously no such action is contemplated.
I invite your particular attention to item 8 on page 5.51 However much in sympathy we may be with this ideology I do not believe that we can require democratic processes as a condition to recognition and think we should follow the plan which we have discussed—namely, to wait ten days or so, then, if the Aguirre régime has consolidated itself in power, I think we shall have to extend recognition.
- Memorandum prepared October 26 by the Ambassador Designate to El Salvador, John F. Simmons, transmitted to the Department in despatch 2107, October 26, 1944, from San Salvador; neither printed.↩
- Of special note in item 8 is the following: “I believe that we should take very careful thought before giving encouragement to a forcible and apparently illegal assertion and assumption of power such as has taken place in El Salvador.” (816.00/10–2644)↩