247. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom1
977. Eyes only Ambassador Bruce. Unless you perceive objection please deliver following message from Secretary to Lord Home as soon as possible:
Dear Alex:
As we feared, Cheddi Jagan’s party emerged from the August 21 election in British Guiana with a majority of the seats in the Legislative Council. Unpalatable as the result is to us, our task now is to determine where we go from here. In your letter of August 18 you mentioned that our support for your policy would be of great help.
[Page 523]If agreeable to you, I suggest that representatives of our two governments again sit down to discuss the situation. They might start with a review of the intelligence assessment, then go on to consider courses of action in the political, economic and information fields. I also attach importance to the covert side and recall that in June Hugh Fraser told David Bruce you would have another look at what could be done in this field after the election.
Should you think well of my proposal, I am prepared to send two or three officers to London to assist David Bruce in talks which I would ask him to hold with you, Mr. MacLeod and your colleagues. I am impressed by the desirability of starting promptly whatever program we may decide upon. Therefore, we might try to commence the discussions the week of September 4.
Cordially yours, Dean Rusk”
- Source: Kennedy Library, Papers of Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., British Guiana Jagan. Top Secret; Niact. Drafted by Burdett and approved by Rusk and U. Alexis Johnson.↩