711.62115/9–545
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Caribbean and Central American Affairs (Cochran)
| Participants: | Señor Jorge García Granados, Appointed Ambassador of Guatemala |
| Señor Dr. Don Enrique López-Herrarte, Counselor of Guatemalan Embassy | |
| Mr. A. M. Warren (ARA)24 | |
| Mr. William P. Cochran, Jr. (CCA) |
The Guatemalan Ambassador called this afternoon to deliver a note dated September 5, 194525 enclosing a communication which his Government had addressed to the American Embassy in Guatemala with regard to the return to Germany of certain Axis sympathizers now interned in the United States.
(The note refers to the classified list26 which was submitted to the Guatemalan Government and requests the return to Guatemala of five of the internees who were born in that country. However, the note states that Guatemala does not accept dual nationality and that if any of the men named shall allege to possess double nationality and there shall be presented duly authenticated proof of a desire to preserve their German nationality they would thereby lose their right to Guatemalan nationality and the Guatemalan Government would approve their deportation to Germany. The Guatemalan Government also asks exemption on humanitarian grounds for a second group—internees married to Guatemalan citizens or with Guatemalan children. However, the Guatemalan Government says that if there be proof that these persons have engaged in subversive activities, it requests that it be furnished with said proofs and that if it is satisfied, it will then agree to their deportation. As regards all other internees, whether classified by us as dangerous or not, the Guatemalan Government says that it will not permit their re-entry into Guatemala.)
[Page 283]Mr. Warren discussed this situation with the Ambassador on the basis of our policy and Resolution VII of Mexico City and said that similar problems had arisen in other countries where the Governments were under extreme pressure to permit the return of internees married to nationals. The Guatemalan Ambassador requested a copy of the list of Axis sympathizers interned in the United States as categorized by us, pointing out that while such a list had been presented to the Guatemalan Government, his Embassy had no copy. He also asked that we furnish him with the evidence of subversive activities available in the case of internees married to Guatemalans.
[On September 8, 1945, President Truman issued a proclamation which authorized the Secretary of State to order the removal from the United States to lands belonging to the enemy governments to which or to the principles of which they had adhered, all interned enemy aliens (1) who were not legal residents under the immigration laws or (2) who were sent from other American Republics, if their continued residence in the Western Hemisphere was deemed by the Secretary prejudicial to the future security or welfare of the Americas as prescribed in Resolution VII of the Inter-American Conference on Problems of War and Peace. The Department of Justice and all other appropriate agencies of the United States Government were directed to render assistance to the Secretary of State in the prompt effectuation of such orders of removal. For text, see Department of State Bulletin, September 9, 1945, page 361, or 59 Stat. (pt. 2), 880.]