48. Memorandum of a Conversation, Panama City, July 23, 19561
SUBJECT
- Conditions in Guatemala
PARTICIPANTS
- President Castillo of Guatemala
- Assistant Secretary Henry F. Holland
- Mr. Jack D. Neal (MID)
President Castillo made more or less the following remarks:
He had, in response to my whispered suggestion at the general meeting, omitted a substantial part of his printed speech in order to save time. He directed my attention to a particular paragraph in the printed version of the speech, one to which he attributed particular importance. He regretted having failed to read it and wanted me to see it. It was one emphasizing the need for cooperation between the different governments in the control of communism.
He then went on to say that the communists in Guatemala were doing their best to force him into the position of a “government of force”. He was determined that he would not adopt that role and that somehow he would manage to control the government and maintain stability, but without adopting the role of a dictator. I congratulated him as warmly as I could and told him that the objective of the communist party was to drive a wedge between him and his people. If they could persuade his people that he had become a dictator, then the breach would be opened. He said that he fully realized this and was determined that this would not happen.
He then presented to me a memorandum2 recommending the creation of a Central American merchant marine fleet and asked that we review it. I agreed that we would and that we would give him our views through his Ambassador in Washington.