Evening star., 1954-05-30
Guatemala
U. S. Moves to. Block
Communist Threat
In Central America

last week to counter the COM
munist threat to Central
America.
America extended both the
gloved hand Of diplomacy and
the mailed fist of military
power in its attempt to handle
the Guatemala crisis.
The trouble in Guatemala
has been developing for many
months. Local Red leaders. iE,
regular contact with Russia
and using standard made-in-
Moscow techniques. gained
gradual control over the
Guatemalan government and
sent agitators into neighbor-
ing countries. The crisis came
to a head two weeks ago when
a ship from Communist Poland
brought some $40 million worth
of Czech-made arms to Qua
temala. ..,- .-...ts
Last week the United. States
studied means of invoking
hemisphere. treaties which pro-
vide for sanctions against
contries threatening peace in
the area. At the same time.
the American Ambassador to
Guatemala, John E. Peurifoy,
called on Foreign Minister
Guillermo Toriello.
The talks were secret but Mr..
Toriello told newsmen, surpris-
ingly, that all the problems
seemed to be working them
selves out and that there was
no reason for concern.
No Meeting Of Minds .-
After further elaboration,
however, it seemed likely that
the Foreign Minister was talk
ing only about the quarrel be-
tween Guatemala' and the
American-owned United Fruit
Co.. all pretty much beside the
point in the present contro-
versy. Obviously there was no
meeting of minds on the Com
muniSt issue.
Later in the week, Secre-
tary of State Dulles outlined
the problem in a press confer
ence. He said he feared that
one reason, for. the massive
shipment of arms from behind
the Iron Curtain" was to build
a strong Communist base near
the Panama Canal. He pointed
out that the new weapons were
enough to permit Guatemala
to dominate all her lightly
armed neighbors.
A Honduras radio station
reported that several, Soviet
technicians landed by Russian
submarine at Guatemala at the
same time the freighter was
unloading arms. The station
also reported that five MICS
were included in the shipment
of arms. If these reports were
true, then the Panama Canal
was indeed menaced by Rus
sian Communists. And there
was little on the ground to stop
the Reds between Guatemala
and the Canal Zone itself.
In a move toward restoring
the balance of power, the
United States last week sent
about $50, 900 worth of arms to
Nicaragua and Honduras in
Air Force planes under terms
of mutual defense treaties.
There were reports that more
arms were coming by sea. And
three huge B-36 bombers were
sent to Nicaragua for a good
will' vista demonstration
to the Guatemalans that the
United States was willing to
help Central American nations
contain Guatemala.
There was one strong indi-
cation that the pressure was
being felt in Guatemala. That
country asked Honduras to
sign a pact Of friendship and
nonaggression. It apparently
was the hope of the govern
ment that this gesture would
take the heat off.
And the Communist Party
seemed to be having internal
problems. The Secretary Gen.
eral of the party was removed
last week.
Reports from other Gen.
trail American capitals said
Guatema1a's neighbors were
becoming more aware that the
threat of communism was real,
not just another gringo cry of
Wolf" It would take more
than gestures from Guatemala
to remove the heat.