Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, Ambassador of Guatemala Guillermo Toriello Garrido, United States Ambassador to Guatemala Rudolf Schoenfeld, and Milton K. Wells

1047 UNITED STATES DETEGATION TO THE SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY 348 323 MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION December 1, 1952 385 (Tyned December 2, 1952) 385 SUBJECTS Talk with Quatemalan Ambassador Guillermo Toriello Regariing Matters Affecting United States-Guatemalan Relations PARTICIPANTS: The Secretary Amb. Guillermo Toriollo - Guatomalan Delegation Amb. Hudolf E. Schoenfeld em United States Ambassador to Guatemala Milton Zo Wells - United States Delegation Taking advantage of Amb. Schoenfeld's presence in the United States, the meeting was arranged at the Secretary's suggestion for the purpose of following up his talk of November 17, with Amb. Toriello in regard to the sitration in Guatemale adversely affecting United States relations with that country. Amb. Toriollo was recoived in the Secretary's suite at the Waldorf Astoria. The convereation lasted about one and one quarter hours. Amb. Toriollo devoted most of his part of the conversation toward a general justification of Guatemala's attitude toward Communist influences in that country. Despite frequent offorts of the Secretary and Amb. Schoenfeld to steer the conversation into more specific and more constructive channels, Torlello kept adverting to generalities. With considerable repetition, he described his Government is basic policy as one conditioned by a sincere desire to maintain democratic procedures and to avoid dictatorshipe His Government believes that the best way to combat Communism is to improve the maladjusted social and economic conditions which produce unrest among the under-privileged classes. This approach, he argued, is fraught with less denger than would a repressive policy which would drive Communism under ground. He belittled the power and influence of the Communist leadors. He said their activities are known to the Government and that they would be placed under immediate restraint should war occuro He personally shared the belief that thay can be controlled bost in the open and that in any case they are discraditing thomselves with the rank and file. Regarding the labor unions, he did not beliove the workers shared the idealogical views of their leaders and were interested only in better pay and better living standards. During the course of the conversation, however, Amb. Toriello dia malre a number of interesting comments on sevoral specific situations, as recorded in the following paragraphs. Toriollo DECLASSIFIED 581 PAL E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E) 10.26.76 Dept. of State letter, $18.9.1973 By NLT- He , NARS Date 11-30-76