Chief, Lincoln
Chief of Station, Guatemala
J
ZWQi Washington
Operations
uardorlaa Infant ilea
Knoloeedop/ of the seat recant) report covering theof the subject organisation.
Also encloeedhree-page report regarding tbe organisation as written by
ESOTJtOFB.
appears that both enclosures aay contain exploitable infornatlon fbrpurposes. Certain item that my lend theweelvea to such exploitation Bxaaplei f Eso trope'shile hospitalfrom lack of supplies the subject organisation (the pet projectnjoys special support froa tho government.
li. If thia aeierlel la exploited in any way, tbe information supplied by Eso trope should be paraphrased.
CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM
RELEASEeb
Encli aa noted
L. Tranger
u
Distribution i
ncl
nd (Esotropeiles wA end (Esotrope report)
Rer uardariaa Infantiloo
(Children's Dining rooms and day nursorios)
A copy of the official report covering the activities of the above-mentioned organizations, during0s being suboitted with tils meaorondun.
The report was published0 and it is the last one of its kind,to tho children's dining rooms and day-nurseries, that has been issued.
A new report, data for which Is being compiled, should be issued some tine
this report la that when Dr. Arevalo's term as President of Ouatemala camelose inolonel Arbens succeeded him, the Presidency of Conedores and Ouardarias passed froa Mrs. Elisa Hart Inez de Arevalo to Mrs. Maria Vilanove de Arbenz air; tho period of readjustment that ensued has been prolongued dueeries of coapations that aro referred to below.
The report subaitted gives the "official* version of the origin and beginnings of theining rooms and day nurseries and your attention is called to0here under tho caption of Priaeraa Rcuniones (First Meetings) andlvorsos Sootores Social os (Invitation to Various Social Oroups) unfavorable rxmtlon is made of tho attitude shown by ladles of higher social otandii
Thef It wereould prove that tho Initiative of Mrs. Elisa Martinez de Arevalo net with enthusiastic aoolaln and full support from ladles of social position and solid financial background, but Mrs. Arevalo quickly dlDCouragci and destroyed all possibilityoint effort and she, personally, chose to work with teachers, market women and people who were ready to cater to her and in whoa at =rae sure to find cozplete subservience.
There were two major reasons for this attitude on the part of the then First L> ofarked inferiority complex. Urs. Arevalooman ofin whose life story is well knownj she waa an elementary school teacher in Tucuaanho had little, if any, social contact, she did not know how to dross or act when she was suddenly elevated to tho rankresident's wife, and she resen the company of people whom sho was not prepared to meet on equal terms.reao. dous Jealousy of her husband. Mrs. Arevalooint of surrounding herself wit woman whose physical appearance, conversation and general qualifications were Infer to hers. Sie carefully reaovod fron bar side anyone whoa her hughenri could compare with her and, possibly, find agreeable.
Dnder these cifacumstancos, and using her natural privileges as First Ladyhield, Mrs. Arevalo set out to deliberately insult local dowagers fron whoa she need not foar competitiontrictly personal basis, and to discourage tho young more attractlvo women, from finding the social welfare work to their liking. Her success was immediate. Respectable dowagers were sunned to meetingshrough tho I'inistry of Education or Public Health, Urs. Arevalo wilfully failed to
ahow tho alight-rat courtesy and cunningly arranged to hold "adzed" gatherings and favor tho word and the suggestions of lower class wooon whoa, naturally, took full advantage of the encouragement they received and literally "grabbed" the direction am future dostiny or the budding organisation*
Tho growth of the children's dining rooms and day nurseries is notbecause both services are rendered entirely free of charge and ml stakes were immediately covered by tho corresponding disbursements. The organisations wore administrated according to the whims of Mrs. Elisa de Arevalo and, at the tine of the chango ofarch- conditions sore such that the lncosdng First Lady, Urs. Uarla Vilanova de ArbeoE, found herselfountain of ads-takos to faceolitical hot iron to handle, krs. Arbenz, with herintelligence and calm "purged" the board of the family group that wasan easy living from organisation funds, appointed questionable people to positions whore they could not spy on her activities, and colled in qualified personnel.
Thetn-cp-iyavyy disorganised twin institution to apolitically slnded first rate burocracy has been arduous aid it has proven that Urs. Arbens knows now toituation to the fullest advantage. At the present tins, and although, as previously stated tho official reportof the institutions for the lost four years ia under preparation, and it will, undoubtedly, be doctored to suit the purpoee for which it larove that the second got cent of the revolution takes oare of women and children anduch neededhe truth is that expenses have doubled or even trebled snd that the lnati tutions have had and continue having their share of labor problems.
The Institutions, as thoy..exist to-day,rongndouo drain on government fanda but they continue to be supported because tbo roth era of the chjjjron who are benebltted by their existence may be. counted upon as sure voters and it is expected that Uiu children's"dining rooms and day- nur'serW"will continue to thrive as long ae Krs. Arbenz is First Lady. It la questionable, however, that another First Lady will have tho patience and the skill to presideonniving board and success-rally manage the hundreds of employees who, singly or collectively, expectand aro disposed to givefn return.
Although since the tins of Mrs. Elisa de Arevalo the institutions haveoint of teaching children some rel^lon and thoy have images or pictures of saints in tho bodrooas and class rooms, this is no soreesture.
It is impossible to cochat this type of organizationurely religious basis because, outwardly, it scrvee faro religious princlplost feed the hungry snd clothe the naked. There ia no questionood percentage of the mathers who take thoir children to these institutions are not govorniTont sympathizers, but when else are they going toree aoal for their large families and where else can they leave thoir young while tho aether goes out to work? What other organization is large onough and sufficiently staffed to compete with thoee govomnsnt What iiriopondent group io financially able to givo free food, medicaland olomontory lessons tohildren? Another phase to considor isovernment institution Is less apt to have serious labor trouble than an independent organization and that, thorefore, an autonomous institution ofr can grow only in relation to its Income and its estimated ability to moot tho many problems that arise in working with ever increasing groups of people who areto demand costly services, rendered entirely free of charge.
In referring to thehat here had to be net by Mrs. Arbena, as successor to Urs. Elisa Martinez de Arevalo, your attention is called tof tho report. The children's hospital at Puerto Barrios, had on exti-mated coat ofO ft' waa inaugurated, though not completely equipped, during tho Latter partJ0 or early partt has proven tond voryistake, but it oan not be closed down because tho stm' refuses to be transferred. Die hospital is supposed to operateremendous deficit.
Another gross miscalculation was the Lying-in Hospital (Pxtf.) which is said to have been "transformed"ost of Actually* soiiipnent for this maternity hospital was boughtepresentative of the organizationappointed by Urs. Arevalo. The representative (Hr. Carlos Manuel konzon Malice? bought the equipment from supply bouses ln theari of II was visibly second hand, reconstructednd la said to have done well bywhile complying with this assignmant. The hospitalery high overhead, the staff quickly became organized and, after considerable trouble and dispute, plus heavy disbursements aad compensation pay,nternity hospital to an infant's observation center, to be opened to the public shortly. The original idea was to close theeotablisbaont and send part of the eoulpmatt to severalclinioa operated in ooabination with day nurseries in the departments, but the doctors, nurses and hired help ganged up on the organization board and refused to be transferred. The administration bad to give in to thea.
Mrs. Arbenz has bad to work very hard and vory ably to continue operating these institutions. Ont is stated that tha coat per otdid per year ia (wasi9) Each day nursery had an original government subsidyer month. ember of the present board hoe statedair guess would indicate that the subsidy ls twice that amount at the present time.
organization, known problems and
ihanictry of Publiond'/although the exact amount that it receives from tho government, through various accounts, ls not known, it is very substantial. Mrs. deria Bronl ds Show, who nsed to ba vice-president under Mrs. Pllsa de Arevalo but is now chief administrator of the organisation,onthly salaryO and shear, gasoline and chauffeur. This service is not limited toimTJS the car and chauffeur are available at all times and for all personal services, haw's son, Donald Shaw,n the statistics department and he Is reported toalary ofnd the younger son, Sidney Shaw, works in the "technical departaontn (laundry service) andalary also estimated at. These appointments and salaries are not disclosed to tho board and the "management" of tho organisation and actual status of accounts,losely guarded secret known to Mrs. Arbena and Urs. Shaw.
Dhdar the sub-title of "Organization" onou will find additional unfavorable reference to the better" class women of Guatemala. This text was written by Mr. Rodulfo Pigueroa Guillen, read and approved by Mrs. Elloa Martinoz de Arevalo and inserted in the report with her full knowledge and consont.
Original document.
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