LOYALTY TO ARBENZ OF COL. ENRIQUE PERALTA (W/ATTACHMENTS)

Created: 12/17/1953

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

OUTING AND RECORD SHEET

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FORM

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Chief, WH Division FROM: RQM/OIS [

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Loyalty to ARBENZ of Col. Enrique PERALTA

The following was received yesterday afternoon from Contact Division:

At the suggestion ofof the Hew York Herald Tribune

WashingtonIAalkedfor the Pan American Onion, where ne has worked

since early in worm war IX.

told the following story:

"Cn several social occasion's In tbe past six weeks,Col. Enrique PERALTA, Military Attache of the Guatemalan Embassy, hasoint of being friendly with ute, end on occasionsave been with him alone, he hae spoken very freely of hie worries about his country.

said that Guatemala was In very bod shape and that in the

becoming stronger every day, and sonething must be done. The Colonel is violently anti-Coatounist and much lose violentlyArbenz. He said he has known Arbenz intimately for yeara and had at one tlrae been hie instructor at military school. He thinks that Arbenz is probably willing,and possibly able to put down Communism, but he hinted strongly that he himself would take action if Arbenz did not.

understand that Pereltaormer General and that hia influence In military circles, in addition to the fact that he ie completely in the confidence of Arbenz, makesowerful figure politically.

" He said nothing definitely, but certainly by implication. Bade it very clear to dm that he is willing to take any required action and would welcome any help from tso OS.*

3) that for obvious reasons he did not want to take the

Initiative in pursuing tbi6 line of conversation with the Colonel. However, he is planning to ask the Colonel for lunch in the near future and hopes that more information will be forthcoming as to what the Colonel haa In mind. He will call this office (Contact Division) to report further

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TO: Chief, UK Division

FROMi RQM/OIS

SUBJECT: Ambassador TORIELLO

The following Is from Contact Division:

tates that it le,uriderstanding that Colonel Enrique

PKRALTA has oeen sent here, replacing WETMANN, to "keep an eye" on Ambassador TORIELLO, whoa Arbenz does not fully trust.

skJrei

Original document.

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