Official History of the Bay of Pigs Operation- Volume 2- Part 1

the Department of State to sign a Memorandum of Agree-
ment with the Guatemalan Ambassador, settin~ forth
that in response to a request from the Guatemalan
government the US would provide military training for
selected elements of the Guatemalan armed forces. 72/
The ball continued to bounce, however, with no
one wanting to assume responsibility overtly for the
United States Government action; and it was reported
on 27 December 1960, for example, that in a meeting
with Thomas Hann, the Assistant Secretary of State
for American Republic Affairs, concerning the sugges-
tion that State sign the agreement with the Guatemalan
Ambassador:
Mann was extremely hesitant to agree to
any signature by a representative of the
State Department to a document. After
considerable discussion, however, he did
agree to the possibility of having a Memo-
randum for the Record prepared (suggested
draft attached) which could be signed by
the Guatemalan Ambassador as an accurate
statement of the understanding reached
between the Government of Guatemala and
the United States. The Department then
could refer this signed memorandum to the
Department of Defense for appropriate
action. 73/
This, in fact, was the method that was finally evolved
to solve the problem; and on 29 December 1960, Carlos