This is particularly observable at the partly hidden airport on the outskirts of the city. Four months ago the airport was alive with activity. Yesterday it was, for that day at least, asleep.

Residents of the city said that activity fell off sharply after a large part of the personnel left during the last two weeks.

Defensive Role Stressed

Guatemalan authorities, including President Miguel Ydigoras Fuentes, have insisted that the preparations at the airport and at a near-by guerilla training camp were for the purpose of defending Guatemala against a possible Cuban invasion. They have maintained that the training had no offensive intentions against Cuba.

The only thing new at the airport was two low rows of sandbags at the entrance. They appeared to have been placed haphazardly.

Two sentries drowsed over their rifles and a few dogs barked as the changing of the guard took place.

For United States-built C-54 cargo planes stood in line at one side of the 5,000-foot runway. As far as could be seen they were the same planes that were there in January and still had no markings. Two other planes stood near by, one under repair.

There has been almost no air activity at the field in the last few days, according to a Retalhuleu resident. In the past there was considerably flying, with planes obviously in training maneuvers.

However, there was some rifle fire today in a hidden area near the airport.

Discussing the decline in activity, a hotel manager said about twenty Spanish-speaking men who called themselves Cubans visited his establishment regularly until about Easter. He said one of them, who described himself as a major, became friendly and came to say farewell on Easter week-end. The major asked if he could get some American dollars in exchange for Guatemalan quetzals, the manager related, and said he was "shipping out."

A waitress said Cubans had visited her café regularly along with Americans. The Cubans stopped coming about two weeks ago, she said, but their American friends still appear.