Office of the Historian

313. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Holland) to the Secretary of State1

Washington, August 30, 1955.

SUBJECT

  • Invitation for State Visit for President-elect of Brazil

Discussion:

A new Brazilian President will be elected on October 3, 1955, and will be inaugurated on January 31, 1956. For the reasons set out below I recommend that we obtain authority to invite the new president to visit the United States early in 1956; provided, that the elections are not characterized by violence or other factors which would make this undesirable. My reasons are:

1.
The invitation would constitute recognition of the peculiar importance of U.S.-Brazilian relationships in hemispheric affairs.
2.
Immediately upon his election the new president will be subjected to intense pressures from nationalistic, anti-U.S. sectors. Prompt extension of an invitation will somewhat offset these pressures and, perhaps, actually prevent commitments or decisions inimical to U.S. interests which might otherwise be made.
3.
Such a visit would give us an opportunity at the very outset of his administration to try to persuade the new president to a policy of close cooperation with the United States. The strength of the Communist party and of anti-U.S. sectors in Brazil; the great importance of the problems, such as amendment of petroleum code, Brazil’s economic policies, measures to stabilize the coffee industry, Defense’s needs for new bases in Brazil, which will arise during the period of the next administration there, justify the strongest effort on our part to establish at the outset effective working relations with the new president, whoever he may be.

Recommendation:

That you obtain from President Eisenhower approval for our extending immediately after his election an invitation for the President-elect of Brazil to visit the United States early in 1956 at a time to be agreed upon later.2

  1. Source: Department of State, OSA Files: Lot 58 D 42, Brazil 1955—Visits to the United States. Confidential. Drafted by Rowell and Holland. Sent through the Executive Secretariat (S/S).↩

  2. There is no indication on the source text whether the Secretary approved the recommendation at this time.

    In a letter to Rowell, September 8, Trimble noted that Ambassador Dunn was “heartily in favor” of inviting the Brazilian President-elect to make an official visit to the United States. Trimble observed that “it would seem desirable to have the tracks well greased in Washington so that an invitation can be extended to the successful candidate immediately after the election is over.” (Ibid.)

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