Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Arab-Israeli Dispute; United Arab Republic; North Africa, Volume XIII

367. Memorandum of a Conversation, Waldorf Towers, New York, September 27, 1960, 2:05–2:45 p.m.¹

SecDelMC/84

New York, September 27, 1960, 2:05–2:45 p.m.

SUBJECT

• U.S.-Moroccan Relations

PARTICIPANTS

• U.S.
  • The President
  • Secretary of State Herter
  • J.C. Satterthwaite
  • Colonel John Eisenhower
  • Edmund S. Glenn (Interpreter)
  • H.R.H. Moulay Hassan, Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister
  • H.E. M’hamedi, Foreign Minister
  • Mr. Ahmed Guedira, Chef de Cabinet

The President opened the conversation by inquiring after the health of the Prince’s father, Mohamed V. The Prince replied that it was fine and that his father had sent his greetings to the President. He said he was also personally grateful to the President for receiving him.

The President in turn sent his warm greetings to Mohamed V. He said also that he wanted the Prince and his father to know what fine reports he had received of the conduct of the Moroccan General in the Congo (Kettani) who had demonstrated that he was an outstanding leader. In reply the Prince stated that the President was obviously aware of the difficulties facing all chiefs of mission in the Congo. He hoped that ways would be found of overcoming these difficulties.

The Prince then continued that he had a number of concerns which he would like to place before the President. Africa, he said, is in its formative stage. Most of the newly independent countries are underdeveloped [11/2 lines of source text not declassified]. There is much turmoil with some countries following one path and others another. The path they follow is of the highest importance. Morocco does not want to mix in the affairs of other countries but Guinea unfortunately seems to be following the wrong path, that of totalitarianism. Other countries such as Morocco are following the path of democracy. King Mohamed is insisting on this as demonstrated by the free municipal elections which were recently held and by his plans for instituting a constitution which will be submitted to a popular referendum before the end of 1962.

The Prince then asked, what is the future of Africa? First, he said, let’s look at North Africa, Tunisia for example. What would happen to that country should Bourguiba disappear? While Algeria, he continued, would one day be free, it would be highly desirable if it could be free soon. The leaders of this country who have become militarily minded will probably lead that country in the path of centralization. He is fearful of Soudan (Mali) because of Guinea’s influence there and because of the authoritarian tendencies of the RDA party. We can be sure, however, that Morocco will continue to be a democracy whatever happens.

The Prince continued that, as we know, Sekou Toure has just returned from a trip to the Soviet Union and China where he is reliably reported to have raised the question of military aid for Guinea. Some of this military assistance, including aviation material, has, according to information reaching the Prince, actually been delivered.

But more important to the future of Africa than the problem of armaments is that of a great need for social development and the necessary economic infrastructure. Morocco has such an infrastructure, fortunately, and the King believes that improvement along all these lines is the best way of defending its democratic future, not only militarily but against hunger and poverty. To accomplish this, the Prince continued, we need the help of free countries thinking as we do.

Because of the democratic attitude in many of the new African countries, the Prince continued, [2 lines of source text not declassified]. The foregoing, he said, are general questions in which we of Morocco have a great concern. He would be interested, he said, in the President’s reaction.

The President replied that the United States wants to help any country which wants to work along democratic lines. By this he meant countries which are not autocratic, respect the rights of the individual, are responsive to the will of the people and educate their people. We would like to see governments of this type develop all over Africa as this would bring stability to that continent.

We would like, the President continued, to keep the cold war out of Africa if at all possible. It is for this reason that he has recommended that the African countries endeavor to form an organization for their mutual protection as a means of avoiding the necessity of arming themselves and insuring that all their resources can be used for economic and social development.

As a country starts to develop along these desirable lines, the President said, it can be sure of our help, the details of which should be worked out by experts. The problem involved is, however, much vaster than that of Morocco itself—it is a problem for all the newly independent countries. It is for this reason that he has urged that, by and large, economic assistance be given through the UN. He does not, however, exclude the desirability of bilateral assistance as such to Morocco. He has countries in the heart of Africa particularly in mind but even here some bilateral assistance may be necessary.

[71/2 lines of source text not declassified] In general, however, he wished to emphasize that the United States wishes to act openly and through the UN in rendering assistance to African countries.

The Prince thanked the President for his words of friendship to Morocco. But, he continued, to some underdeveloped countries the UN serves as a nurse maid. Morocco has passed that stage. It is indeed suitable for Morocco to receive assistance from some of the UN agencies, such as WHO or FAO, but in general in order effectively to assist progress in Morocco it should be direct. [51/2 lines of source text not declassified] When we ask our friends for help it is not for the purpose of aligning ourselves with one bloc against another, he said, but in order to put ourselves in a position of helping to maintain peace. A good government must help its country to progress. If Morocco, which is the cornerstone of Africa, can improve its lot, so the rest of Africa will improve. In this connection he mentioned the Moslem religion of Mohamed V, who, he said, because of his stature as a religious leader respected by hundreds of millions of African Moslems, has been the backbone of order and progress throughout Moslem Africa.

In reply and as he drew the interview to an end, the President said that the United States is all for helping people who help themselves. He wished the Prince to assure King Mohamed that in his efforts to improve the lot of his people he will have the sympathetic ear of the United States. The details would, however, have to be presented before the appropriate people in Washington.

The Prince then quickly mentioned the conversation which his father had held with the President in Casablanca last December² and the plea which his father had made that the President should encourage private investment in Morocco. The Prince indicated that the President had spoken of the need for some kind of legal protection for such investments. He hoped the President would indeed encourage American private investment since his father, “who rules,” can be trusted to find a way to protect the investments.

On taking his leave the Prince extended the thanks of his father, Mohamed V, for the President’s warm words, following which photographs were taken of the Prince and the President. The Prince also invited the President to visit Marrakech after his retirement where, he assured the President, he would find both good golf and good hunting.

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.71/9–2760. Confidential; Eyes Only. Drafted by Satterthwaite and approved by S on October 5 and by the White House on October 7. Prince Moulay Hassan was in New York as head of Morocco’s Delegation to the 15th U.N. General Assembly. For Eisenhower’s brief account of this conversation, see The White House Years: Waging Peace, 1956–1961, p. 582.
2. See Document 362.