337. Memorandum of Conversation0
SECRETARY’S DELEGATION TO THE SEVENTEENTH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
New York, September, 1962
PARTICIPANTS
- U.S.
- The Secretary
- NEA—Rogers B. Horgan
- Greece
- Foreign Minister Averoff
- Ambassador to the U.S. Matsas
SUBJECT
- External Assistance for Greek Defense; Gromyko’s Insulting Behavior
Mr. Averoff called on the Secretary at his own request.
He said he wished to let the Secretary know about the change in Greek tactics in the campaign to obtain external assistance for Greek defense, which has been necessitated because of Mr. Stikker’s illness. As he had told the Secretary on September 25, Greece had been counting heavily on Mr. Stikker who was a strong pillar of support. Foreign Minister Averoff had instructed the Greek representative at NATO to call upon all the other representatives himself. Here in New York, Mr. Averoff had talked very seriously with Foreign Minister Piccioni of Italy. He said he had couched what he had to say in the most friendly fashion but had argued very hard for Italian assistance. He said one of his arguments had been that Greece had never asked for reparations after the war when Italy was devastated. Now that Italy was rich again, they owed something to Greece. He said Piccioni had no reply except to laugh with Averoff who had made this argument, he said, in a joking way but felt it had force. Mr. Averoff said he had also spoken with Mr. Spaak, who he believed was personally sympathetic; but he wondered whether the Belgian Government policy would permit anything to be done. He made the point that even a little assistance from Belgium, perhaps in materials, should be a very strong stimulus for Italy to do more. He said he might be able to see Foreign Minister Luns of the Netherlands in Europe.
[Page 654]The Secretary indicated approval of these actions and said that this was the kind of initiative the U.S. had wished so that we would be in a position to support it.1
Mr. Averoff went on to underline the importance for Greece of obtaining this assistance for its defense needs. He said that it was, of course, partly a financial problem for Greece. He said that Greece had one and a half million people whose incomes were in the $50–$80 per year range; but, he added, the significance was also political. He said he was confident that Mr. Karamanlis would remain in power—that the regime was stable. He said, however, that the opposition was extremely bitter and “was attacking everything.” If assistance was not forthcoming, the opposition would argue that the Greek Government, having lost U.S. aid, had made a mistake in placing its confidence in NATO. The Secretary bantered with him concerning U.S. aid, pointing out that it was because Greece had been doing so well that it had lost one type of aid from us. Mr. Averoff agreed that progress had been made but said he only wished to say that it was not yet enough.
Mr. Averoff mentioned the fact that, when he had gone to Mr. Gromyko’s Reception, he had been greeted in a very unfriendly way. When Mr. Gromyko saw him coming, he had called out to him: “I see you are sharpening your knives against us.” Mr. Averoff said he had explained that Greece had lived in a very dangerous part of the world for over three thousand years and was only interested in keeping its independence. Ambassador Matsas stressed the public rudeness of Mr. Gromyko’s treatment.
- Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 65 D 533, CF 2153. Confidential. Drafted by Horgan and approved in S on October 7. The meeting was held at the U.S. Mission. The source text is labeled “Part I of II.” A separate memorandum of conversation dealing with Cuba is ibid.↩
- In Topol 505, October 12, repeated to Athens as telegram 433, the Department of State commented that it was encouraged by Greek efforts to stimulate donor contributions and instructed the Permanent Representative to NATO to follow up on Greek approaches, stressing U.S. support. (Ibid., Central Files, 871.5/10–1262)↩