Office of the Historian

611.23/4–2153

Memorandum by the Acting Secretary of State to the President 1

secret
[Washington,] April 22, 1953.

Subject:

  • Appointment with the Peruvian Ambassador and Navy Minister on Thursday, April 23, at 12 Noon

Ambassador Berckemeyer will present Rear Admiral Roque A. Saldias, Navy Minister and special envoy of Major General Manuel A. Odria, President of Peru. Admiral Saldias, pro-United States and a leading figure of his Government, will present a letter (translation attached)2 from President Odria expressing his appreciation for having been awarded the Legion of Merit and discussing Peru’s position in her boundary controversy with Ecuador.3 According to the Ambassador, he will also present orally:

1.
Assurance of Peru’s desire for full cooperation with us in a uranium program.4 The Vice President of Peru5 met with the Atomic Energy Commission early this week on this matter, and a survey expedition will be arranged shortly.
2.
Peruvian concern over bills pending in the Congress to raise duties on United States imports of lead, zinc and tuna fish. Increased duties would seriously affect Peruvian exports and would be interpreted by Peru as contrary to a United States policy of friendship and economic cooperation.
3.
Peruvian preoccupation over the Bolivian situation6 and her conviction that Argentina is attempting to create political and economic difficulties for Peru, principally through withholding needed food shipments and infiltration efforts by Peronista labor activities.

A statement by you expressing satisfaction over Peru’s sound economic progress and affirming our serious interest in and desire for continued cooperation with Peru would be reassuring to Odria’s friendly government.

Walter B. Smith
  1. Drafted by Mr. Dorr, with the assistance of Deputy Director Bennett.↩
  2. No attachment was found with the source text.↩
  3. Documents pertaining to this subject are in file 622.233.↩
  4. Documents relating to the development of a uranium program in Peru are in file 823.2546.↩
  5. Héctor Boza.↩
  6. Reference is to a Bolivian land reform program in areas along the border between the two countries. In a memorandum of conversation with Assistant Secretary Mann, dated Apr. 20, 1953, Ambassador Berckemeyer stated that this program “created serious problems for his country as the Aymará Indians, the ones affected, were present in both countries.” (723.00/4–2053)↩