796.00/3–2254: Telegram
No. 354
The Ambassador in the Philippines
(Spruance) to the Department of State
2079. Reference Department’s A–2871 Embassy has read document and concurs generally therein. Assumes Department will bring up-to-date on such matters as recent appointments.
Our reaction this document is it may be somewhat over optimistic and underestimates difficulties faced by Magsaysay. He has been in office less than three months and is faced with lack of capable and dependable men who think as he does and will support [Page 583] his policies. This is particularly true in Congress where many even of his own party not notably enthusiastic about some of his ideas and some perhaps would not be unhappy to see him fail.
Reference in document to majority control seems misleading. He is independent minded and cannot be fooled long, but he must have better men around him to accomplish what he wants to do. His field of choice is sharply limited and some time may elapse before he gets a good working team. There are age-old problems in the Philippines which he hopes to solve and we think it would be a serious error on part of US Government to assume that he can accomplish miracles over night or to write him off as a failure if he does not do so.
On suggestions US course of action, Embassy believes maximum effort must be made to avoid appearance of seeming to tell Magsaysay what to do. There are elements who would be only too happy to attack Magsaysay if they can get a good issue. From their point of view the best possible issue would be his relations with US. The best charge would be he is an American stooge. Embassy feels therefore extreme care must be used not to take advantage of his eagerness to do what we suggest. He himself may not appreciate the dangers of this.