539. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, October 14, 19571
SUBJECT
- The Peruvian Prime Minister’s Call on President Eisenhower2
PARTICIPANTS
- The President
- Dr. Manuel Cisneros, Prime Minister of Peru
- Fernando B. Berckemeyer, Ambassador of Peru to the U.S.
- Theodore Achilles, Ambassador of the U.S. to Peru
- R. R. Rubottom, Jr., Assistant Secretary of State
Following an exchange of greetings, the Prime Minister recalled his meeting with the President at Columbia University in 1948 when the latter had bestowed upon him the Maria Moors Cabot Award in [Page 1082] Journalism. The President referred to the meeting of Chiefs of State in July, 1956, in Panama where he had had the opportunity of knowing President-elect Prado of Peru who had been accompanied by Dr. Cisneros.
The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the appointment and his pleasure at seeing the President in such good health.
The President commented that he was very much aware of the impact of the lead and zinc problem on Peru. The best solution to the problem, he observed, would be for prices to move upward, but so far this had not occurred. The affected interests in the United States, while relatively small, have brought great pressure to bear on the members of Congress and senators from several states. The President explained that the political problem had a very serious overtone as a result of the expiration this year of the Trade Agreements Act,3 one of the principal foundations of our liberal trade policy in the United States. The next Congress will consider extending the Act and possibly revising it. This is vital to him as President and to the entire United States and must be taken into account in dealing with the lead-zinc problem. The President then renewed his expression of sympathetic interest to the Peruvian Prime Minister but gave no indication as to the outcome of the matter.
[Page 1083]The Prime Minister expressed gratitude for the President’s comments regarding lead and zinc, adding that this industry had supreme importance for Peru.
When the Prime Minister arose to depart, the President invited the photographers to take pictures of the group.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.2311/10–1457. Official Use Only. Drafted by Rubottom on October 15.↩
- Eisenhower, dated October 11, Under Secretary of
State Christian A. Herter
noted that Cisneros, the
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Peru, was in New York to
attend the U.N. General Assembly session. He was expected to
visit Washington between October 14 and 15, Herter pointed out, and “has
expressed a strong wish to be received by you.” The memorandum
continued:
“Our normally fine relations with Peru have been under considerable stress recently, primarily as a result of the threatened increase in our duties on lead and zinc imports. Presentation of the Administration’s lead–zinc proposal to Congress caused heated attacks on the United States in the Peruvian press and Congress without parallel in recent years. Peru has been a strong supporter of the United States in international affairs, and its economic policies have been outstanding in encouraging private foreign investment. Any permanent deterioration in our relations would be most unfortunate.
“Assistant Secretary Rubottom and I believe that a call upon you by the Peruvian Prime Minister would be helpful in easing the stress which has recently developed in our relations with his country. Next to President Prado, the Prime Minister is probably the most influential person in the Peruvian Government. His attitude toward the United States is reasonably friendly but not warm. Should he be received by you, the fact would undoubtedly be widely reported in the Peruvian press and serve to demonstrate the interest of this Government in Peru’s friendship.” (Ibid., 033.2311/10–1157)
A briefing memorandum for the meeting with Cisneros was forwarded to Eisenhower by Herter on October 11. (Eisenhower Library, Herter Papers, Chronological File)
↩ - The Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1955 extended the Trade Agreements Act until July 30, 1958; for text of the 1955 Act, P.L. 86, enacted June 21, 1955, see 69 Stat. 162.↩