Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Africa, Volume XVIII

118. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Ethiopia ¹

Washington , April 11, 1957—7:47 p.m.

681. For Embassy and Richards Mission. Embtel 721.² Unable concur suggestion reftel for total Richards offer in magnitude of $10 million for following reasons:

1) Purpose of Mission in offering additional aid is to give tangible evidence US willingness assist countries subscribing to American Doctrine increase their ability to resist external and internal Communist threats. Effectiveness additional aid in meeting these objectives can only be judged in terms of projects for which funds will be used. Mission not in position, whether from standpoint its objectives or available funds, to substitute for normal process of providing assistance under Mutual Security program.

2) Important factors in determining amount supplemental aid offered by Mission are proximity of country visited to source of Communist danger and degree to which it actually threatened. Remoteness of Ethiopia from source of Communist influence and lack of present danger would not justify major increase in proposed additional aid under American doctrine. Emphasis by Richards Mission on aid to area directly threatened by Communism represents important contribution to security of Ethiopia and other countries on periphery.

3) Ethiopia has already been offered approximately $13.6 million for military, economic and technical assistance for FY 57. This amount considerably larger than aid for any previous year. Recommendations made to Richards Mission will add substantial increment to funds already available. These now include increase in supplemental military assistance from $1.6 to $3 million (details cabled by Defense).

4) Re Embassy suggestion for approximate $4 million increase in supplemental economic aid we are highly doubtful in view difficulties and delays in implementation existing $5 million program, that IEG is capable making effective use of an FY 1957 program almost twice as large.

5) We cannot concur with suggestion for assistance to Ethiopian Air Force at this time. If as appears possible IEG presents request for Air Force aid suggest Ambassador Richards reply that we have already agreed to make a survey (without further commitment on our part) and suggest IEG wait until they have opportunity to study results this survey before deciding upon their needs. In this connection Department expects IEG will probably try to link question of additional military facilities to request for Air Force aid. To side-step this issue would probably arouse Ethiopian suspicions. Suggest therefore Richards take initiative in reiterating US contribution to Ethiopian security and expressing hope IEG can expedite action on new facilities. Since US requirements for additional facilities not considered by Defense of such urgency as to warrant their use by IEG as basis requests for increased military assistance no indication should be given that US envisages IEG action on this matter will be conditioned upon any quid pro quo.

If Richards Mission believes necessary Department and ICA would consider additional project proposals for relatively moderate increase roughly equivalent in magnitude to that for economic projects now authorized for presentation.

As a general proposition believe African countries in peripheral position e.g. Ethiopia Libya Tunisia and Morocco should so far as possible not be offered amounts of assistance under American Doctrine which would invite invidious comparisons.

FYI Completion bilateral economic aid agreement highly desirable as basis for implementing any Richards Mission projects.

Herter

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 120.1580/4–657. Secret.
2. Telegram 721 from Addis Ababa, April 6, concerned the mission of Ambassador Richards, the President’s Special Assistant, to Ethiopia. Regarding Richards’ mission, see Document 17. The Embassy reported that Ethiopia expected to derive substantial military and economic assistance from the mission. Past Ethiopian disappointment with the level of U.S. help had led to a lessening of support for the U.S. position in the United Nations; decreased backing on the Suez question; and delayed in responding to the February 15 U.S. request for additional base facilities, which was linked to the Ethiopian plea for Air Force assistance. The Embassy concluded that the proposed aid package of $4,125,000 would lead to considerable dissatisfaction and, given the absence of Air Force assistance, would likely fail to win the desired Ethiopian concession of additional military facilities. Simonson endorsed the idea of taking some of the proposed aid items for 1958 and making them available in 1957. In any event, the Embassy did not consider a sum under $10 million to be sufficient. (Ibid.)