386. Letter From Secretary of State Dulles to President Magsaysay1
Dear Mr. President: Ever since you handed me at Manila your letter of March 15,2 I have been thinking about it. I know that the United States has in you one of its best friends. Also, I hope you know that we are your friends. You have, as you say, repeatedly risked your political fortunes on the issue of close relations with the United States. It is a matter of the greatest satisfaction to us that whenever this has happened, the Philippine people have overwhelmingly backed your position. I believe that, in the Philippines, as in this country, the instinct of the people is far more sound than the carpings of political opponents, or press reporting which emphasizes the sensational and the controversial because that is news, whereas when people agree, that is not news.
I do not wish you to think that the United States takes for granted this friendly relation which you exemplify. We prize it most highly and hope always to deserve it.
You refer to a chart published by the Chicago Tribune which you say shows that the Philippines “received the least amount of aid from you”. But actually, as I explained yesterday in answer to a question at my Press Conference,3 the chart picks the 10 countries which have received the most and lumps together the many other countries, some 45, which received much less assistance than the Philippines.
It is, I think, worthy to note that even this chart shows that, of the many countries we help, the Philippines is near the top of the list.
However, the chart is inaccurate in that it indicates only about $900,000,000 of aid to the Philippines. The correct figure is approximately $2,600,000,000 if direct aid, payments to individuals, loans and credits, and other dollar payments are included. I enclose a memorandum4 showing the make-up of this figure. This is exclusive of military aid. In this connection, it should be recalled that the United States, under our Mutual Security Treaty, assumes a very considerable part of the burden of defense which would otherwise [Page 646] fall upon the Philippines alone. Your Republic is in an exposed position and the full force of the United States is committed to its defense. This is no inconsiderable asset.
Also, as I announced when in Manila, we now plan to assist in making Manila the great nuclear research center for Asia.
The particular problems you mention will receive our most careful consideration. We cannot, under the law, dip into the President’s Emergency Fund for rural development but we can, I think, place increasing emphasis on rural development as part of our regular ICA program. I am having this studied.
The question of financial claims has been discussed by you with our Chargé d’Affaires5 since your letter was written. I enclose a brief memorandum setting forth the status of our study of this subject.6
Let me emphasize, as I said to you, that our military and economic aid is not dispensed on the basis of friendship. Such a criterion would be impossible to apply, both because friendship does not lend itself to measurement in terms of dollars and cents, and also because our program does not represent a desire to be generous and give away presents. Rather it is a willingness to do what seems necessary to assist those countries which are endangered and which cannot do what you and I would want them to do unless we help them.
Today the great bulk of our aid goes to Korea, Taiwan and Indochina—where it helps us both. These countries are in the front lines and are directly faced with the Communist military threat. On the other hand, we have virtually no mutual assistance program for Latin America, although we have many friends there and although they sometimes reproach us because they do not significantly share our program. They, happily, are not today in the front line.
It is extremely difficult to raise in this country funds for the assistance of other nations. This money comes from taxpayers and our taxes are very close to an all-time high. Never, I suppose, in history has there been an example of a people taxing themselves so heavily and for so long as we are doing in order to help to keep freedom alive in the world.
We surely count the Philippines an area where freedom must survive and we are proud of the fact that you are doing so much to assure that, and I think you too can be proud of this. Also as I said at the dinner you graciously gave me, I believe the Philippines by its conduct and example, and in association with other Asian nations, can play an even more conspicuous part in helping to keep freedom alive in Asia. If we were more actively working together in this [Page 647] effort, we would, I believe, have more fellowship and less controversy.
Our two countries are comrades, not as a matter of expediency but because we deeply believe in a common cause. You personally are one of the world’s great examples of that cause, and we share the pride which the Philippine people take in you. We shall not let you down. But please also do not let us down by giving credence to criticisms, often malignant or misinformed, which are resented by the American people who feel that what they have done and are doing deserves better recognition.
Sincerely yours,
- Source: Department of State, SPA Files: Lot 61 D 26, Philippine Attitudes Toward United States. Personal and Confidential. Transmitted to Manila in telegram 3670, April 24. A copy of that telegram in the Eisenhower Library indicates that it was drafted by Dulles and cleared by Sebald and Hoover.↩
- Document 383.↩
- For a transcript of this press conference, see Department of State Bulletin, May 7, 1956, pp. 750–751.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Charles R. Burrows.↩
- Not found in Department of State files.↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩