Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, American Republics, Volume V

256. Telegram From the Embassy in Brazil to the Department of State¹

Rio de Janeiro, August 7, 1958—4 p.m.

230. For the Secretary. On your departure last night I rode back from airport with President Kubitschek, Foreign Minister, Finance Minister and Ambassador Peixoto. President and Foreign Minister questioned me closely (and apparently somewhat apprehensively) about whether you were “satisfied” with results of your visit and what is your “real opinion” about Operation PanAm. From tenor of remarks I gather they referred to your observations yesterday morning to President regarding draft to be circulated (after text agreed upon by Brazil and United States) to other American Republics,² plus certain observations to other Brazilian officials by Rubottom.³

I replied that I knew you were gratified to have made trip, highly pleased with reception, and sincerely appreciative of warm and generous hospitality shown by President and all his associates concerned. Operation PanAm I reminded President—and later last night in private talk with Negrao de Lima—that you had expressed certain reservations about draft and had said those would shortly be supplemented by detailed comments from Washington.

[3 paragraphs (22 lines of source text) not declassified]

As generally germane to present situation, although not necessarily reflecting views of their separate governments, I gathered from conversations with LA colleagues in Brazilia this morning that whereas Ambassadors not especially happy over being dragged on such short notice into participating in “informal supper” at Palacioda Alvorbdo, nevertheless thesis of under development being root of all evil is likely to be catnip in many Latin American quarters. Hence quicker we can convert it to more acceptable nourishment, better that should be for our relations.

Finally, I questioned my Chilean colleague regarding legalization of Communist Party. Kubitschek obviously having Chile particularly in mind in his reluctance to include reference to communism in “Declaration of Brasilia”.⁴ His reply was not impressive. It did however fortify my conviction that insistence on conclusion of reference to communism was eminently sound in our relations with other republics, in addition to its importance regarding American public opinion.

Briggs

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 110.11-DU/8–758. Confidential; Priority.
2. The memorandum of conversation between Dulles and Kubitschek, designated STB MC/18, August 6, reads in part as follows: “In the Secretary’s opinion the draft is couched too greatly in vein of criticism of the U.S. for alleged shortcomings in respect of Latin American developments.” (ibid., 110.11-DU/8–658)
3. In a memorandum of conversation with Brazilian officials, designated STB MC/12, August 6, Rubottom was reported to have commented on the Brazilian draft aide-mémoire as follows: “He had some doubts about the almost exclusive emphasis on underdevelopment as the root of all evils including that of communism.” He also expressed the view that “too much credit was accorded to communist activities and too little of those of the free world.” (ibid.)
4. Reference is to the joint communiqué on multilateral subjects issued at Brasilia, August 6.