289. Despatch From the Embassy in Brazil to the Department of State1
REF
- Embdesp. No. 689 of January 7, 19602
SUBJECT
- Quarterly Political Review (January 1, 1960–March 31, 1960)
- [Here follows an outline listing the subjects in the despatch.]
1. U.S.-Brazilian Relations
A series of events concentrated in the first quarter of 1960 combined to effect visible improvement in U.S.-Brazilian relations which, toward the end of the period, in an address to the American Chamber of Commerce in Brazil, President Kubitschek characterized as never better.3 While the President’s statement is a friendly exaggeration, it is entirely valid for the immediate present and marks a reversal in the unfavorable trend apparent for a number of years past. The change is, of course, relatively superficial in that few of the basic differences which led to deteriorating relations have been solved, but the psychological groundwork now exists on which a more permanent relationship can be constructed.
The visit of President Eisenhower which was principally responsible for this change galvanized the attention of all Brazil for days before and after his presence in the country. Despite some minor press and other criticism about too many secret service agents who occasionally had difficulty in making the need for their presence understood, and the President’s retinue of planes, cars and helicopters (which led some Brazilians to express disappointment that he was less of a guest of the Brazilians than an independent visitor), the favorable impact was real and basic. One Brazilian noted, in what is believed to be a fair estimate, that the President’s visit brought back to Brazilians the feeling of close kinship with Americans which they had before and during the second world war, but which has eroded away in the past 15 years. This same Brazilian cautioned that this sense of kinship would not [Page 772] endure indefinitely and needed firm evidence of continuing U.S. friendship and faith in Brazil without which relations would again soon worsen.
One of the most impressive of the President’s successes in Brazil was his address to the Congress which continues to excite comment from people high in executive and legislative branches of the government for its tone of warm friendship, its recognition of maturity and responsibility in the Brazilians. Its enlightened approach provoked the applause even of many ultra-nationalists, some of whom have active flirtations with the Communists.
U.S. aid to victims of the disastrous floods in the Northeast also contributed to deepening the feeling of renewed U.S. interest and friendship for Brazil.
On the less publicized side, but not without its importance, was the visit of ex-Governor Adlai Stevenson.4 Stevenson apparently satisfied the desires of hundreds of intellectuals of many varieties including journalists, politicos, writers, educators and government officials to see, hear and, if possible, to speak to the leader of the Democratic party whose fame as a thinking man has spread far beyond the borders of the United States. His willingness to listen to the problems and observations of his audience and his ability to give advice not necessarily pleasant but in inoffensive terms, made a real and favorable impression on key elements in Brazilian life.
That the atmosphere of understanding and friendship had improved perceptibly became apparent, if through no other means, by the fact that President Kubitschek considered it useful politically to make a major address on March 28,5 on U.S.-Brazil relations before the American Chamber of Commerce in Brazil in which, inter alia, he extolled the virtues of private enterprise. That he sought the invitation gave added significance to the President’s address.
Foreign Minister Lafer’s visit to Canada and the United States gave an impression of continued activity in Brazil-U.S. relations, but so far as the Brazilian Government is concerned must be considered on the debit side. One member of the Foreign Minister’s party, presumably reflecting Lafer, informed an Embassy officer that the results were disappointing, the communiqué on the visit in Washington largely meaningless, giving as the reason that Secretary Herter was so preoccupied with the Cuban situation that it was not possible to discuss Brazilian and other hemisphere problems in any depth.
[Page 773]It may be anticipated that the prevailing “era of good feeling” will carry through most of the campaign period and that the climate will continue to be less propitious for anti-American or opportunistic politicos to attack the United States. However, the suspicion of the U.S. engendered as a result of Janio Quadros’ trip to Cuba (see below) may work against this trend.
[Here follow items II–VII regarding subjects other than U.S.-Brazilian relations.]
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 732.00/4–2060. Confidential. Drafted by Raine.↩
- Despatch 689 contained the Quarterly Political Review (October 1–December 31, 1959). (ibid., 732.00/1–760)↩
- A report on Kubitschek’s March 24 speech before the American Chamber of Commerce and the American Society of Rio de Janeiro, and a copy of the speech in Portuguese were transmitted to the Department under cover of despatch 972 from Rio de Janeiro, April 6. (ibid., 611.32/4–660)↩
- Adlai E. Stevenson, Governor of Illinois, 1949–1953, and nominee of the Democratic Party for President in 1952 and 1956.↩
- Reference presumably is to Kubitschek’s speech; see footnote 3 above.↩