291. Letter From President Eisenhower to President Kubitschek1
Dear Mr. President: On May 28, 1958 you were thoughtful enough to write me to express your own eloquent ideas for a dynamic joint effort in which all of the American Republics could devote themselves.2 I was happy then, as I am now, to join you in this hemisphere-wide effort which has come to be known as “Operation Pan America”.
During the past two years much progress has been made. The Committee of 21 has met twice, first in Washington and last year in Buenos Aires. The steering group for that committee, known as the Committee of 9, has just finished a successful meeting here3 where the basis was laid for the next meeting of the Committee of 21, scheduled for Bogota in early September.4 I am sure that we can count on additional concrete accomplishments in Bogota, especially in the field of: (1) financing economic development; (2) the role of technical assistance to achieve increased industrial and agricultural productivity; and (3) further consideration of commodity problems. I understand that economic studies which were authorized at the Buenos Aires meeting, and which have now been requested by eleven countries, are under way and that they will contribute importantly to the knowledge which we need for sound economic and social advancement.
Meanwhile, reports which have come to me regarding the progress being made in the structural organization of the Inter-American Development Bank are most encouraging. In less than two years, this Bank has been planned, its complex structure negotiated, and its charter agreed upon by 20 of our American Republics.5 Most of the first installment on its capital has been paid in and it is hoped that the first loans will be made prior to the end of this year.
Only three months ago it was a great pleasure to visit you personally in your fine new capital city of Brasilia, and later in your fabulous cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. The discussions which I held with you were most inspiring and contributed to the further review which I have been conducting, during and since that trip, of the [Page 778] situation in this hemisphere. I have now concluded that, notwithstanding our past efforts, we all need to exert additional strength in our common program to meet the challenge of this new decade during which our peoples are determined to progress to a new high plane of dynamic living, socially, economically, politically and spiritually. I wanted you to know that I will be announcing within the next few days something of the plans of the United States toward participating more effectively toward our hemisphere objectives.6 I hope to request authority of the Congress which will be coming back into session early next month to move ahead with this program.7
I am asking Ambassador Cabot to carry this letter to you personally.
With warm personal regard,
Sincerely,8
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, DDE Diaries. No drafting information is given on the source text. Delivered by Cabot to Kubitschek at Brasilia on July 14. The text was released by the Department and published in Rio de Janeiro.↩
- See Document 242.↩
- The Subcommittee of the COAS Special Committee To Study Formulation of New Measures for Economic Development (Committee of Nine) met in Washington, June 6–24.↩
- Regarding the meeting of the Committee of 21 at Bogotá, September 5–13, see the microfiche supplement to this volume.↩
- For text of the Agreement Establishing the Inter-American Development Bank, opened for signature at Washington, April 8, 1959, see 10 UST (pt. 3) 3029.↩
- For the statement read by the President and his replies to questions at a news conference in Newport, Rhode Island, July 11, pledging U.S. cooperation to promote social progress and economic growth in the Americas, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1960–61, p. 568.↩
- For text of the President’s Special Message to the Congress upon Its Reconvening, August 8, see ibid., p. 612.↩
- Printed from an unsigned copy.↩