299. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, December 10, 19601
SUBJECT
- Brazilian Charge’s Call on the Secretary
PARTICIPANTS
- The Secretary
- Minister Counselor Carlos Alfredo Bernardes, Brazilian Chargé
- Wymberley DeR. Coerr, Acting Assistant Secretary, ARA
The Chargé said he had been instructed by his Government to urge the Secretary’s personal interest in stimulating action by the United States Government to supply Brazil immediately with wheat to avert an imminent and severe food shortage that could have grave political consequences in Brazil. He handed the Secretary a note in this sense, (attached)2
[Page 793]The Secretary said he knew of the gravity of the situation and that our Government had been actively exploring ways of meeting Brazil’s need, including the possibilities and problems under Public Law 480. He said he understood one of our main difficulties lay in the possibility that a specific agreement reached now with the outgoing Brazilian administration might be displeasing to the next and if altered would suggest that the United States had acted preferentially toward one of the two. The Chargé said he was sure his Government would be glad to present a supplementary note assuring that any agreement now reached would have no future effect as a precedent.3
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.3241/12–1060. Official Use Only. Drafted by Coerr on December 13. The source text bears the notation: “Approved by S 12/15/60.”↩
- Not printed.↩
- Telegram 828 to Rio de Janeiro, December 29, informed the Embassy that the Department and the Brazilian Embassy had exchanged notes on that day supplementing a former PL. 480 Title I Agreement to permit importation by Brazil of 500,000 tons of wheat through June 30, 1961. Because of the urgency of the request, certain criteria were waived which would otherwise have been required. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.3241/12–1360) For text of the Agreement, see 11 UST (pt. 2) 2559.↩