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

343. Memorandum From the Secretary of State to the President¹

Washington, October 19, 1960.

SUBJECT

• Your Visit to Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, October 24, 1960

It seems to us in the Department of State that the principal objective of your visit to Ciudad Acuña is to renew the friendship the Mexican President has shown you and to assure him of United States support in his program for economic development and for raising the living standards of the masses of the Mexican people.

During the past year the people of southern California and other border areas have become increasingly alarmed over the illicit traffic in drugs, particularly heroin and marijuana, that crosses the Mexican border. Mexico has rejected the various new mechanisms that have been proposed to curb jointly the border drug traffic on the ground that they would authorize United States enforcement officers to operate on Mexican territory. Mexico has, however, made fuller use of existing liaison channels and recently made a number of arrests of well-known narcotics violators on the Mexican side of the border. If the Mexicans raise the subject, you may wish to comment favorably on these developments.

It would also be appropriate to mention your continued interest in the construction of Amistad Dam to be built near Ciudad Acuña. The formal agreement with Mexico authorizing the dam will be completed soon, permitting initiation at once of the detailed design of the structure and preliminary construction work.

A brief summary of some of the specific problems that might be raised by the Mexican party at Ciudad Acuña is enclosed. Also enclosed is the text of suggested remarks of greetings you may wish to make after your arrival at the Municipal Palace at Ciudad Acuña.²

Mr. Mann and I will be present during your discussions with the Mexican President and we would be glad to provide any detailed information on any of these subjects that may be necessary.

Christian A. Herter³

[Enclosure]

SUMMARY OF SPECIAL PROBLEMS

Proposed Gas Pipeline Across Northern Mexico Connecting Texas with California. The official Mexican oil monopoly has made a tentative agreement with the Tennessee Gas Transmission Company under which the latter would build a gas pipeline from Texas to Mexico across northern Mexico and into southern California. The Tennessee company has not applied for the necessary United States permits. The El Paso Natural Gas Company has applied for permits to build a pipeline wholly in the United States to supply many of the same southern California consumers. If the Mexican President asks your opinion regarding the Tennessee proposal, you might wish to say that the United States firm should apply for the necessary permits from the Federal Power Commission so that that agency can give the matter appropriate technical and other consideration.

Possible Sale of Feed Grains to Mexico Under Public Law 480. Recently an officer of the Mexican Embassy in Washington inquired of the Department of Agriculture regarding the possibility of purchasing $7.2 million worth of sorghum grains under Public Law 480 because Mexico’s corn crop will be below average this year and because Mexico could use the funds generated from the sale for its development. The Department of Agriculture gave a very discouraging reply on the ground that Mexico has dollars with which to pay for the grain and because the proposed agreement would prevent Mexico from exporting feed grains during the period of the agreement, a limitation which could be irksome to Mexico. If the Mexican President should raise this subject, you may wish to reassure him that the United States is willing to meet Mexico’s grain requirements if an emergency develops and if it is legally possible to do so.

1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Staff Secretary’s Records, International Series, Mexico. No drafting information is given on the source text.
2. Not printed.
3. Printed from a copy that bears this stamped signature.