The enclosed Policy Information Statement is forwarded to the Post for use as
outlined in Foreign Service Circular No. 49, November 18, 19532 and is also being transmitted to USIA and other interested agencies in
Washington for their information and guidance. You are requested to make it
available to appropriate officers of USIS
and other interested U.S. agencies assigned to your Post.
[Enclosure]
[Here follow an outline of the President’s itinerary and a listing of
those individuals accompanying him on his trip.]
[Page 275]
II. United States Policy and
Objectives
Begin UNCLASSIFIED
The purpose of the trip was publicly expressed in the White House press
release of January 63
which stated that the President is “partially fulfilling his long-held
desire personally to travel in South America, to meet the people and to
renew friendships with the leaders of the nations so closely allied with
the United States in the Organization of American States.” The release
further stated that the President hopes that the visit will serve two
purposes: “Publicly reflect his deep interest in all the countries of
the New World, and encourage further development of the inter-American
system, not only as a means of meeting the aspirations of the peoples of
the Americas but also as a further example of the way all peoples may
live in peaceful co-operation.”
End UNCLASSIFIED
Begin CONFIDENTIAL
There has been some criticism in this country and in Latin America that
the United States has given a higher priority to other parts of the
world and has paid too little attention to the needs and desires of its
close neighbors. The forthcoming trip should do much to dispel that
belief and to provide a dramatic stimulus to establish closer United
States relations with the countries to be visited and other countries of
Latin America.
The United States objectives and purposes in each of the four countries
follows:
Brazil
Because of its great size, strategic location, prominent role in
inter-American affairs and long tradition of close co-operation with the
United States, and the fact that relations with Brazil cooled in 1959,
the visit to Brazil has special significance. President Kubitschek visited the United States
as President-elect4 and
also met President Eisenhower in 1956 at the
meeting of American Chiefs of State at Panama. United States relations
with Brazil suffered a setback in mid-1959, due largely to Brazilian
insistence upon large-scale United States balance of payments assistance
to Brazil on her terms, a demand to which we could not accede. However,
they have improved in recent months. Brazil believes that the United
States has demonstrated only a lukewarm interest in the initiative
sponsored by President Kubitschek,
[Page 276]
called Operation Pan America,5 for a multilateral
approach to the economic development of Latin America. The Government of
Brazil continues in the belief that Brazil will soon become a world
power and ought to be consulted by the United States in important United
States foreign policy matters not directly related to United
States-Brazilian relations. A Presidential visit to Brazil, with
evidence of special regard for Brazil’s economic and political
importance in the Americas, will provide a needed psychological impulse
to improvement in United States-Brazilian relations.
Argentina
The United States Government and private United States banks are
assisting in the economic stabilization program which the present
democratic Argentine Government is carrying on against formidable
difficulties, and in the success of which the United States Government
has a distinct policy interest. A visit by President
Eisenhower may increase the prestige of the
Argentine Government and thus its ability to carry on this program.
Moreover, the President of Argentina, Arturo
Frondizi, came to the United States on a State Visit in
early 1959 and hence President Eisenhower’s trip is
in the nature of a return courtesy. The visit to Argentina is also
designed to point up the present warmth of Argentine-United States
relations, as contrasted with the often strained and even hostile
relations which existed during the Peron regime.6
Chile
Chile has long been regarded as one of the political and cultural leaders
of South America. Our relations with Chile are friendly and there exist
few outstanding important differences. The Alessandri Administration is committed to a democratic,
free enterprise system and has placed itself firmly on the side of the
West. Moreover, based on a proposal by President Alessandri, the Chilean Government is
actively promoting a meeting of Latin American countries most affected
to consider means of limiting arms expenditures to reasonable levels
consistent with the needs of national defense and hemispheric
security.
Uruguay
Because of its unique record of democratic stability, its long tradition
of friendship with the United States and with its neighbors, and its
devotion to Free World interests, Uruguay—one of the smaller
[Page 277]
countries of South America—is
particularly suitable for a Presidential visit. Furthermore, the present
Government of Uruguay, the first elected by the Nationalist Party in
almost 100 years, has consistently sought the closest possible
co-operation with the United States, reversing a trend toward coolness
displayed by the previous Government. At the request of the Uruguayan
Government, that country was placed at the end of the itinerary, since
under the collegial executive a new President, Benito Nardone, will take office on
March 1.
III. Special Considerations for
Guidance of U.S. Agencies and Officials
- 1.
- Although the President wishes that time would permit a visit to
all of the countries in the area, he has necessarily had to limit
his visits to a few contiguous countries in South America. While
there are additional reasons for exclusion of certain countries from
his itinerary, the selection of only four countries is based
primarily on the fact that the fundamental duties and
responsibilities of the American Presidency cannot be delegated to
permit long absences.
- 2.
- It is expected that the President’s trip will involve no
negotiations. While the President will be glad to confer with the
leaders of the countries visited on subjects of mutual concern, he
does not intend to negotiate solutions to problems. Moreover, while
leaders of the countries visited may raise the question of
additional loans or other assistance from the United States, the
President must not be expected to make new commitments nor alter
present United States policy regarding area problems while on this
trip.
- 3.
- The impact of the trip will be enhanced if emphasis is placed on
the importance which the United States attaches to the
inter-American system, the traditionally close relations among the
twenty-one American Republics, the growing importance of the Latin
American area and its individual nations, and the interest which the
United States has in assisting the peoples of Latin America to meet
their aspirations for higher living standards, increased economic
development, and democratic, representative governments.
- 4.
- The fact that the President has asked all of the members of the
National Advisory Committee for Inter-American Affairs to accompany
him is indicative of the importance both of the Committee and of the
trip.
- 5.
- While the trip is to be treated as part of the President’s larger
international mission of seeking direct contact and understanding
with other peoples of the world, and the Latin American trip is
linked with the other visits toward the achievement, in the
President’s words, of “peace and friendship in freedom”, specific
public comparisons of the President’s Latin America trip with the
President’s previous trip to the eleven countries of Europe, Africa,
the Middle East and South Asia should be avoided.
[Page 278]
End CONFIDENTIAL
[Here follows a statement outlining the purpose of the President’s
trip.]
