Office of the Historian

98. Message From the Secretary of State to the President1

Santiago, August 17, 1959—8 p.m.

Dear Mr. President: All over but the shouting. Tomorrow will wind it up and we leave early Wednesday,2 returning to Washington late that night. On balance, I feel the conference was very successful. The three proposals which we were the first to initiate in general terms3 were all reduced to concrete, satisfactory resolutions. The Cuban case, while skillfully handled by Foreign Minister Roa, was overdone and created adverse opinion. From now on Castro is going to be watched by all the American states with whom he lost much ground by stating this conference was nothing but a great conspiracy against him and by sending here his brother, Raul, who, incidentally, is still hung up in Peru. Rubottom, who has wide experience in conferences such as this, feels that the after effects will last for a long time and be very salutary. However, it will be good to get home.

Faithfully yours,

Chris4
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 371.04/8–1759. Confidential; Priority. Transmitted in Cahto 16 from Santiago, which is the source text.↩
  2. August 19.↩
  3. Reference is to Secretary Herter’s address before the second plenary session, August 13; see Document 94.↩
  4. Cahto 16 bears this typed signature.↩