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

PE–43. Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Rubottom)¹

Washington, June 9, 1960

SUBJECT

• Call of Prime Minister Beltran of Peru on the President

PARTICIPANTS

• The President
• Prime Minister Pedro Beltran²
• Counselor Theodore Achilles
• Assistant Secretary Rubottom

After an exchange of greetings, the President, saying that he had been disappointed with the turn of events in Paris,³ expressed hope that events since then, like the announcement of the Khrushchev visit to Cuba, would bring the American Republics closer together than ever—if so, this would be a constructive result.

Prime Minister Beltran said that he wanted to bring greetings from President Prado and to say how much the latter had regretted that President Eisenhower had been unable to visit Peru. He turned quickly from this point to comment on the deteriorating situation in Latin America, stressing the aggressiveness of the communists who were falling in line behind the Castro mystique. The latter’s slogans calling for “economic freedom” and “non-intervention in their internal affairs” attracted wide public support. Whereas the communists might have once hoped to get a foothold in Bolivia, now they were well established in Cuba.

The President raised two questions: 1. Would Latin America tolerate a Moscow-dominated government in the region? and 2. What does Latin America expect the United States to do? Are we supposed “to sit and do nothing?”. Mikoyan⁴ went to Cuba and signed a trade agreement; now Khrushchev⁵ is reported to be going.

The Prime Minister said that William Randolph Hearst, Jr.⁶ and Bob Considine⁷ had asked him similar questions a few weeks ago and he had honestly replied “I don’t know”. Now he is deeply concerned because the communists are acting aggressively everywhere, as in Peru where he recently had to deal with the crisis provoked by a mass demonstration in favor of a few students who were mistakenly placed with confirmed criminals in the prison.⁸ The demonstration was actually intended to bring down the government and the responsible cabinet minister did resign. In Ecuador an unpredictable man has just been elected President (Velasco Ibarra). The Prime Minister said that the communists complained about Berlin, but Cuba is much worse from the standpoint of the free world.

The President stated that the combination of government assistance and private investment in Latin America from the United States had been substantial, yet that message seems not to get across. The Prime Minister reflected for a moment, and said that perhaps we had concentrated too much on major capital investments and that we should now devote our assistance to projects going directly to the people so as to capture public opinion. The Prime Minister recalled the great western immigration in the United States. The Latin American people must now move to their unused land for the new opportunity they seek.

The President said that the communists seem to concentrate their efforts in the cities. He said that it was not an easy matter to settle new residents on land and that careful training was required. The Prime Minister referred to the great opportunity for Peru east of the Andes, a region which could offer a new life to their illiterate indigenous population.

The Prime Minister said that he understood from the press that the Bolivian President (Siles) had said, following the Khrushchev press conference in Paris, that Bolivia would be glad to have Khrushchev visit that country. He had been shocked by this.

The President stressed the need to get the best possible representatives assigned to the Council of the OAS, to give them additional work and opportunity, and to try to mold opinion throughout Latin America. He compared the OAS unfavorably with NATO, saying that perhaps we don’t take the OAS as seriously as we should. Our effort is designed to save a continent. We are not Latins, perhaps we don’t understand Latins as well as we should, but we are trying and we are willing to do more. Still there must be a joint determination to be free and to remain free.

The Prime Minister recalled his visit to Puerto Rico in 1958 at the time of Dr. Milton Eisenhower’s visit there⁹ and the sharp contrast which he noted as compared to the earlier visits he had made to Puerto Rico. The improvement was due largely to Mufioz Marfn’s having helped the lowest social levels. The Prime Minister returned to his line that “A showdown has to come with Cuba”.

The President referred to his recent discussion with Prime Minister Diefenbaker of Canada regarding that country’s joining the OAS.¹⁰ Diefenbaker is somewhat cooler to the idea than the Canadian Foreign Minister but said that Canada should have an observer at the OAS now. Prime Minister Beltran confirmed that the Canadian Foreign Minister had told him recently in Lima that he favored Canada’s joining the OAS.¹¹ The Prime Minister said that “time is not on our side”. “We must move faster in the OAS”, he added.

The President agreed saying that each country’s President should insist that the OAS take strong, imaginative and energetic action. It should be a “bastion of freedom”.

The Prime Minister, averting to the need to help the lower classes, questioned the Brazilian investment in its new capital. The President said it was one of the great experiments of the time—it could be a fine thing or a dismal failure. The Prime Minister had doubts but the President said that if the “carrot” attracted enough people to the rich inner land of Brazil, then Brasilia would succeed.

The Prime Minister reiterated his belief that the lower classes have to be assisted—fast. Mr. Achilles said that the lower classes need to have a stake in private property. The President said that man must be given an opportunity for both spiritual and material development. The Prime Minister said that his newspapers preached that line constantly. The President declared that we are all together and that no country could remain an island of freedom surrounded by tyranny. He referred to the Christian attitude which motivates the Americas and the Prime Minister said that Cuba was giving the lie to freedom. He finished by saying that “Time is of the essence”. The President urged him to state his views with the same frankness to the officials in the Department with whom he spoke, mentioning Mr. Dillon specifically because of his responsibilities in the economic field.

At the conclusion of the discussion the photographers came into the President’s office.

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 723.13/6–960. Confidential. The source text bears the notation: “Approved by the White House 6/27/60.”
2. Prime Minister Beltrán departed from Lima on June 7 to visit the United States for the ostensible purpose of receiving an honorary degree from Yale University, June 13. While in the United States he met with President Eisenhower, Vice President Nixon, Secretary Herter, and numerous other U.S. officials, bankers, and businessman. He returned to Lima on July 6 after a two-day visit to Colombia, en route.
3. Documentation on the meeting of the Heads of Government (Summit Conference) of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union at Paris in May 1960 is presented in volume VIII.
4. Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan, First Deputy Chairman, Soviet Council of Ministers, and Cuban Premier Castro signed an agreement in Habána on February 13 for Soviet purchase of Cuban sugar and extension of $100 million credit to Cuba. For documentation, see volume V.
5. Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev, First Secretary of the Central Committee, Communist Party of the Soviet Union; and Chairman of the Soviet Council of Ministers.
6. Editor-in-Chief and Chairman, Editorial Policy Board of the Hearst Newspapers.
7. Syndicated columnist.
8. In despatch 705 from Lima, May 26, the Embassy reported that Minister of Government and Police Carlos Carrillo Smith resigned on May 25 after a mass demonstration protesting confinement of three students, arrested on May 19, in cells with hardened criminals and sexual perverts. Minister of Education José Rubio Rolando also resigned on May 25. (723.00(W)/5–2660)
9. Dr. Milton Eisenhower visited Puerto Rico, July 24–27, during his trip to Central America, July 12-August 1, 1958; for documentation on the trip, see Document NI–4, footnote 4.
10. Prime Minister John G. Diefenbaker of Canada made an official visit to Washington, June 3–4; for documentation on U.S. relations with Canada, see volume VI.
11. In despatch 716 from Lima, June 2, the Embassy informed the Department that Howard Charles Green, Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs, visited Lima, May 27–29. (723.00(W)/6–260)