290. Memorandum for the Portuguese Desk Files0
October 17, 1960.
SUBJECT
- Ambassador Elbrick–General White Meeting
Ambassador Elbrick met with General White, C of S USAF, today at the Pentagon to discuss a number of points relating to Portugal. Col. Artwohl (OSD/ISA) and Mr. Valliere (WE) were also present.
- 1.
- Ambassador Elbrick suggested that an early invitation to General Freitas, the new Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Air Force, to visit the U.S. would be beneficial in cementing the already close relations between General Freitas and American officials. General White agreed. He immediately had his schedule checked and informed the Ambassador that he would send an invitation to General Freitas in the near future to visit the U.S. next Spring.
- 2.
- Ambassador Elbrick referred to the Lajes base on Terceira Island in the Azores and stated that he assumed that U.S. strategic planning continues to deem the retention of our base privileges there important. General White emphasized that the Azores base was still considered to be most important, even vital, in filling a U.S. strategic requirement.
- 3.
- Ambassador Elbrick then stated that with the negotiations for the renewal of our base agreement with Portugal coming up in 1961, the [Page 644] Portuguese will undoubtedly want a quid pro quo for their cooperation. This might take the form of a request for U.S. support for and assistance to Portugal in its efforts to retain its African provinces, although Ambassador Elbrick pointed out that this most likely would not be acceptable to the U.S. The Ambassador then reiterated Portugal’s adamant intent to hold its African territories, with special reference to Angola’s contribution to Portugal’s balance of payments. He also noted that the U.S. has been granted permission by the Portuguese to utilize port and airfield facilities in Angola in connection with its missile tracking program. In addition, the Portuguese place great importance on the necessity of the West retaining a position of control in Africa in the face of the Communist threat. The Ambassador then asked General White for his views on the military importance of Africa. General White stated that he had prepared a study on Africa for the JCS two years ago.1 He said that the African situation at the present time is one for political rather than military decisions and that military views were peripheral. [7–1/2 lines of source text not declassified] He then expressed the hope that when the Azores agreement was renegotiated the Portuguese would restrict its quid pro quo to requests for “hard” items, such as trainers and cargo planes. General White assured the Ambassador that the Air Force would certainly do its share in meeting Portuguese requests along these lines. Ambassador Elbrick expressed his agreement with White’s suggestion that the U.S. should be preparing to go into Africa with programs to keep those territories aligned with the West. He pointed out that he made the recommendation some months ago that the U.S. should, for example, enter into a technical assistance program to help the Portuguese improve conditions in their African Provinces.