Office of the Historian

425. Memorandum of a Conversation, White House, Washington, October 3, 1960, 11:30 a.m.1

Washington, October 3, 1960, 11:30 a.m.

SUBJECT

  • United States-Tunisian Relations

PARTICIPANTS

  • United States:
    • The President
    • J.C. Satterthwaite, Assistant Secretary of state for African Affairs
  • Tunisia:
    • Mongi Slim, Ambassador to the United States
    • Habib Bourguiba, Jr., Ambassador to France

Ambassador Slim opened the conversation by recalling that the President during his visit to Tunis suggested that President Bourguiba might write him directly any time he had any problem he would like to take up with him. President Bourguiba now had such a problem and was sending him a letter by his son, Ambassador Bourguiba. The latter thereupon handed the President a long note in French, with English translation attached.2

After studying the note carefully, the President replied that this was the first notice he had had that our present assistance to Tunisia was insufficient. He could assure his father, however, that his letter would be studied carefully and urgently by the State Department, particularly by Under Secretary Dillon, in order to see what we can do, and that he would receive a prompt reply.

The President went on to say that he had difficulty in making Congress see the importance of assisting countries who think as we do since Congress is inclined to look at foreign assistance as charity of some kind. He wanted his visitors to know nevertheless that we do indeed wish to help Tunisia.

The President asked Ambassador Bourguiba to convey his greetings to President Bourguiba, to thank him for letting him know his problem and to assure him we would do what we could. He also wanted President Bourguiba to know that the horse which he had given him was at Gettysburg, that it was in fine shape and that his grandchildren loved it.

On taking his leave, Ambassador Slim remarked that this was the first opportunity he had had to congratulate the President on his speech to the United Nations.3 It contained a great many excellent proposals, he added, especially those relating to assistance to the newly independent African countries. The President thanked him and said that it was important that these new countries should remain free. Some of the African leaders seem to think it is safe to receive Soviet assistance without understanding the dangers. Ambassador Slim replied that he thought there were only a few of these leaders, as most of them had had their eyes opened by the situation in the Congo. Both he and Ambassador Bourguiba had been there and had seen it themselves. The President asked how many troops Tunisia had sent to the Congo. Ambassador Bourguiba replied that there were 3,000 Tunisian troops who had been serving in Kasai, the most difficult area of all. [Page 903] Ambassador Slim commented that these 3,000 Tunisian troops had been sent in spite of the fact that they were badly needed on the Algerian frontier.

The President asked if the situation had not improved along the border and the reply was that it had not. Ambassador Bourguiba remarked that it was a shame, since France had such great values to offer with its presence in Algeria, that it was determined on following its present course. In this connection the President remarked that he had told a former French Government that he thought it would be much better off if it reached an economic agreement with Algeria and let it have its political independence.

Reverting to the question of African leaders the President asked his visitors if they were acquainted with President Olympio. He had made a most excellent impression on him as a leader who is not consumed by his own ambitions and who is determined to lead his country along the right path. Ambassador Slim and Ambassador Bourguiba replied that they did indeed know President Olympio and held him in highest regard.

Note: After leaving the President, Ambassador Slim was asked if he would have anything to say to the press. He replied “not a word” since they had come simply to deliver a message from President Bourguiba to President Eisenhower.

  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Staff Secretary Records, International Series. Confidential; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Satterthwaite. Another copy of the memorandum notes that the White House approved it on October 6. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.72/10–560)↩
  2. A copy of the English translation is in Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. It bears Eisenhower’s notation: “Unofficial Translation. Original to State for study & to advise me. DE.” No copy of the French text has been found.↩
  3. Eisenhower’s September 22 address before the U.N. General Assembly is printed in American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1960, p. 60.↩