313. Memorandum of Conversation0

SUBJECT

  • United States Relations with Guinea

PARTICIPANTS

  • M. Telli Diallo, Emissary of the Republic of Guinea
  • The Acting Secretary
  • Mr. C. Vaughan Ferguson, Jr., Director, AFS
  • Mr. Mattew J. Looram, WE
[Page 681]

M. Diallo called on the Acting Secretary to present to him a letter from M. Sekou Touré, Prime Minister of Guinea, requesting United States good will, the establishment of diplomatic relations and support for Guinea’s candidacy for admission to the United Nations.1

The Acting Secretary said that he regretted that the Secretary was absent but that he was most happy to be able to receive the first representative of the Government of Guinea to come to Washington.

M. Diallo said that he felt that he was among friends and expressed his appreciation for the warmth of his welcome in Washington. M. Diallo referred to his immediately preceding conversation with Mr. Murphy2 and said that he did not believe he had had time to cover all of the subjects he had intended, and said that he was prepared to come back to Washington, if necessary, after the close of the current session of the UN General Assembly.

Mr. Herter said that be believed that all of the points raised in the Prime Minister’s letter had been covered in Mr. Diallo’s talk with Mr. Murphy. M. Diallo agreed, but said that there was one important and delicate question which he had not had time to discuss with Mr. Murphy, namely, technical and financial assistance to Guinea.

The Acting Secretary said that United States aid programs abroad must be the subject of negotiation and agreement between the two parties. He said that these are usually inaugurated by the sending of technical missions on the part of either or both countries. He said that the United States would be willing to take up the question of assistance to Guinea at the appropriate time. He added that the United States is not in a position to make any definite comment without knowing exactly what Guinea has in mind. The Acting Secretary went on to say that the Department would be glad to discuss specific requests but pointed out that it was still far from clear what Guinea would continue to get from France. He emphasized the fact that the United States hoped that Guinea would continue to draw the major part of its economic assistance from France.

M. Diallo said that Guinea was equally hopeful of continued French aid but that the French attitude in the past two months has not been encouraging. He said that Guinea had made many démarches without any reply. He pointed out that Guinea’s need is now and that the young state is going through difficult days with many unsolved problems and needs concrete proof of United States good will.

M. Diallo went on to say that it was in the long-time interest of the United States and the West in general to support the aspirations of the African peoples for independence and unity. He said that Africa [Page 682] needs the moral support of the United States. He added that he was aware of the natural sympathy of the American people towards emerging Africa, but he said he was afraid that our alliances would serve as a brake on our assistance to the emerging states of Africa. M. Diallo pointed out that it would be in the interest of the United States and its Western allies to intervene with France and point out to the French that the latter should guide rather than oppose African independence.

The Acting Secretary thanked M. Diallo for his frankness and complimented him on the eloquence with which he had presented his views.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.70B/12–158. Confidential. Drafted by Ferguson and approved by Herter.
  2. Dated November 11; not found. Herter replied in a letter dated December 17. (Ibid., 611.70B/12–1758)
  3. A memorandum of the conversation is ibid., 601.70B11/12–158.