316. Memorandum of Conversation0
SUBJECT
- Conversation between Mr. Murphy and Mr. Telli Diallo, Appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea
PARTICIPANTS
- Mr. Telli Diallo, Appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Guinea
- Mr. Robert Murphy, Deputy Under Secretary for Political Affairs
- Mr. J. C. Satterthwaite, Assistant Secretary, AF
- William C. Canup, AFS
Ambassador Diallo opened the conversation by explaining that he hoped to initiate his mission to Washington1 in a spirit of friendship and cooperation, to which Mr. Murphy replied that the Department was conscious of its good relations with Guinea and assuredly would cooperate with the Ambassador. Mr. Murphy explained that the Department’s position should be clear and that it consisted of a desire to have close ties with Guinea, whose problems it understood and whose needs it intended to consider sympathetically. The Ambassador then pointed out the financial and personnel difficulties standing in the way of the establishment and staffing of a Guinean Embassy in Washington.
Ambassador Diallo set forth the guiding lines of Guinea’s policy, which he described as based on a consciousness of Guinea’s ties with the West and appreciation for Western culture. He pleaded for direct contacts between Guinea and the United States so that the latter country would not be prejudiced by the opinions of Guinea held by third countries. He added that Guinea will never intentionally take action to damage its relations with the United States, but that Guinea might be the victim of attempts by other nations to separate it from its Western friends. Mr. Murphy replied that, as an independent country, Guinea would be dealt with directly by the United States, that the United States intended to be frank in its dealings with Guinea and that we would not hesitate to question Guinea whenever doubts arose which affected our relations with it.
Mr. Murphy said that such a doubt had already arisen in connection with the Czech arms deliveries to Conakry. While professing to understand the reason for acquiring a certain quantity of arms, Mr. Murphy wondered at the circumstances which had caused such a large quantity of arms to arrive in Guinea at the same time as Communist [Page 686] bloc specialists and a Soviet diplomatic mission. He requested an explanation. The Ambassador referred to his press conference at the United Nations on March 18, and explained that Guinea had never requested arms of Czechoslovakia. Guinea had, he explained, made general requests for assistance for all nations in a position to offer it, and Czechoslovakia had come forward with arms. The Ambassador further explained that, although Guinea has an army of 2,000 soldiers and has 13,000 demobilized former French Army soldiers, it has no fear of attack nor projects for disturbing its neighbors. The acceptance of the arms, according to him, did not symbolize Guinea’s capitulation to any political terms which the Communist bloc countries might have in mind.
Mr. Murphy expressed surprise that Czechoslovakia had sent arms without first obtaining the agreement of Guinea or even showing the Guinea Government an inventory list. The Ambassador replied to this that Guinea’s trouble arose in part from a blatant French campaign to discredit Guinea in the eyes of the world. The discussion then passed to the reasons for the lack of fulfillment of the three protocols of association signed between France and Guinea on January 7. Mr. Diallo denied French statements that Guinea was reluctant to sign conventions with France, pointing out that Guinea needs French aid for many reasons and is basically well-disposed towards France. The Ambassador explained the French attitude towards Guinea as springing from a serious dilemma. In effect if Guinea succeeds in making independence work, it will act as a pole of attraction for states presently in the French community. Mr. Murphy asked what benefit France might gain from Guinea’s present difficult situation, to which the Ambassador replied that Guinea would become an object lesson to the states of the Community, in addition to which the French undoubtedly hope that a successor government to Sekou Toure’s could be enticed back into the Community. For this reason, the Ambassador said, France is pursuing a conscious policy of sapping Guinea’s strength and attempting to suppress Guinea in the international arena. The Ambassador complained that although Guinea asked France for permission to remain in the franc zone and offered the French buildings in Conakry for their Embassy, the French have not so much as shown the courtesy of helping the Guinean Ambassador in Paris to find decent office space. For this reason, the Guinea Government was convinced that France was working for Sekou Toure’s downfall. The Ambassador added that becuase of the withdrawal by France of its two-billion-franc 1958 treasury advance, Guinea did not have the funds to open its Embassy in Washington. Mr. Diallo said that in their precipitate departure the French had stripped the country of many essential items such as medical supplies.
[Page 687]Mr. Murphy then asked the Ambassador how long he would remain away from Washington,2 but the Ambassador’s reply was vague. It appeared that he would be gone at least 3–6 weeks and possibly longer.
Ambassador Diallo then mentioned his country’s need for United States assistance, stressing that an immediate program constituting a gesture and an indication of United States support was vastly preferable to a large aid program which might be several months in the planning. Mr. Satterthwaite replied that the Agricultural Attaché at Monrovia had been sent to study Guinea’s immediate food needs and that further studies of Guinea’s needs would be made as rapidly as possible. Mr. Murphy reminded the Ambassador that Guinea had not asked for precise and well-defined United States aid.
In conclusion, the Ambassador again pleaded for United States understanding of Guinea and its problems and asked if there were any questions remaining in Mr. Murphy’s mind concerning Guinea’s policies. Mr. Murphy thanked the Ambassador for his visit and asked him to explain to President Toure that the Department would be pleased to make contact with the President should he decide to pay a visit to the United Nations General Assembly next fall.