322. Memorandum of Conversation0

SUBJECT

  • Guinea

PARTICIPANTS

  • United States
    • The President
    • The Secretary
    • Ambassador John Morrow
    • Assistant Secretary Satterthwaite
    • Colonel Walters (Interpreter)
  • Guinea
    • President Sekou Touré
    • Saifoulaye Diallo, President of the National Assembly
    • Ambassador Telli Diallo
    • Louis-Lansana Beavogui, Minister of General Economy
    • Fodeba Keita, Minister of Interior

After an exchange of greetings President Eisenhower noted that Guinea had acquired its independence by peaceful means. It would however be unrealistic, he added, to expect the United States to interfere in those countries which are not yet independent. But in those countries which are independent we want to be helpful. Furthermore we deplore any actions which make Guinean problems more difficult.

The President reviewed the history of our relations with the Philippine Islands, pointing out that in the very early days of our occupation we made it clear to the Philippine leaders that it was our intention to prepare the Philippine people for independence. He himself, working under General MacArthur, had been given the task of organizing a Philippine Army. He also recalled that when the Soviet Union some years ago had described the United States as a colonial power because of its relationships with Puerto Rico, he had instructed our chief delegate at the United Nations to make it clear that Puerto Rico could have its independence any time it wished it. Puerto Rico however said no. The President also referred to the fact that we had been instrumental in helping Cuba acquire its independence.

Thus our own history of independence and of giving independence to others, President Eisenhower continued, makes it evident that we do not believe in dominating any other peoples. At the same time, however, we cannot stir up unrest in Africa or elsewhere. Nevertheless he wished to make it clear that the United States welcomes the emergence of independent states and is happy to welcome Guinea as the newest of such states. We desire to be helpful. In this connection he recalled that we ourselves were once a colony.

The President then noted that education usually has the first priority in new nations. He thereupon congratulated President Sekou Touré on his considerable accomplishments in this field since acquiring independence, especially his success in building new schools. He was, he continued, particularly delighted by the visit of President Sekou Touré and his party to this country. Our relations with Guinea will, he said, be direct and not influenced by third parties. At the same time, he added, we expect that Guinea likewise will not be influenced by third parties in its relations with the United States. He then told President Sekou Touré he would listen with great interest to whatever he might wish to say.

In replying to President Eisenhower, President Sekou Touré said that he hoped that the present lack of knowledge and understanding of Africa would soon be replaced by a fuller knowledge of that continent. Such progress as has been made in Guinea, he continued, is due [Page 700] to the simplicity and the honesty in the relations between the people of Guinea and its leaders. Referring to the referendum of September of last year, the people of Guinea voted “no”, he said, not just for Guinea but for all of Africa. This has been borne out, he stated, by the fact that virtually all those who voted “yes” at that time now want their independence. This, he said, is because by independence they mean confidence in themselves. Their real treasure lies in their honesty and in their will to work.

Continuing, he said, the Guineans have been completely frank with the French and the latter know exactly how the Guineans feel toward them. The French created many difficulties for the Guineans, ordering all their security forces, their teachers and technicians, in sum all of the French officials and advisers, back to France immediately. Moreover, the French removed from Conakry all their records including those of the courts. All this action was difficult enough but more important were the French efforts to ruin the economy of Guinea. Notwithstanding all this they had, as President Eisenhower remarked, made progress and had also acquired many friends around the world.

President Sekou Touré said they thereupon had to search for means to help themselves. Missions were shortly thereafter received from the Eastern countries who offered their help. Indeed so dire was their need that they would have accepted help from the devil himself at that juncture. These missions from the Eastern countries offered them barter arrangements of a type which they were able to accept. They also sent some 2500 rifles, three tanks, six tractors, a number of field kitchens and several thousand steel plows, all of which were given Guinea without their having made a request for them of any kind either orally or in writing.

The one country of which they did make a request, President Sekou Touré added, was the United States through President Tubman. Although they approached President Tubman several times they did not receive a favorable answer from the United States to their request for small arms for their security forces. They worked through President Tubman because Ambassador Diallo was not in the country at that time. (Note: President Sekou Touré was in error at this remark as Telli Diallo, who was later named Ambassador, was in the United States at least part of this period.) Moreover, President Sekou Touré added, the French were at this time introducing automatic weapons into the country surreptitiously and getting them into the hands of their former soldiers. In fact, he said, they had seized about a thousand of such arms. On this President Eisenhower smilingly remarked that this at least meant they were receiving arms for their security forces in this way.

[Page 701]

President Sekou Touré thereafter made the following comments: English has now been made compulsory in all their schools. Guinea continues to aid all countries seeking their independence. The French had nothing to fear from Guinea in the economic and cultural fields and could well have helped Guinea. All Africans are seeking their independence but the French are doing everything to prevent them from obtaining it.

President Sekou Touré then spoke with considerable eloquence of the greatness of the African continent and of its need for moral and spiritual, as well as material, aid. Guinea, he said, felt that it must aid in solving all these problems. Moreover all the other continents except Africa are now free. Africa is nevertheless obtaining its independence at the rate of four to six countries per year. He thought it would be in the best interests of the United States to aid all these countries on a continental rather than a piece-meal basis. Africa will inevitably move on to its final liberation. The measure in which the United States can adapt its policies to help Africa will redound to the credit of the United States. The only real concern of his visit is to make this understood.

President Eisenhower thereupon said that he would like to make one or two more comments. He mentioned a dinner which he had attended recently in Paris at which were present the Prime Ministers of the member states of the French Community.2 These Prime Ministers had told him that they had decided to remain in the Community. At the same time they had not criticized Guinea for not doing so. They felt that it was in the best interests of their countries not to create trade barriers but rather to continue to enjoy the advantages which the Community gave them. At the same time they mentioned the fact that the constitution of the Community still gave them the opportunity to choose independence. One of the Prime Ministers had indeed hinted that his state would probably so choose. The others indicated that they would remain in the Community. If and when they do decide for independence, the United States will try to be helpful to them.

President Eisenhower with great feeling then said that our belief in the brotherhood of man and our religious beliefs strengthen us in this faith. We will not violate our own traditions. Any and every problem presented to us by the new countries of Africa will be considered sympathetically.

In closing the conversation President Eisenhower commented that he had been very interested indeed in hearing President Sekou Toure’s remarks and of learning something of the needs of Guinea and of its domestic problems. He was confident that in the further conversations in the State Department these would be spelled out in greater detail [Page 702] and over a period of time during which they may wish to send some people here and we some to Guinea. It would, he said, be a privilege and not a burden for us to do all we could to help Guinea. Whereupon the interview, having lasted for an hour, was broken off at the Secretary’s suggestion by the taking of photographs.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770B.11/10–2759. Confidential. Drafted by Satterthwaite and approved in the White House.
  2. The conversation was presumably held in the White House.
  3. On September 2.