Office of the Historian

332. Telegram From the Embassy in Guinea to the Department of State0

Conakry, December 20, 1960, 9 p.m.

298. Department pouch Freetown. CODEL Church1 met December 19 with Sekou Toure and Cabinet. Atmosphere notably cooler than on similar occasions in past particularly meeting with Harriman.2 First 50 minutes occupied by elementary lecture by Toure on Guinean history, geography, and civics. President apparently prepared continue this vein but Church and Kennedy3 broke in with questions which led to give and take. Following most important points to emerge:

1.
Church asked about arms shipments from USSR which he said had been mentioned to him by other African leaders who alarmed at build-up. Toure did not reply directly but admitted there large stock small arms in Guinea as well as some anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns. Said small arms would be stock of all villages in order arm whole population if need arose for national defense. Said he would make public announcement this effect shortly.
2.
Toure repeated old complaint US ignored his requests for arms and economic and technical aid. “If I listen to advice from one side, it only because nothing coming from other side.”
3.
Toure said early as “five years” ago (sic)4 was proposed to FRIA as largest potential consumer electricity that it build Konkoure Dam. There no response. Similarly no offers forthcoming from US or other Western nation since [garble] of his letter requesting aid for developing mineral and hydro-electrical resources.5 “Russians have offered build dam. Do you want me to refuse?”

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Obvious to CODEL as well as Embassy officers Toure distorting facts and slurring over truth in making above remarks. However Toure’s attitude seemingly one of indifference to what we might think. Left impression that he has all but written off possibility any significant cooperation with United States.

Morrow
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.1100–CH/12–2060. Confidential. Repeated to Moscow, Paris, Bamako, Dakar, Monrovia, Accra, Abidjan, and London and pouched to Freetown. Received on December 22.↩
  2. A senatorial delegation headed by Senator Frank Church of Idaho visited Guinea, December 17–19; despatch 158 from Conakry reported on the visit in detail. (Ibid., 033.1100–CH/12–2160)↩
  3. Former Governor of New York W. Averell Harriman visited Guinea in August as part of a fact-finding mission for Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy. Telegram 104 from Conakry, August 29, sent to Dillon for transmission to Kennedy, reported two discussions with Touré in which the latter set forth his philosophy of “positive neutrality.” (Ibid., 670B.00/8–2960)↩
  4. Edward M. Kennedy, brother of President-elect Kennedy.↩
  5. As on the source text.↩
  6. See footnote 3, Document 330.↩