Office of the Historian

42. Memorandum of Conversation1

Washington, March 9, 1962, 10:15-11:20 a.m.

SUBJECT

  • Conversation with the President on AID Matters

PARTICIPANTS

  • The President
  • Mr. Ball
  • Mr. Bell
  • Mr. Dungan
  • Mr. Hamilton
  • Mr. Lingle
  • Mr. Coffin
  • Mr. Gaud
  • Dr. Chenery
  • Mr. Nicholson

[Here follow paragraphs 1-4, a discussion of AID administrative matters.]

5. There was an extensive discussion of the Alliance for Progress and the difficulties in getting it properly organized. Mr. Lingle stressed the need for a clear directive from the President to AID so that responsibility would flow in a direct line through the Office of the Administrator to the Coordinator of the Alliance (and a definition of responsibilities for the Alliance within the Department of State). The President explained his reaction to the chaotic picture that was presented in the previous meeting on the Alliance two weeks ago,2 but agreed with Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Lingle as to the desirability of the Alliance remaining within AID. It was [Page 98] agreed that the Alliance should be visible as a separate entity but not otherwise become a separate agency. The President said that the other AID regional bureaus would have to recognize the special position of Latin America in the AID program at this time and not feel neglected because of the emphasis being put on the Alliance. It was generally agreed that the main problem in getting the Alliance organized was to find a strong deputy for Mr. Moscoso who could take over most of the administrative work and leave him free for program decisions, negotiations, and external representation of the Alliance. The possibility of Mr. Nicholson’s being available as a Special Assistant to Mr. Hamilton to help organize the Alliance for Progress was discussed.

[Here follows paragraph 6, a discussion of AID administrative matters.]

  1. Source: Department of State, Presidential Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 66 D 149, January-March 1962. Confidential. Drafted by Chenery on March 10 and approved by the White House on April 20. The time of the meeting is from the President’s Appointment Book. (Kennedy Library) The meeting took place at the White House.↩
  2. See Document 41.↩