Office of the Historian

336. Memorandum of Conversation0

SecDel/MC/12
New York, September 25, 1962, 10 a.m.

SECRETARY’S DELEGATION TO THE SEVENTEENTH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

New York, September, 1962

PARTICIPANTS

  • US
    • The Secretary
    • NEA—R. B. Horgan
  • Greece
    • Foreign Minister Averoff
    • Ambassador Bitsios, Permanent Representative to U.N.

SUBJECT

  • Problem of External Assistance for Greek Defense
[Page 652]

Mr. Averoff reported that he was under instruction from the Prime Minister to express the latter’s distress on this matter. He said this was ground which had been covered before and he only wished to take time to make one point in this conversation.

He reported that the NATO reaction “had not been bad” at the meeting of September 12. He gave as an example that the Germans were hinting at $10,000,000. However, he wondered whether the United States could not find some way to participate. He said that Mr. Stikker had a number of suggestions for ways NATO members could participate: (a) in connection with the imports of the Greek Army; (b) in the building of national strategic works (NATO infra-structure). He explained that when Greece approached other members, the members had a tendency to parry the request with a question as to what the United States was doing. Mr. Averoff said that the Greeks were giving them facts and figures of the many forms of American aid to Greece, but that United States participation in helping to solve this particular problem would be most useful.

The Secretary expressed the hope that the Greeks would be taking the initiative with other governments. Mr. Averoff indicated that he would not do so right now. He said the rationale being used (Greece needs assistance because the Greeks are defending not only Greece but other members of NATO), is not a very effective one coming from the Greek Foreign Minister. It is an effective rationale coming from Mr. Stikker, and the Greeks are holding back only until after Mr. Stikker has moved in this direction.

The Secretary explained to Mr. Averoff that any United States initiative would not, in our opinion, be useful. He said he would look into the question as to what the United States might do with regard to the two types of participation Mr. Averoff had mentioned.

  1. Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 65 D 533, CF 2152. Confidential. Drafted by Horgan and cleared by S on September 27. The meeting was held at the U.S. Mission. The source text is labeled “Part IV of IV.” Separate memoranda of conversation covering Greece’s foreign relations with other states, the Yugoslav and Macedonian issue, and Cuba are ibid.↩