Office of the Historian

43. National Security Action Memorandum No. 790

Washington, August 25, 1961.

MEMORANDUM FOR

  • The Secretary of State

I have examined the question of the economic negotiations with Poland, and concluded that it would be desirable to come to an agreement incorporating the present State Department offer of 500,000 tons of grain and the Polish request for a promise of a review in the light of the actual size of the Polish harvest. I think the agreement to review should be used as a means of getting better performance from Poland in respect to: (a) information to the Polish people on American aid; (b) the selection of exchange students, which should be done by our Foundations, rather than the Polish Government; and (c) to the extent that the law permits, use of counterpart zloty on projects such as schools and hospitals, which demonstrate to the Polish people American concern for them.

John F. Kennedy
  1. Source: Department of State, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 72 D 316, NSAM 79. Confidential.↩