Office of the Historian
  1. Home
  2. Historical Documents
  3. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXI, Chile, 1969–1973
  4. Document 237

237. Memorandum for the Record1

Washington, July 6, 1971.

SUBJECT

  • Minutes of the Meeting of the 40 Committee, 6 July 1971

PRESENT

  • Mr. Mitchell (Acting Chairman), Mr. Johnson, Admiral Moorer, and General Cushman. Mr. Kissinger and Mr. Packard were unable to attend. Colonel Richard Kennedy represented Mr. Kissinger.
  • Messrs. Charles A. Meyer, Wymberley Coerr, Arnold Nachmanoff, Thomas Karamessines, and William Broe were also present.

1. Chile

The request for funds for the Valparaiso by-election in Chile made by the Santiago Station and endorsed by Ambassador Korry for $150,000 was approved by the Committee on 6 July 1971 following a discussion among the principals.

Mr. Broe summarized the importance of the election, noting that it was the first time the opposition to Allende had united and an Allende candidate victory might encourage a national plebiscite to abolish Congress and install a unicameral legislature.

Mr. Mitchell inquired whether the PDC raised any money on their own and also whether the money could be effectively utilized between now and 18 July.

Mr. Johnson thought $150,000 was considerable money for two weeks’ input.

Mr. Broe indicated the PDC was not particularly effective in raising their own funds and that much of the money would go to pay media, buy radio time, etc. He pointed out that the Chilean record was good and they notified us of their expenditures. [1½ lines not declassified]. He indicated that expenditures could be controlled by feeding the money in gradually.

Mr. Broe provided the following figures for the Valparaiso District to show the closeness of this election:

[Page 644]
1970 (Presidential) 1971 (Municipal)
PDC 33.7 Tomic Opposition 49.7
UP 33.3 Allende and
PN 33.0 Alessandri UP 48.3

The principals were convinced of the importance of the by-election and unanimously supported the funding.2

[Omitted here is discussion unrelated to Chile.]

Peter Jessep
  1. Source: National Security Council, Nixon Intelligence Files, Subject Files, Chile, Minutes of 40 Committee. Secret; Eyes Only. Drafted on July 8. A copy was sent to Mitchell, Packard, Johnson, Moorer, and Helms.↩
  2. The Christian Democratic Party candidate won a close-fought election against the UP candidate on July 18. (Ibid., Chile, 1971–1972)↩