Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Western Europe, Volume VII, Part 2

331. Memorandum of Conversation⁰

March 23, 1960, 3 p.m.

SUBJECT

• Views on Africa

PARTICIPANTS

• U.S.
  • The Under Secretary for Political Affairs
  • Ambassador John Davis Lodge
  • Mr. Joseph C. Satterthwaite, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
  • Mr. Robert H. McBride, WE
  • Mr. Francis R. Starrs, WE
  • Mr. Fernando A. Van Reigersberg, LS
• Spanish
  • Sr. Fernando Maria Castiella, Spanish Foreign Minister
  • Ambassador Jose M. de Areilza, Spanish Embassy
  • Sr. Jaime de Pinies, Spanish Foreign Ministry

The Foreign Minister repeated during his conversation with Mr. Merchant many of the views on Africa which he had expressed earlier in his talk with the Secretary.¹ On the matter of Spanish troops in Morocco, he referred to the reduction from 60,000 to 5,000 stationed near Ceuta and Melilla. He mentioned that this troop reduction benefited the Spanish economy by saving the cost of these additional soldiers.

The Minister contrasted Spain’s position in Africa with France’s, pointing out that Spain did not have vast territories as did France. Spain’s territories were important because of their strategic location: e.g., the Canary Islands, with their ports, airfields, and now, by agreement with the United States, a missile tracking station, part of “Project Mercury”.²

Sr. Castiella mentioned that Spain was negotiating with Morocco to permit the provisioning of the Spanish troops and population of Ceuta and Melilla. He said that these negotiations were still secret.

He said that Spain had the best possible relationships with Portugal, which had many cares in Africa. Portugal had been quite surprised by the Belgian decision to give independence to the Congo on July 1, 1960, the Foreign Minister remarked. Belgian Foreign Minister Wigny had told Portuguese Foreign Minister Mathias (who had told Castiella), that Belgium had so decided because no Belgian was ready to die for the Congo. The Spanish and Portuguese felt more strongly about retention of their African territories, the Minister remarked, noting that Belgium had been present in Africa only since the end of the nineteenth century, while Spain’s interest in Africa dates from Roman times. Like Turkey, the Iberian countries are “on horseback between two continents” and this accounts for their special ability to understand the mentality of Africans, particularly North Africans.

The Minister turned to the subject of the awakening of “Black Africa”. He noted the recent creation of 12 or 13 new states and the problem that the large number of African votes in the United Nations would cause if some formula for dealing with the problem of votes by African states were not devised.

Sr. Castiella characterized Spanish Sahara as an area half the size of Spain inhabited by about 19,000 nomads without culture or civilization. Spain is now trying to develop this territory, he said, and has the collaboration in this task of US oil companies which have been granted 90 percent of the petroleum exploration rights.

Mr. Merchant recalled that when the President visited Morocco on his good will trip in December, he informed the Moroccans of our agreement to evacuate the military bases by the end of 1963. The United States hopes that the balance of its stay in Morocco will be pleasant and that we will have the cooperation of the Moroccans. While the French regard our decision to evacuate as creating difficulties for them, we were, in fact, in continuous communication with them on the problem. The issue between the French and us on evacuation was basically a difference in judgment of what had to be done to keep our installations there, which we consider important for free world security, and to maintain our investment. Mr. Merchant remarked on the influence, ties and interests which France and Spain have in Morocco, and said he hoped our three countries could cooperate to keep Morocco friendly to us and closely bound to the free world. Mr. Satterthwaite added that the United States, Spain and France must continue to contribute to the economic development of Morocco. The United States will continue to keep its aid to Morocco at a high level, partially as a form of reimbursement for our bases there. We hope it will be possible to use certain military facilities in Morocco even after evacuation is completed.

In reply, Sr. Castiella said that the French are very discouraged over the experiences of their nationals in Morocco. The French Foreign Minister told him recently that 30,000 French nationals are quitting Morocco each year, disillusioned with the instability of the Moroccan Government. Some actually feel that their lives are in danger there. The vacuum left when the French depart is being filled by Soviet citizens and Chinese Communists, the Minister added.

On the question of United Nations membership of the new African states, Mr. Satterthwaite said that as long as the Algerian situation remained unsolved, a real problem exists in United Nations voting, since it is hard to see how any country of Africa south of the Sahara could vote along with France on any question touching Africa or colonialism. Once the Algerian problem is settled, there would be no African voting bloc. Nigeria and the former French territories would be particularly inclined to vote along with the European nations. Mr. Satterthwaite said the United States was encouraging France to try to arrange the formation of large rather than small units out of what was French West Africa. Four states of French Equatorial Africa may form a federation. On the other hand, the present Belgian Congo might break up into as many as six separate states. Mali and the Malagasy Republic might apply for United Nations membership this year, and Sierra Leone in 1961. Togo, Somalia and Nigeria would also request United Nations membership in 1960.

Mr. Satterthwaite referred to the white settler problem in East Africa, pointing out its similarity in many ways to the problem of French residents of Morocco. A solution seems to have been found in Kenya, but we do not know what will develop in Rhodesia and Nyasaland, for example.

In answer to a question from Ambassador Lodge, the Minister spoke of the large number of persons of Spanish descent in Algeria. Oran is still largely Spanish in population, after having been a Spanish city from 1515 to 1791.

0. Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 64 D 559, CF 1616. Confidential. Drafted by Starrs and approved in M on April 5. See also Documents 328–330.
1. See Document 322.
2. See footnote 4, Document 316.