145. Memorandum From President Kennedy to Secretary of State Rusk, Secretary of Defense McNamara, and the Administrator of the Agency for International Development (Hamilton)0
I am greatly disturbed at the apparent lack of control and coordination between our various programs in the international field and our seeming inability to assure that our political objectives are advanced by actions taken by AID or other agencies. I have specific reference to the announcement from New Delhi of the signing of a $250 million loan with the Indians at the very time when, in the United Nations, the Kashmir issue was being discussed and the MIG question was very much a live issue.1
In these circumstances, I believe it essential that, under the leadership of the Secretary of State, a procedure is developed to guarantee that before any major action is announced, such as an economic or military aid agreement, to explore fully its coordination with our foreign policy objectives. This procedure should precede any action. For example, I understand this week that Chile, Venezuela, Ireland2 and the UAR all abandoned an agreement that they had to sponsor the Kashmir resolution, leaving us holding the bag. It seems to me that some indication of our displeasure might be manifested by the slowing up of our AID agreements with those countries. Ireland finally came through.3
I would appreciate it if you would develop this procedure at the earliest possible time.
- Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Departments and Agencies Series, DOD, Vol. IV, 6/62. Secret.↩
- The Soviet Union had proposed the sale of MIG planes to India.↩
- The word “Ireland” was inserted by hand.↩
- The last sentence was added by hand.↩
- Kennedy’s signature appears in an unidentified hand, indicating Kennedy signed the original.↩