Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XIII, Western Europe and Canada

327. National Security Action Memorandum No. 60⁰

Washington, July 18, 1961.¹

TO

• The Secretary of State

SUBJECT

• U.S. Actions in Relation to Portuguese Territories in Africa

The President reviewed the report of the Presidential Task Force on Portuguese Territories in Africa, dated July 12, 1961,² and approved the following recommendations for action:

1. Send a special envoy to Portugal to talk with Salazar and inform him the U.S. is convinced Portugal must without delay institute basic and far-reaching reforms for her African territories. The scope of these reforms should be such as to lead eventually to self-determination. Inform the UK and France in advance, and Spain when the action is taken.

2. Consult with the UK and France concerning further coordinated pressure on Salazar.

3. Explore with the Vatican, Spain, and Brazil the possibility of their interceding with the Portuguese.

4. Begin immediately to formulate a U.S. course of action to be used in connection with the Portuguese African territories problem in the UN.

5. Unless the results of step one above make it unnecessary or undesirable, raise the problem in the African subcommittee of NATO and subsequently in the NAC, with the objective of impressing upon Portugal the importance attached by its NATO allies to the need for a major change in its colonial policy.

6. Make all possible efforts to insure that MAP equipment supplied to Portugal is not being diverted to Africa in contravention of existing agreements.

7. Deny authorization of licenses for the commercial export of arms from the U.S. to either side.

8. Expand U.S. assistance to refugees suffering from the Angolan conflict.

9. Expand the U.S. educational programs for Africans from the Portuguese areas.

10. Provide U.S. economic assistance, primarily in the form of manpower training, to help develop the technical and administrative skills of the Africans essential in the event reforms are introduced.

11. If Salazar embarks upon a more liberal colonial policy, grant reasonable requests for economic assistance in accordance with existing commitments.

12. Implement the foregoing quietly insofar as possible and in a manner designed to bring about basic and far-reaching reforms in Portuguese colonial policy, and to minimize the possibility of losing the Azores; recognizing the grave military consequences which would attend such a loss.

Accordingly, it is requested that the Department of State initiate the appropriate actions in collaboration with the other responsible agencies to carry out the recommended actions. It is further requested that the President be kept informed, through this office, of significant developments in the implementation of these recommendations.

McGeorge Bundy

0. Source: Department of State, NSAMs: Lot 72 D 316. Secret. No drafting information appears on the source text. Copies were sent to the Secretaries of Defense and the Treasury, and the Directors of Central Intelligence, Bureau of the Budget, U.S. Information Agency, and the International Cooperation Administration.
1. Originally dated July 14; July 18 is cited as the “revised” date. The earlier draft did not contain the final phrase in paragraph 12 beginning with “recognizing.”
2. Not found.