Office of the Historian

330. Memorandum of Conversation0

Washington, November 27, 1961.

SUBJECT

  • Portuguese Matters

PARTICIPANTS

  • The President
  • C. Burke Elbrick, Ambassador to Portugal

The conversation centered on Portugal’s recent problems in Africa and in the UN and their bearing on Portuguese-American relations and the renegotiations of the Azores base agreement.

The President understood that the Portuguese are unhappy about US actions in the UN and that our negotiating posture at present leaves much to be desired. He felt that it would be unwise to open the negotiations under present circumstances. He expressed his awareness of the importance to the US of the Azores base and asked Ambassador Elbrick for his views as to the best way of improving the situation over the next few months.

Ambassador Elbrick said the Portuguese are extremely slow to move. The recently announced reforms for the African territories give hope for the future, however, and could provide basis for giving some encouragement and support to the Portuguese, particularly in moderating the attacks of extremists in the UN. He expressed the opinion that quiet prodding of the Portuguese Government to maintain the momentum already achieved would be preferable to public criticism in the UN or elsewhere, due to the extraordinary pride and vanity of the Portuguese. This might make the admittedly difficult job of renegotiating the base agreement a little easier.

The President said that it might be wise for the US to abstain on some of the votes affecting Portugal in the UN. He also felt that it might be helpful to obtain support in the base negotiations from our NATO allies, possibly negotiating with the Portuguese on a multilateral rather than a bilateral basis.

Ambassador Elbrick said it could be expected that the Portuguese will demand some political compensation from the US in connection with the Azores base agreement, though it is not clear as to how this might be formulated.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 753.00/11–2761. Secret. Drafted by Elbrick and approved in the White House on November 30.↩