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

346. Memorandum of Conversation⁰

Washington, September 5, 1962, 10:15 a.m.

SUBJECT

• Portuguese-American Relations

PARTICIPANTS

• The President
• C. Burke Elbrick, Ambassador to Portugal¹

The President asked about recent development’s in Portuguese-American relations. Ambassador Elbrick said that the situation had eased temporarily, and that Secretary Rusk’s visit to Lisbon at the end of June had provided an opportunity to make some progress in resolving some of the problems. The Portuguese Foreign Minister in response to a suggestion from the Secretary, had submitted to us a list of the problems² as seen from the Portuguese side and this list was now being studied in the State Department. It was expected that instructions would be sent shortly to Lisbon to guide the Embassy in its conversations with the Portuguese.

The President expressed interest in the Portuguese list. He said he would like to see the list and would also want to see the Department’s instructions before they are sent to Lisbon.³

The President then turned to the subject of the Azores base negotiations and asked about the prospects for an agreement. Ambassador Elbrick said the base is the only trump card the Portuguese hold in their relations with us. In his opinion, the Portuguese would probably stall for some time, agreeing only to temporary extensions of the agreement while watching our performance in the UN and elsewhere on Portuguese African problems. It must be assumed that they realize that once the card is played it cannot be used again and therefore they probably intend to keep us dangling.

The President said he thought we should make another study of the Azores base question and determine whether there is a feasible alternative.

The President asked about the situation in Angola. Ambassador Elbrick said it had been more or less stabilized but renewed guerilla activity could be expected. The Portuguese would find a highly organized guerilla campaign more and more difficult to combat.

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.53/9–562. Confidential. Drafted by Elbrick and approved by the White House on September 16. The meeting was held at the White House.
1. Elbrick was in Washington for consultations September 5–10.
2. The list, covering what Nogueira characterized as past, present, and future problems, was transmitted in telegram 140 from Lisbon, August 17. (Department of State, Central Files, 611.53/8–1762)
3. A copy of the instructions was transmitted as an attachment to a memorandum from Ball to the President, September 29. (Ibid., 611.53/9–2962)