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

352. Memorandum of Conversation⁰

Washington, July 31, 1963, 5:30 p.m.

SUBJECT

• Rejection of Portuguese Government’s Charges

PARTICIPANTS

• Ambassador Pedro Theotonio Pereira, Portuguese Embassy
• Governor W. Averell Harriman, Under Secretary for Political Affairs
• Mr. Francis E. Meloy, Jr., WE

Governor Harriman said he had asked the Portuguese Ambassador to come in at the instruction of the President. This morning our Ambassador in Lisbon had reported by telephone that he had been summoned to the Foreign Office just before lunch, Lisbon time, by Mr. Fragoso.¹ Our Ambassador reported that Fragoso said that from all information and evidence available the Government of Portugal is convinced that the objectionable resolution presently before the UN Security Council is the work of the United States.² Fragoso said that whether the United States votes for this resolution or abstains, Portugal will regard this as being the same thing. Portugal will hold the United States responsible for the results.

Governor Harriman said the President is outraged by this message. It is a matter of fact that the resolution before the UN Security Council was an African resolution. The United States had been attempting to modify this resolution by seeking to eliminate its most objectionable features and had succeeded to a considerable extent. The resolution in its final form was still not acceptable to the United States and therefore it had been the President’s personal decision that the United States should abstain. To be accused of responsibility for the African resolution is something which the President cannot tolerate. The President wished this message to be conveyed to the Portuguese Government promptly.

The Portuguese Ambassador said that he was unaware of Mr. Fragoso’s démarche. He believed that Foreign Minister Franco Nogueira, who is in New York, was also unaware of Fragoso’s representations to Ambassador Elbrick. Ambassador Pereira said the Foreign Minister is a man of integrity and a friend of the United States. The Ambassador had been with the Foreign Minister in New York during the Security Council meetings at which the Foreign Minister had made two or three interventions. Portugal had been attacked savagely in the Security Council. The Foreign Minister had invited the African leaders to visit the Portuguese African territories to see conditions for themselves but this invitation had not been accepted. Portugal had also, last year, shown its good will by agreeing to the rapporteur suggestion but this proposal had come to nothing. Now a very strange thing has been going on in New York. Portugal is being attacked while her NATO allies stand by.

Governor Harriman interrupted to say that he had not called in the Portuguese Ambassador to argue about or discuss the situation in Africa. The purpose of this conversation was to inform the Portuguese Ambassador that the President had been outraged by the reported démarche by Mr. Fragoso to Ambassador Elbrick. If Fragoso’s démarche represents the Portuguese reaction, the President wonders if there is any use in his trying to work constructively for Portuguese interests. Governor Harriman said he understood Ambassador Stevenson had talked with Foreign Minister Franco Nogueira in New York.³ Although a full report had not yet been received, we were informed that the conversation had been unsatisfactory. Governor Harriman asked the Ambassador to convey to his Foreign Minister and to the Portuguese Government the outrage of the President at the representations made by Mr. Fragoso and the fact that the President cannot tolerate being accused of responsibility for the African resolution in the United Nations Security Council.

The Portuguese Ambassador said this was a most unfortunate message. He could only present his respects and take his leave.

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, Pol Port-US. Confidential; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Meloy and approved in M on August 2. The meeting was held in Harriman’s office. A summary of the conversation was transmitted to Lisbon in telegram 86, July 31. (Ibid., Pol 10 Port/UN)
1. A memorandum of Elbrick’s telephone conversation with Meloy during the morning of July 31 is ibid.
2. For text of this resolution as adopted, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1963, pp. 156–158. It was adopted on July 31 by a vote of 8 to 0, with 3 abstentions (U.S., U.K., France).
3. A memorandum of Stevenson’s telephone report on this conversation is in Department of State, Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192; a more extensive report was transmitted in telegram 309 from USUN, July 31. (Ibid., Central Files, Pol 10 Port/UN)