360. Editorial Note
Following his return to the United States Ball reviewed his conversations with Salazar and Nogueira with the President and Secretary of State. In light of these discussions, on October 17 he drafted a letter to Salazar to continue the dialog begun in Lisbon. Copies of the draft were sent to Bundy, Williams, Tyler, and Rusk for comments. Following minor drafting changes, the letter, which comprised 15 pages and expounded at length on the U.S. view of the transformation taking place in Africa, was sent to Salazar. A copy of the draft letter is in Department of State, Central Files, Pol 10 Port; a copy of the letter as sent is in the Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Portugal.
On February 27, 1964, Salazar replied, reiterating his position as summarized in his conversations with Ball in Lisbon. (Department of State, Central Files, Pol Port-US) For Ball’s account of this correspondence, see The Past Has Another Pattern, pages 279–282.