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

453. Memorandum of Conversation⁰

Washington, September 9, 1963, 12:45 p.m.

SUBJECT

• Great Lakes Labor Dispute

PARTICIPANTS

• Charles S. A. Ritchie, Canadian Ambassador
• H. Basil Robinson, Minister, Canadian Embassy
• Patrick Conroy, Labor Attaché, Canadian Embassy
• John R. Sharpe, First Secretary, Canadian Embassy
• The Secretary
• Under Secretary W. Averell Harriman
• George P. Delaney, Special Assistant to the Secretary and Coordinator of
• International Labor
• Abram Chayes, Legal Adviser
• William C. Burdett, Deputy Assistant Secretary, EUR
• Andreas F. Lowenfeld, Assistant Legal Adviser for Economic Affairs, L/E
• Willis C. Armstrong, Director, BNA

The Ambassador expressed appreciation for the opportunity to see the Secretary on short notice. He said that Prime Minister Pearson had called him last night to indicate that public opinion in Canada had risen markedly to condemn the violence against the Canadian ship in Chicago, which occurred on Saturday, September 7.¹ He said that the pressure on the government had become so intense that thought had to be given to the possibility of a special session of Parliament, although the Prime Minister was very reluctant. He said there was no new element in the situation since the discussion of External Affairs Minister Martin with the Secretary on September 7,² but there was continued anxiety over Canadian lives and property. The Ambassador went on to say that he and his government greatly appreciated the attention being given to the matter by the FBI. If the United States Government could be shown to the Canadian public to be taking effective action for around-the-clock protection of the lives and property of Canadians in United States ports, he felt that there would be a good deal less pressure for a special session of Parliament.

The Secretary inquired what had happened to Canadian personnel on board the ship, and the response was that they were only caretakers on board but some of these had been beaten when they went ashore. Until the last couple of weeks, according to Mr. Chayes, there had been only a moderate amount of violence. The Ambassador responded by saying that Mr. Martin had observed this morning that he had heard that violence might be repeated during the next week. Mr. Chayes said that as a factual matter, there would be a hearing next Monday on the contempt charges before the United Sates District Court of the Northern District of Illinois. The position of the longshoremen is that they have told their members there is no strike against the Howard Shaw, but that the members individually fear harm, and therefore do not report for work. It is conceivable, said Mr. Chayes, that violence might just happen during the coming week, so as to provide a basis for this claim.

The Secretary inquired what the Canadian Ambassador meant by around-the-clock protection. He said that we could not very well provide a policeman for each sailor in town, and it was assumed that the sailors might not wish this much protection while in port. He said we of course would do everything we could with local and State authorities to assure normal police protection and to frustrate acts of violence. The Ambassador said that he appreciated the problems of jurisdictional distinction between Federal and State authorities, and he realized that these distinctions were not always clear to the people in Canada. The fact that the Canadian radio had reported that the FBI was taking a hand is in fact helpful, since it gives the impression to the Canadian public that Federal authorities are in the act, and this is most reassuring. He asked Mr. Robinson and Mr. Conroy to comment. Mr. Robinson noted that the problem was not confined to Chicago, but existed in other ports. Mr. Conroy said that protection includes the concept of reason. He said it was the obligation of personnel from the ship not to roam all over town and invite attack. Mr. Sharpe commented that ships in Upper Lakes Shipping do go in and out of Marquette, Toledo, Superior, and Cleveland, but not without difficulty. He also spoke of the fact that there had been bombing of railroad tracks on dock property in Toledo.

The Secretary asked how we could phrase a description of the effort we are making. Mr. Chayes said we have to say that we will do our best. Local authorities have to work with local ground rules, and we have to talk to the local people. Chicago is the most important place. The FBI, or for that matter the Federal Government, does not have custodial functions, but simply investigates and brings charges if warranted. The only Federal resources available for guarding property are troops. In connection with the injunction being sought in the Federal Court, it might be worthwhile to look into the question of a Deputy United States Marshal, but basically the best way is to jack up the local police. They do have the resources and this is more useful than Federal intervention.

Ambassador Ritchie spoke of the symbolic importance of Federal intervention, and the Secretary noted the presence already of the FBI. Mr. Chayes observed that the FBI has specialists in labor union and bombing matters, and they already have their special task force at work on this subject.

The meeting ended with assurances that the matter will be followed vigorously on the United States side.

(Note: Following the meeting Mr. Chayes, the Canadian Minister, and Mr. Armstrong agreed that the Department’s press spokesman would at noon acknowledge the fact of the Ambassador’s representations, and say that the United States was actively looking into what could be done to give improved police protection to Canadian ships and personnel.)

0. Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 65 D 330. Limited Official Use. Drafted by Armstrong and approved in S on September 12, The meeting was held in the Secretary’s office.
1. See the attachment to Document 455.
2. A brief memorandum of Rusk’s conversation with Martin on the labor dispute as well as memoranda of their conversations on relations with Soviet bloc countries and the forthcoming U.S. Economic Committee Meeting are in Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 65 D 330. For text of the communiqué of the eighth meeting of the Joint U.S.-Canadian Committee on Trade and Economic Affairs, Washington, September 21, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1963, pp. 375–377. A 42-page record of the committee’s meeting is in Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 66 D 110, CF 2311.