233. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson1
SUBJECT
- Your Talk with Seven African Ambassadors at Ernie Goldstein’s Luncheon—Thursday, May 23, 1:00 p.m.2
THE GROUP:
- Ambassador Debrah, (DEB-rah)—Ghana
- Ambassador Peel—Liberia
- Ambassador Iyalla (E-YAL-la)—Nigeria
- Ambassador Adoula (Ah-DOO-la)—Congo (K)
- Ambassador Gallin-Douathe (Gal-LAN-doo-WAT)—Central African Republic
- Ambassador Mayaki (My-YAH-kee)—Niger
- Ambassador Ohin (Oh-HEEN)—Togo
(Attached are State’s fact sheets for each country; the first paragraph is a biographic sketch of the Ambassador.3
There’s a language problem with this group. Three of them speak little or no English; they’ll probably get the gist of your general remarks but would be embarrassed in a two-way conversation.
[Page 407]Background:
This is a relatively like-minded group. These Africans:
- —get along with each other. They’re all clustered together in West and Central Africa;
- —are moderates putting emphasis on development. Five (Ghana, Nigeria, Congo, CAR, and Togo) are ruled by military “caretaker” regimes;
- —are pro-Western or “non-aligned.” We have given assistance, in some form, to all of them. Each has or soon will have a Peace Corps program. Our relations are good all around the table;
- —have been publicly or privately sympathetic to us on Vietnam.
(Ghana, Liberia, and the Congo were included on the Vice President’s trip to Africa last January.)
The principal interest in common here is economic development. All are struggling to get their economies off the ground—some (Ghana and Togo) after waste and mismanagement under past regimes; others (Nigeria and the Congo) in the face of civil war or the threat of internal subversion. Each needs more outside help. Each would like to get more aid from us.
As most Africans, these seven worry that we give the Continent too low priority and are looking for a way to withdraw from Africa altogether. Under the new aid strategy for Africa we are cutting back most bilateral programs in favor of regional projects. But, of this group, the Congo, Ghana and Nigeria (once the civil war is settled) will still be eligible for bilateral help from us.
You may wish to take the same approach with these Ambassadors you’ve taken with their African colleagues at past lunches. We are still committed to help those who help themselves, and that certainly goes for Africa as well as other developing areas. However, they should appreciate your problems with the Congress. They must know we couldn’t and shouldn’t do it all; they’ve got a responsibility to encourage other donors. Most important, the poor countries must show they are serious about attacking their problems with their own measures.
Talking Points:
Along this tack, you may tell the group:
- 1.
- Despite Congressional cuts last year and a tough fight on this year’s Aid Bill, we’re pushing for all we can get. The outlook is not as good as it might be, but we are not about to “withdraw” from our common stake in development.
- 2.
- The key is not only what we want, but what others produce on their own. Congress rewards self-help and likes to see other donors carry a fair share. Africans can do a lot to help us on both counts.