520. Information Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson1
SUBJECT
- Resumption of Diplomatic Relations with Peru
At the Tuesday lunch2 you authorized Secretary Rusk to resume diplomatic relations with Peru as soon as multilateral and Congressional consultations were completed.
All countries outside this hemisphere with whom Peru traditionally maintains relations have now recognized. All major Latin American countries except Venezuela have also resumed relations.
State has consulted with Senator Hickenlooper (the only Senator accessible) and the staffs of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee, as well as staffs of Representatives Mailliard and Purcell.3 No objection to our resumption of relations was voiced.
Secretary Rusk authorized our Embassy in Lima to answer the Peruvian Government’s note at noon today (text of our note is attached at Tab A),4 thereby signalling the resumption of diplomatic relations.
A brief low-key announcement will be made by State’s press spokesman at the noon briefing today (a copy is attached at Tab B of this announcement).5
- Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Peru, Vol. III, 10/67–1/69. Confidential. A copy was sent to George Christian. Another copy indicates the memorandum was drafted by Samuel W. Lewis. (Ibid.)↩
- See Document 519 and footnote 2 thereto.↩
- Representatives William S. Mailliard (R–California) and Graham Purcell (D–Texas).↩
- Attached but not printed. The text of the note is also in telegram 261223 to Lima, October 24. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, POL 15–1 PERU)↩
- Attached but not printed. The text of the announcement is in Department of State Bulletin, November 11, 1968, p. 497.↩