LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT FROM GENERAL FRANCO

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R002600130055-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 12, 2002
• Sequence Number: 55
• Publication Date: March 23, 1960
• Content Type: MEMO

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
APPROVED BY WHITE HOUSE
3/29/60 Memorandum of Conversation
LIMIT DISTRIBUTION
SUBJECT: Letter to the President from
General Franco
DATE: March 23, 1960
White House
11:30 a.m.
U.S. Spanish
PARTICIPANTS: The President Foreign Minister Fernando Maria
The Secretary of State Castiella
Ambassador John Davis Lodge Ambassador Jose Maria de Areilza
Mr. Ivan B. White, EUR
P
The White House S/B CIA - Mr. Dulles
S/S 5UR-2 Amembassy Madrid
G ARA-2
C SCA
SIP IN
After an exchange of pleasantries, the Spanish Foreign
Minister referred to the outstanding success of the
President's recent visit to Spain and the fact that the
Spanish people were still talking about the good.results of
the visit. In reply, the President said that he was greatly
impressed with the modern appearance of Madrid and with the
number of large buildings.
Mr. Castiella then said that Generalissimo Franco had
entrusted him with a personal message to the President.
The President scanned the letter and said that while he had
only had an opportunity to read it hastily, he.agreed with
General Franco in the latter's analysis of Communist object-
ives. He particularly agreed with the comment made that for
the underdeveloped nations of America "the key to success
lies in what they themselves will do".
Mr. Castiella said that the Spanish Government had the
impression that the Communists were using Spanish Communists
to incite the peoples of Latin America. The President re-
marked that he had discussed Communist activities with all of
the Presidents of the countries in Latin America visited by
him and that they were all aware of the problem in one degree
State Dept..:, review completed or another.
CONFIDENTIAL
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or another. Some appeard, Noire d' be complacent or dis-
posed to sweep the prob]WIL itndLer a rug. The President con-
tinued that the Communists have penetrated some student bodies
in Latin American countries. He added parenthetically that we
have to a degree a similar problem in the United States, remark-
ing that at a recent student military conference the.Air Force
participant had unconsciously used the Communist line. This
was that American businessmen were interested only in obtain-
ing profits from their operations in Latin America. This, of
course, challenged the very basis of our free enterprise
philosophy. Happily, there is little of this agitation in the
United States.
The President had received a letter from a student in a
Latin American country who claimed to represent 25,000 students.
He had learned that this student had been assisted in writing
this letter by an agitator and the President, with the assist-
ance of the State Department,, was.preparing.a comprehensive
rebuttal. During his trip to Latin America the President had
noticed little evidence of Communist agitation excepting among
stucit groups. He had noticed one sign which read "We like
Ike-but we like Castro too". After referring to the tear gas
epode in Montevideo, the President said that he personally
ham not seen a single case of animosity during his entire trip.
M Castiella said that all of the reports which his Government
had received had indicated that the trip was a great success;
'tkat the Latin American peoples had been greatly impressed by
he fact that the President had taken the time and trouble to
o to their countries to discuss with them their problems.
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 APPROVED BY WHITE HOUSE
3/29/60
01 lease 2002@6I (f f OB0160002600130055--2 3,57 J.6
Memorandum of Conversation
LIMIT DISTRIBUTION
SUBJECT: Situation of Spanish Prot
U.S.
starts
PARTICIPANTS: The President
The Secretary of State
Ambassador John Davis Lodge
Hr..Ivan B. White, FUR
COPIES TO: The White House
S/S
G
C
S/P
EUR-2
DATE: March 23, 1960
White House
11:30 a.m.
Spanish
Foreign Minister Fernando Maria
Castiella
Ambassador Jose Maria de
Areilza
H
INR
CIA Mr. Dulles
Amembasey Madrid
During his call on the President at the White House, the
Spanish Foreign Minister gave a report on the question of the
treatment of Protestants in Spain, a subject which had been
raised by the President with General Franco during the
President's visit to Madrid. He reported that he could assure
the President that in a very short time this matter would be
settled to his. satisfaction. General Franco had decided it
would be done and this was Government policy. It was, of
course, a delicate problem,, It was necessary to consult the
hierarchy. The President commented that General Franco had..
told him that 98 percent of bile people were Catholic and he
could readily see that it was a delicate problem.
Mr. Castiella said that he would be giving Ambassador
Lodge a short memorandum explaining how the Protestant prob-
lem would be resolved. The President's initiative in this
matter had been most helpful. Furthermore., he, the Spanish
Foreign Minister, had previously discussed this matter with
Foreign Minister Selwyn Lloyd' in London. Mr. Castiella was
acutely aware of the complexity of this problem because he
had negotiated the Concordat between the Vatican and Spain, in
negotiations which had taken one and a half years. He hastened
to assure the President that this present project would not take
this long.
The President
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The President emphasized that the successful resolution
of the problem of the treatment of the Protestants in Spain,
iiould have a large and favorable impact the United States.
The first amendment of the United. States Constitution made
provision for freedom of worship. With Catholics in the
United States in the minority, they were the ones concerned
here about the protection of minority rights and a favorable
Spanish solution would be tremendously popular in the United
States.
In closing the conversations the President asked the
Spanish Foreign Minister to convey to Generalissimo Franco
how very pleased he was with the news that a solution would
soon be found to the Protestant problem in Spain.
CONFIDENTIAL
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 ADDR7SS OFFICIAL COMMUAII_CASiQ~@ d F
THE SECRETARY O
WASHINGTON 2$, D. C.
elease 2002/08/28 : CIA-RDP80B011OR002600130055=?recurlvci
l
osures
CON11DATIAL Enc
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
WASHINGTON
)arch 30 1960
M R$ The Honorable
Allen .ee
Director
Central laboUigenoe Agency
FROM s John A. Calhav*
Director
cecutire Seavetariat
The following deoueents are enclosed for
your personl informations
Meewranda a( Conovamtion 'betWeen the
President and ape sh Foreign Minister
Castiella
CONFIDENTIAL
lcBu
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 A---A r..~.l..~~.. )nn7/n8I28 ? CIA Rno8nonI6*00260014nn5G 2 /y v ^
THE SECRETARY OF STATE
WASHINGTON 29. D. C.
wlvrlJJr+ly1 1 4 f ? AnG.LoSUre5 I' ;Xecufive R^aist,.cT
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
March 30, 1960
FOR: The Honorable
Allen Dulles
Director
Central Intelligence Agency
G -
FROM: John A. Calhoun
Director
Executive Secretariat
The following documents are enclosed for
your personal information:
Memoranda of Conversation between the
President and Spanish Foreign Minister
Castiella
CONFIDENTIAL Enclosures
Approved For Release 2002/08/28 : CIA-RDP80BO1676R002600130055-2
 0B016'6R06026001300
SENDER WILL CHECK CLA CATPON TOP AND BOTTOM
UNCLASSIFIED CONFIDENTIAL SECRET
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OFFICIAL ROUTING SLIP
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INITIALS
DATE
i
DDCI
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DD/I
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ACTION
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RECOMWENDATION
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SIGNATURE
Remarks :
2 - I believe DD/P would be interested in
reading copies of the attached memoranda
of conversation.
JSE
FOLD HERE TO RETURN TO SENDER
FROM: NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NO.
DATE
EO/DCI/
1 Apr 60
Lie 002 082&F ! 3P8 01
761 2 0
FORM I A R 55 237 which may Form sed.
U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1955-C-34258