MEETING AT THE WHITE HOUSE 1 APRIL 1964 SUBJECT - BRAZIL

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06265765
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: October 15, 2021
• Case Number: F-2021-01951
• Publication Date: April 1, 1964

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1 April 1964
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Meeting at the White House 1 April 1964
Subject - Brazil
PRESENT: The President
State Department: Secretary Rusk,
Under Secretary Ball, Deputy Under
Secretary Johnson, and Mr. Ralph Burton
Defense Department: -Secretary McNamara,
Deputy Secretary Vance, General Taylor
and General O'Meara
White House Staff: Messrs. Bundy, Dungan,
Moyers, and Reedy
CIA: The Director, Colonel King and
Mr. FitzGerald
1. The meeting commenced with a briefing on the
latest intelligence reports by Colonel King including
items from the 10 o'clock telecon between State and
Ambassador Gordon. Matters seemed to be more favorable
to the insurgents than they had been the previous evening,
particularly in view of indications that General Kruel
is moving Second Army troops to the Sao Paulo border.
2. Secretary Rusk said that Ambassador Gordon
was not advocating U.S. support at this time. Only the
Paulistas had requested such aid and this without defini-
tion. Ambassador Gordon, with whom the Secretary agreed,
believes that it would be wrong at this stage to give
Goulart an anti-Yankee banner.
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3. Secretary Rusk referred to a "leak" the
evening before regarding the movement of a Naval
task force to the area of southern Brazil. (General
Taylor said that there was not actually a leak but
that it appeared to be a deduction by newsmen based
on knowledge that a special meeting of the Joint
Chiefs took place.) It was agreed that newspaper
queries concerning the Naval movement would be
treated routinely and that it would not be shown
as a contingency move having to do with Brazil.
4. Secretary Rusk commented that the reporting
from Brazil was excellent and endorseithe statement
of facts presented by Colonel King.
5. There was an aside on Panama concerning the
latest OAS language concerning U.S. discussions with
the government of Panama. The President gave as his
opinion that this language, which appeared to please
the Panamanians, did not to him appear to differ from
that which we had previously used.
6. In another interjections the President asked
what the effect of Senator Fulbright's speech had been
abroad. Mr. Ball referred to his recent trip to Europe
during which he addressediteNATO council (prior to the
Fulbright speech). He said that the NATO people had
agreed that the U.S. had not clearly stated its position
vis-a-vis Cuba. Mr. Ball believes that the Fulbright
speech may give ammunition to those who do not favor
our Cuba policy in the first place. He also added that
the Che Guevara speech in Geneva had been much too long
and had therefore probably laid an egg. He said that he
did not think that, as far as economic denial against Cuba
is concerned, the Fulbright speech would have very much
effect in Latin America as there was very little
trade anyway. The President inquired whether we are
endeavoring �to explain the basis of our present policy
to Fulbright. Secretary Rusk said that this had been
and is being done. The President observed that Senator
Fulbright probably is enjoying the halo set on his brow
by the New York Times and the Washington Post and will
probably wigh to retain the headgear. Mr. Trill said
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that he had identified the soft underbelly of the
British position in the Cuban denial matter. Apparently
British governmental credits can be granted on two
grounds: (1) that it is a good credit risk, and (2)
though not a good credit risk, the risk is in the
national interests. The British apparently admit that
the Leyland Bus deal falls in the second category. As
a consequence, he believes that we may well be able to
stop future British government-backed credits to Cuba.
The President said that he wants to
be very sure that the British fully understand our
position with respect to Cuban economic denial.
7. Secretary McNamara reported on the status of
the task force. It sailed this morning and would be in
the vicinity of Santos by the 11th of April. The arms
and ammunition are now being assembled for airlift in
New Jersey and the airlift would take 16 hours �from the
time of decision. As to POL, the earliest Navy tanker,
diverted from the Aruba area, would be in place on the
10th or 11th of April. There is, however, a Norwegian
tanker chartered by Esso in the South Atlantic loaded
with the necessary motor and aviation gasoline. It is
headed for Buenos Aires and should arrive there On the
5th or 6th of April. It was decided that
/This should be done as soon as possible.
(Messrs. Bundy and Dungan, following the meeting,
said that they had taken exception to the Navyls order
to its task force which had placed the movement clearly
within the contingency plan for Brazil. They felt that
this was an unnecessary security hazard.)
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Deputy Chief, WH pecial Affairs)
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