DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation
June 6, 1950
Subject: Visit of Representative Eugene Keogh \(N.Y.\)
Participants: The Secretary Representative Keogh Asst. Secretary McFall
Copies to: S, S/S, EUR, E, P
Congressman Keogh called on me today at his request. He informed me that "as you might expect, I have requested a few moments of your time to discuss the Spanish question." He then called attention to the request for a loan of $700,000 made by a private Spanish firm and now on the docket of the Export-Import Bank. He stated that the loan was for the purpose of constructing some facilities additional to those already in existence for the manufacture of nitrogenous fertilizer. He asked me at this point whether it was true that, as Senator Connally had indicated, the State Department would interpose no type of a political objection to the making of a loan to any Spanish concern via the channel of the Export-Import Bank. I assured him that was a correct statement of the Department's position. Keogh then expressed his concern that, inasmuch as the loan application in question was the first of a series that would be filed, the Export-Import Bank officials should take as liberal a view as possible of the financial requirements to spare unfavorable political interpretation that would flow from their refusal to approve the loan. I told the Congressman that I was not familiar with the fact that this loan application had been filed but that I would be pleased to take the matter up with Mr. Thorp, as State Department member of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank. I again assured Mr. Keogh that the State Department would, under no circumstances, enter any political objection to do whatever the Board saw fit to do on this or any other Spanish loan application, as it was the firm policy of the Department that all applications be considered solely on their financial merits.
Representative Keogh then brought up another matter which, he stated, he would not press me to answer immediately. He requested that I give consideration to arranging, either formally or informally as I might think better, an occasion for Jose Felix De Loquerica to meet me and discuss some of the Spanish problems. Mr. Keogh felt that it would be particularly desirable if I could receive De Loquerica for him to present his credentials as Inspector of Embassies with the rank of Ambassador-at-Large. I told the Congressman that I did not wish to give an answer to his request at the moment but assured him I would look into it and take whatever course I felt was justified in the light of all of the considerations involved.
Congressman Keogh then took occasion to observe that he heartily approved of the procedure last Wednesday when I appeared before the Joint bodies of Congress in the Library of Congress and that he hoped that some such arrangement might be continued in the future. He stated that he had heard favorable comment on the idea from several Members of Congress, the press and constituents in Brooklyn. In reply I stated that I concurred with him in the thought that the principle was a sound one and that I should like to continue the practice but that I had felt that the Congressional Leaders might wish to consider the desirability of making some changes in procedures before we attempt to have a similar meeting in the future. I told him that while I would remain available to present myself for any kind of occasion that the House and Senate Leadership would think appropriate, I did feel that there were certain considerations that should be looked into which would permit more appropriate meetings in the future. I pointed out that I felt it should be decided whether the Congress wished to eliminate radio and television on such occasions with only the press in attendance or whether, as an alternative, the purpose might be better served to have only the Members of Congress themselves without even the press in attendance. I made a point of the fact that I felt Congress should decide just what kind of meeting they wished, namely, would they desire the meeting to be for the public or for the Members of Congress themselves, as the type of my presentation would of course be affected by the nature of the audience I was addressing. In this connection I stated that in my opinion this was one of the short-comings of the experimental session in the Library of Congress. I was addressing both the public and the Members of Congress and it made my position extremely difficult and probably not entirely satisfactory to either group. I then adverted to the matter of the question period stating that I thought questions fell into two groups \(1\) those asking for information and \(2\) those that essentially require an amplified answer and subsequent rebuttal-in fact a debate. I made it clear that I entertained no objection to either type of questioning but that I did feel I should be enabled to prepare for whichever character of interrogation would be desired and that this probably could be best accomplished by having some kind of arrangement whereby the questions would be submitted in advance. Congressman Keogh reiterated that he thought the design behind the meetings with Congress was excellent and that he hoped they could be continued with such refinements as might be appropriate.
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