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PAGE 01 STATE 046654
46
ORIGIN ARA-10
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 SS-15 CU-04 USIA-15 PRS-01 ( ISO ) R
DRAFTED BY ARA:GECHAFIN:MBB
APPROVED BY ARA:WDROGERS
S/S - MR. ORTIZ
--------------------- 025527
P 261602Z FEB 76
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO ALL AMERICAN REPUBLIC DIPLOMATIC POSTS PRIORITY
USCINCSO
INFO AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE PRIORITY
UNCLAS STATE 046654
E.O. 11652:NA
TAGS:OVIP (KISSINGER, HENRY A), CS
SUBJECT: SECRETARY'S VISIT: REMARKS TO US MISSION
EMPLOYEES AT BINATIONAL CENTER
1. I WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE TEXT OF THE
SECRETARY'S INFORMAL ADDRESS TO THE US MISSION EMPLOYEES
IN SAN JOSE GIVEN TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1976. THE
SECRETARY'S DISPARAGING REMARKS ABOUT MY ROLE NOTWITH-
STANDING, I BELIEVE THE ADDRESS PROVIDES A GOOD INSIGHT
TO THE SECRETARY'S REACTIONS AND THOSE OF MY OWN TO HIS
JUST CONCLUDED LATIN AMERICAN TRIP.
2. BEGIN TEXT:
"MR. AMBASSADOR, MR. FOREIGN MINISTER, LADIES AND GENTLE-
MEN: YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A RELIEF IT IS TO BE ABLE TO
SPEAK WITHOUT BEING INTRODUCED BY THE FOREIGN MINISTER.
THIS NOT MEANT AS A REFLECTION ON THE FOREIGN MINISTER
WHOM I ADMIRE AND WITH WHOM I'VE WORKED FOR MANY YEARS,
BUT IT IS A TERRIBLY DISCONCERTING EXPERIENCE TO GIVE
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PAGE 02 STATE 046654
A TALK THAT YOU THINK IS REASONABLY ELOQUENT AND THEN
HAVE HIM GET UP AND SAY ALL THE THINGS WHICH YOU
THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE SAID, AND TO DO IT WITH AN ELO-
QUENCE THAT NO ONE BORN IN THE GERMANIC TRADITION CAN
POSSIBLY MATCH, BUT I WANTED TO SAY A FEW THINGS. ONE,
THIS TRIP THROUGH LATIN AMERICA HAS BEEN REALLY EXTRE-
MELY EXCITING FOR ME BECAUSE IT HAS SHOWN ME WHAT I
MIGHT HAVE KNOWN THEORETICALLY. WHAT CLOSE HUMAN
BONDS EXIST BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES, AND I WOULD SAY,
ALL OF THE COUNTRIES THAT WE HAVE VISITED. IN OUR
NEWSPAPERS WE ALWAYS READ THE RHETORIC OF CONFRONTATION
AND ALL THE FORMAL DEMANDS THAT ELOQUENT LEADERS
WHO SPECIALIZE IN ORATORY PUT FORWARD FROM TIME TO TIME.
BUT WHAT IS NOT ADEQUATELY REPORTED BECAUSE IT
PROBABLY CANNOT BE ADEQUATELY REPORTED IS THE CENTURY
AND A HALF OF HUMAN CONTACT THAT HAS BEEN BUILT UP
BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA, AND MY COLLEAGUES AND
I HAVE TALKED A GREAT DEAL ON THIS TRIP OF HOW RELA-
TIVELY EASY IT IS IF WE CAN JUST DECIDE WHERE TO GO AND
IF WE CAN EVER STOP SQUABBLING AMONG OURSELVES TO DO
WHAT IS NEEDED TO SHOW IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE WHAT
FREE PEOPLES WORKING TOGETHER CAN ACHIEVE. IN THIS
SENSE IT IS FITTING THAT I SHOULD END MY TRIP HERE
IN COSTA RICA. IT MAY BE A SMALL COUNTRY, IT IS A SMALL
COUNTRY, AND THOSE WHO MEASURE INFLUENCE BY GROSS
NATIONAL PRODUCT AND BY TECHNICAL CRITERIA WOULD NOT
RATE IT AT THE VERY TOP OF THE SCALE. BUT ON THE OTHER
HAND, COSTA RICA IS A DEMOCRACY AND THE WISDOM OF ITS
FOREIGN POLICY, THE COURAGE OF ITS LEADERS HAVE EARNED
IT A RECOGNITION AND AN INFLUENCE WHICH IS TOTALLY OUT
OF PROPORTION TO WHAT YOU WOULD CALCULATE FROM SIMPLY
LOOKING AT WHAT THE MARXISTS CALL OBJECTIVE FACTORS AND
THEREBY IT DEMONSTRATES THAT INTANGIBLE FACTORS AND
HUMAN QUALITIES AND POLITICAL CONCEPTIONS STILL COUNT
FOR A LOT IN CURRENT INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. (I) MUST
SAY THAT THE WARMTH OF THE RECEPTION THAT I HAVE HAD
HERE, THE EXCELLENT TALKS THAT I HAD WITH THE PRESIDENT,
AND WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTER HAVE BEEN A VERY FITTING
CLIMAX TO MY TRIP. NOW A FEW WORDS ABOUT WHAT YOU
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN ARE DOING. YOU LADIES AND GENTLE-
MEN IN YOUR DAILY EFFORTS ARE DEMONSTRATING THE VALIDITY
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OF THE GENERAL OBSERVATIONS I MADE EARLIER. WE CAN
TALK ALL WE WANT ABOUT BUILDING A NEW WORLD OF COOPERA-
TION AND MOVING FROM AN ERA OF CONFRONTATION TO AN ERA
OF COOPERATION. BUT UNLESS SOMEBODY IS WILLING TO GO
OUT THERE AND DO IT THESE BECOME ABSTRACT STATEMENTS.
WE CAN SIGN AS MANY HIGH SOUNDING DECLARATIONS OF PRIN-
CIPLES BETWEEN FOREIGN MINISTERS AS WE WANT BUT SOME-
BODY HAS TO TRANSLATE IT INTO THE DAY TO DAY EXPERIENCE
OF DIPLOMACY AND INTO THE DAY TO DAY ACTIONS OF PEOPLE.
I AM VERY IMPRESSED BY WHAT I HAVE SEEN OF THIS CENTER,
AND I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED VERY STRONGLY IN THE IMPOR-
TANCE OF THE PEACE CORPS AND OF THE VARIOUS OTHER
PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE IN COUNTRIES AS THESE AND ALL OVER
LATIN AMERICA AND IN MANY OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD AND
IN MY CAPACTIY AS SECRETARY OF STATE I HAVE OF COURSE
HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE
FOREIGN SERVICE. I RECOGNIZE THAT BASICALLY FOREIGN
SERVICE OFFICERS BELIEVE THAT I ENTERED THE STATE
DEPARTMENT THROUGH LATERAL ENTRY. AND THAT I PROBABLY
COULD NOT HAVE MADE IT IF I HAD HAD TO GO THROUGH THE
REGULAR PROCESSES THAT THEY DO. BUT GIVE, SHALL WE
SAY, THIS PROFESSIONAL DEFORMATION AND GIVEN THE FACT
THAT OCASSIONALLY I INSIST ON EXERCISING MY OWN JUDG-
MENT WHICH I WANT TO ASSURE YOU ASSISTANT SECRETARY
ROGERS IS TRYING TO REDUCE TO AN ABSOLUTE UNAVOIDABLE
MINIMUM, GIVEN ALL THESE INHIBITIONS UNDER WHICH YOU ALL
HAVE TO OPERATE, YOU HAVE BORNE WITH ME AMAZINGLY WELL
AND WE DO HAVE THE MOST DEDICATED AND MOST PROFESSIONAL
FOREIGN SERVICE OF ANY COUNTRY THAT I HAVE DEALT
WITH. FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS IN
WASHINGTON IT IS REALLY CRUCIAL THAT WE GET FREQUENT
AND ACCURATE REPORTING, AND IF I AM VERY INSISTENT SOME
OF YOUR CABLES ARE EVEN PERMITTED TO COME THROUGH TO ME,
ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT HAVE NO IMPLICATIONS FOR IMMED-
IATE DECISION. BUT, YOU THINK I AM JOKING. BUT I
DO WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I DO MAKE AN EFFORT TO READ
A LOT OF THE REPORTING CABLES BECAUSE I FEEL THAT IT IS
VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO MAKE A DECISION ON A CURRENT
PROBLEM OR ON AN IMMEDIATE ISSUE UNLESS I KEEP MYSELF
INFORMED ABOUT THE GENERAL TRENDS IN AN AREA, THE BASIC
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PAGE 04 STATE 046654
TENDENCIES THAT ARE DEVELOPING, AND I THEREFORE RELY
VERY MUCH ON THE OFFICERS IN THE FIELD AND I HAVE NOT
BEEN DISAPPOINTED. OUR AMBASSADOR I HAVE KNOWN FOR A
LONG TIME AND VERY FAVORABLY AND HE NOT ONLY HAS MY
PROFESSIONAL CONFIDENCE BUT MY VERY HIGH PERSONAL REGARD.
SO THAT YOU LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WHO ARE IN REALLY AN
IMPORTANT COUNTRY TO US IN LATIN AMERICA, IMPORTANT
BECAUSE IT SHARES SO MANY OF OUR VALUES, IMPORTANT
BECAUSE IT HAS NEVER BEEN AFRAID TO STATE ITS FRIEND-
SHIP, IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT HAS HAD A LEADERSHIP ROLE
IN HEMISPHERIC RELATIONS, IMPORTANT BECAUSE LAST YEAR IN
THE SECURITY COUNCIL IT HAD THE COURAGE TO STAND FOR
ITS CONVICTIONS WHEN MANY MUCH MORE POWERFUL NATIONS
WERE TRYING TO TRIM WITH THE CURRENTS OF THE PERIOD.
AND IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE HAVE
TO DEMONSTRATE WHAT FREE PEOPLES WORKING TOGETHER CAN
ACHIEVE. SO I AM GLAD THE AMBASSADOR GAVE ME AN
OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH YOU ALL, TO THANK YOU PERSON-
ALLY, AND TO TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE VERY MUCH APPRE-
CIATED, THAT WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND
FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH." END TEXT. KISSINGER
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