The Minister will be in Brazil from November 17 to November 29, and Mexico from November 30 to December 4. These dates are approximative only. In Brazil, he will pay an official visit and will take the chair at a series of meetings with the heads of some nearby missions. In Mexico, he will be Canada's Special Ambassador to the inauguration of President Lopez Mateos.

2. The purpose of the Minister's trip is to bring to Brazil and Mexico the expression of Canada's friendship and, to Latin America as a whole, the assurance that although we are not members of the Organization of American States we earnestly desire to maintain the excellent relations we have always had with all nations of this hemisphere. The Minister does not propose to enter into political, cultural or trade negotiations, although he may well put in the occasional good word in favour of the Canadian position on multilateral or bilateral issues affecting either of the two countries to be visited.

3. Information activities of the posts concerned should be built on the following themes:

1. This is the first official visit of a Canadian Foreign Minister to Latin America, an indication of the importance which the Minister attaches not only to Canada's relations with Brazil and Mexico, but with Latin America as a whole.
2. The Minister wishes to familiarize himself further with Brazil, Mexico and Latin America generally, and review or establish friendships with Latin American leaders.
3. Canada's role as a leading middle power which has advanced from colonial status to a constructive position in world affairs.

   4. Other themes to exploit are:

4. In Brazil and Mexico: the Minister's visit to these two countries indicates the importance he attaches to our relations with them.
5. In Brazil: joint participation in the defence of freedom and order (Second World War Italian campaign, and UNEF).
6. In Mexico: The fact that the Foreign Minister will personally head a Special Mission to a Latin American inauguration is a sign that the Canadian Government realizes that our common interest in the preservation of world peace through the United Nations, growing trade, increased tourist visits, and the establishment of direct air links have brought our two countries much closer.

5. The following methods of publicizing the Minister's visit are recommended:

1. Countries to be Visited
   1. The missions concerned should get in touch with Government departments and agencies, press, radio and T.V. organizations, to offer all possible assistance in arranging publicity for the visit;
   2. We assume that the missions concerned now have for distribution supplies of photographs of the Minister, his biography, and copies of his statements. Additional supplies, if required, should be applied for immediately by telegram;
   3. The missions concerned should get in touch with the heads of UP, AP, Reuters and AFP in order to help them provide Canadian media with a fair coverage of the visit.
      N.B. The Minister has authorized the use of "Dr. Smith" instead of "Mr. Smith" whenever the Mission concerned will find this suitable.
Other Latin American Countries
Missions in Latin America outside Brazil and Mexico should be prepared to take advantage of publicity opportunities resulting from the Minister's trip. In any publicity, the Missions should take care not to hurt feelings in the countries which the Minister has no time to visit in the course of his present trip. If disappointment is expressed, it may be pointed out that the Minister on this occasion is the prisoner of previous commitments. He must attend the Colombo Plan Ministerial meetings in Seattle November 10 to 14,¹ and, from there, go directly to Rio. He will barely have time to get to Mexico from Brazil in time for the Presidential inauguration and must then return to Ottawa for a brief interval of preparation for the NATO Council meetings in Paris, December 16-19. He is disappointed that on this visit he cannot include other countries, but it is clearly impossible.
2. Other Countries
   We assume that, in most cases, any publicity should be undertaken in response to enquiries.

R.M. Macdonnell
for Under-Secretary of State
for External Affairs

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¹Voir volume 24, les documents 431 et 432.
See Volume 24, Document 431 and 432.