Office of the Historian

117. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Rusk and the Representative to the United Nations (Stevenson)0

September 17, 1962, 3:58 p.m.

TELEPHONE CALL FROM AMB STEVENSON

Sec returned the call and S said he talked to the Pres on the boat over the weekend re the proposal of Khrushchev to us about an observer (UN) in Berlin.1S said we owe an answer because Gromyko will raise it. S wanted to remind Sec to get someone to work on it. Pres’ reaction and S’s are positive on the whole—might have real merit from our point of view without real loss if we establish a UN in Berlin as a whole assuming we can get a good man. Question is he going to be an observer for all of Berlin or West Berlin with authority to place UN observers in and out and along access points. Sec does not think the latter comes into it now. S mentioned his having access to East Berlin and be instructed to inform the SYG on all aspects etc. Sec thinks now someone could be asked to have a look at the situation in Berlin for the SYG without taking on operational functions at this stage. S said yes. Sec said he should report back to the GA at some point. S mentioned appointing a Swede which they think will be hard to get etc. S said we want veto power over this or we can be embarrassed. S wants from the Sec: 1. Shall we go ahead? 2. When? 3. What form of language? Sec mentioned taking it up with French and Germans. S agreed but said we should communicate privately with him—we owe him something on it.

[Here follows discussion of the Congo.]

  1. Source: Department of State, Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192. No classification marking. Stevenson was in New York; Rusk was in Washington.↩
  2. Stevenson had been a guest of the President at Newport, Rhode Island, September 15–16, for the America’s Cup races.↩