Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XV, Berlin Crisis, 1962–1963

231. Memorandum for the Record⁰

Washington, October 21, 1963.

SUBJECT

• Meeting with the President, Monday, October 21, 5:00 p.m., in the Cabinet Room—Berlin Convoy Procedures

PARTICIPANTS

• The President
• State
  • Under Secretary George Ball
  • Mr. William Tyler
  • Mr. Richard Davis
  • Mr. John Ausland
• CIA
  • Director John McCone
  • Mr. Janney
  • Mr. Whitman
• Defense
  • Secretary Robert McNamara
  • General Maxwell Taylor
  • Mr. Paul Nitze
  • Brigadier General Lucius Clay, Jr.
• White House
  • Mr. McGeorge Bundy
  • Mr. David Klein
  • Lt Colonel W. Y. Smith

After discussion on the recent convoy problems with the Soviets, the President decided:

1. The Soviet Union should be informed of US convoy procedures.

2. The US procedures—harmonized with UK but not involving visible change in US position¹—should be passed to Ambassador Dobrynin to give the Soviet political leadership rather than the military authorities control of the matter from the start.

3. The Soviets should be advised of existing national convoy procedures. Nevertheless, the Allies should attempt to achieve de facto harmonization of these procedures.

4. The next non-dismountable US convoy should be scheduled after Ambassador Dobrynin has been informed of the procedures, with the exact timing of the convoy to be decided later.

DK WYS

0. Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Countries Series, Germany, Berlin, Convoy Procedures. Secret. Drafted by David Klein and William Y. Smith.
1. This phrase was added by hand, apparently by Bundy.