262. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of Defense McNamara and the Under Secretary of State (Ball)1
Mc said now that we have it we should try to make something of it.2 B said we had sent a telegram to Byroade in Rangoon for him to get in touch with the DRV Ambassador and give him an Aide-Memoire.3 B said he was also getting Presidential letters to Wilson, Erhard, Pearson, Moro and De Gaulle. B said we would get the French Ambassador in tomorrow subject to clearance with the Ranch.
Mc asked Ball if he thought it would be wise for Ball to go to see Wilson. B said he thought Wilson would appreciate a quiet Presidential letter more than he would someone coming over. B thought the same thing [Page 731] could be done in Ottawa. B told Mc that Harriman was going to Warsaw tonight. B said he and Rusk agreed that the Hungarians should work their own way out re Harriman. They have given indications they are trying to make a serious effort here. The Charge came back today with a lot of questions. B said we proposed, if approved by the President, that Harriman go to Budapest only if invited by the Hungarians. After spending a few days in Warsaw H[arriman] could go to Paris.
B told Mc that Goldberg was on his way to N.Y. and presumably would see U Thant tonight; then he would fly to see the Pope; and return home.
Mc said he thought this was what had been discussed earlier today. Mc thought it would be desirable for H to see Tito if he could. Ball said he thought the problem was that Tito is so unpopular with the rest of the Bloc.
Mc said one of the things we should get are views of other people. How do they see this shaping up in the future. Mc said he realizes as well as Ball that it is unlikely that this is all going to end with unconditional surrender by NVN. They both agreed there had to be face savers.
McN said if we send these people out we cannot end this pause New Year’s Eve. Ball agreed and said if it did not run until at least the end of next week we would be charged with bad faith. Mc said he had told the Pres this last night and he thought he was prepared to go beyond the first if we get anything at all. Mc said he had sent a telegram to Westmoreland,4 Wheeler, and Sharp telling them why we were doing this and saying we were going to keep a sharp eye.
Mc said we were going to start our Blue Tree Reconnaissance again. We are not to return fire unless trying to recover a pilot who has been shot down and we are trying to rescue.
Ball informed Mc of Moscow’s announcement that Shelepin is going to Hanoi shortly. B thought this might be in our favor re timing.
It was decided that when Rusk, McN and Ball meet tomorrow they should discuss what should be said to the press.5
- Source: Johnson Library, Papers of George Ball, Telephone Conversations, Vietnam. No classification marking.↩
- The bombing pause.↩
- See Document 257.↩
- Telegram 5041-65 from McNamara to Westmoreland, December 29. (Center of Military History, Westmoreland Papers, COMUSMACV, Message Files)↩
- No record of this meeting has been found.↩