Office of the Historian

82. Memorandum for the Record1

Washington, February 22, 1966, 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

SUBJECT

  • White House Meeting, 22 February

PRESENT WERE

  • The President
  • For State: Messrs. Rusk, Ball, and Rostow
  • For Defense: Messrs. McNamara and Vance and General Wheeler
  • For AID: Mr. Gaud
  • For the White House: Messrs. Bundy, Komer, Moyers, Smith, plus General Taylor and Mr. Clark Clifford
  • For CIA: Admiral Raborn and Richard Helms
1.
The meeting convened at 11:45 A.M and adjourned at 1:30 P.M.
2.
In addition to the items set forth on the printed agenda, attached,2 the following items were discussed at this meeting:
a.
The President decided to have the congressional leaders meet with the Vice President at 8:00 A.M. on Thursday morning followed by a 9 to 10:30 meeting with him for the Foreign Relations, Armed Services, and Appropriations Committees of the Senate and House in the East Room.
b.
A decision was made to have General Taylor make a public statement clarifying the Administrationʼs disagreement with Senator Kennedy on the subject of a coalition government in South Vietnam.
c.
Central points which the Vice President should make in his talks with Congressmen were enumerated:
(1)
That this is a limited war.
(2)
That the United States is being successful in its prosecution.
(3)
That we are receiving help from SEATO countries in the battle.
d.
There was a lengthy discussion of non-military programs in South Vietnam with particular reference to the role to be played by Secretaries Gardner and Freeman. It emerged that the President wants to make South Vietnam a showcase for Asia as to what the United States can [Page 246] do to make a better life for the Vietnamese people. He is pushing for a variety of programs, including new teaching techniques, temporary hospitals, an increased flow of medicines, etc. Concern was expressed over the United States proceeding too fast and overloading the capacities of the South Vietnamese Government.
e.
The resolution question was again discussed at considerable length. Mr. Clark Clifford argued that the Administration should stand on the 1964 Tonkin Gulf resolution and should not go for a new one. He was supported by Secretaries Rusk and McNamara, and appears to have carried the day.3
f.
Mr. Moyers described a dinner conversation which he had had with Senator Fulbright on Monday evening.
RH
  1. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (Helms) Files: Job 80–B01285A, Memos for the Record, 01 Jan 65–31 Dec 1972. Secret. Prepared by Helms on February 23.↩
  2. The attached agenda lists three items: 1) Vice President Humphreyʼs return and the Congress; 2) Handling any new policy resolution in Congress—alternative administration resolutions and alternative tactics with the resolutions of others; 3) organization of non-military efforts in Washington. Prior to the meeting the President discussed the agenda with McGeorge Bundy during a lengthy telephone conversation. A recording of the conversation is in the Johnson Library, Recordings and Transcripts, Telephone Conversation between Johnson and McGeorge Bundy, February 22, 1966, 9:04 a.m., Tape 6602.06, PNO 3.↩

  3. Helmsʼ handwritten notes of the meeting, recorded on the attached agenda, include the following:

    “Resolution Question

    • “a) Stand on ʼ64 resolution, or
    • “b) Go Morse route, or
    • “c) Joe Rauh moderating resolution”

    “Clifford re resolution problem

    • “a) admin should go on doing what itʼs doing
    • “b) Pres thinking we should guide events
    • “c) Clifford disagrees—this is Cong problem.”

    ↩