Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume IX, International Development and Economic Defense Policy; Commodities

171. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson¹

Washington, April 29, 1965.

SUBJECT

• Your Talk with George Meany on the Miller Report, 4/29, 12:30
• George Meany and I reached agreement on the Miller Report which I hope will still be firm when you meet him at 12:30.²

The agreement is that Meany’s man, Goldfinger, will sign the Report, but make an additional 300-word “comment.”³ The essence of this comment is that while he signs the report as a whole, he himself would take a somewhat harder line against the dangers of casual trade, especially in the sale of technology. I have seen it, and it seems to me an acceptable settlement.

In an April 28 memorandum to President Johnson, McGeorge Bundy reported that an “apologetic and embarrassed” Goldfinger had prepared an 8-page “statement of dissent—probably at Meany’s direction,” and Buddy then tried to persuade Meany to allow “Goldfinger to sign the report without reservations. That is what he should do, on the merits. But if Meany won’t agree to that, then I think we could settle for a Goldfinger signature with a short—one page—statement of reservations.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Committee File, Miller Committee, Box 25)

It is always possible that Jay Lovestone will have stirred Meany up again. Lovestone is a former Trotskyite and a wild man against all trade with Communists. If this should happen, you may want to emphasize about three points to George:

(1) There is nothing soft about the Miller Report. In particular, it is very tough against credits to Communists, which George Meany has always told us is the most important point of all.

(2) The Miller Report also shares Meany’s views that this is basically a problem of politics, not one of profits.

(3) You and George have a firm agreement that there would be no need for a minority report, and our current plan for a brief Goldfinger comment is a very fair compromise.

McG. B. ⁴

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President, McGeorge Bundy, Vol. 10, Box 3. No classification marking.
2. Meany met at the White House with President Johnson and others off the record on April 29 from 12:56 to 1:50 p.m. (Ibid., President’s Daily Diary) No further record of their meeting has been found.
3. Goldfinger’s 1-page “statement of comment” is attached to the Committee’s final report, April 29. (Ibid., National Security File, Committee File, Miller Committee, Box 25) It was included as a footnote to the published report. Regarding the published report, see Document 172.
4. Printed from a copy that bears these typed initials.