330. Memorandum of Conversation1
SUBJECT
- Further Discussion of Ethiopia’s Security Requirements
PARTICIPANTS
- The President
- The Emperor of Ethiopia
- The Vice President (for parts of the conversation)
- Acting Secretary of State, Nicholas de B. Katzenbach
- U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia, Edward M. Korry (for parts of the conversation)
The President stated that he understood that His Imperial Majesty’s talks with Secretary McNamara and Acting Secretary Katzenbach were most useful to both sides. He and the Emperor had a better understanding of each other’s problems. He wished to assure the Emperor that the promised review of his requests would be thorough and as sympathetic as our restraints permitted. Candor compelled him to state that he did not wish to underestimate the difficulties he had at present with Congress. He wished to emphasize that in his view there were good possibilities of softening the Ethiopian-Somali problem through joint development of shared resources, in particular river basins. He also wished to stress that our conception of the Ethiopian security problem places the focus on internal security measures. However, we will do our best, within the restraints imposed by Congress and available resources, to be as forthcoming as possible.
The Emperor replied that he did not wish to convey an impression that he was pressing for immediate responses. He repeated his rationale about wanting a face-to-face meeting with the President. He understood that immediate decisions could not be reached and he was satisfied with the procedures that had been worked out. He wished to emphasize anew his serious concern over the situation Ethiopia was confronting and his hope that the USG would respond in as forthcoming a manner as possible.
- Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Ethiopia, Vol. 2, Memos & Miscellaneous, 7/65–1/69. Confidential. Drafted by Korry on February 20. The conversation was held at the White House.↩