Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXIV, Africa

463. Memorandum From Robert W. Komer of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)¹

Washington, May 28, 1965.

Mac—

FYI, there’s a big flap over proposed Tanzania-Zambia railroad, designed to give Zambia an alternate outlet to sea for its copper if S. Rhodesia goes sour. The IB turned down this $400 million boondoggle as economically infeasible and AID feels the same way.

But now Kaunda of Zambia sent word to Harriman and Williams at Addis Conference that Chou En-lai (due in Tanzania 3 June) was going to offer to build it. Kaunda pled for a Western pre-emptive offer, and all our Africanists sent in a fervent plea to keep Chicoms out of heart of Africa.

Rusk and Ball thought this nonsense and signed [so did] LBJ on Tuesday. But Averell and AF are unwilling to take “no” for an answer, and former is in London trying to get UK excited. So we’ll probably have a second round on this one. I’m staying loose for now, but doubt that one Chicom railroad means curtains for us in southern Africa.²

RWK

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Name File, Komer Memos, Vol. I. Secret.
2. A notation in Bundy’s handwriting in the margin of the source text reads: “OK—keep an eye on it.”