508. Memorandum of Telephone Conversations Between the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) and the Under Secretary of State (Ball)1
7 p.m.
Ball said he had a problem which he thought he would have to give an answer to the British tonight. It is the question of the airlift for oil in Rhodesia. The situation is that we have agreed with the British that we will get our oil companies to stop sending oil into Rhodesia if they will do the same with theirs. Our oil companies were in this afternoon and Ball thought they would go along. Ball said he had told the British to get an order in council which would help the oil companies with their own directors. Ball thought they would do this. B said the oil that goes into Rhodesia goes into a refinery in Rhodesia which in return supplies Zambia. If we cut off the oil to Rhodesia their first impulse is to husband their supply and they would say they have to cut off oil to Zambia. Ball said we could not have this for very long because their stocks are very low. The mines would have to stop pumping and we would be in trouble with copper.
Ball said an airlift has to be set up on a temporary basis to enable them to carry oil in for about two months. The British have asked us to join them—we would have one from one point and they from another. Ball said he had told the British we could not do this but we would explore the possibility of putting additional men and planes in. The Air Force does not have the planes to do it and we would get civilian planes on charter. Ball said the total cost of the operation would be about half million dollars. There would be no problem on the balance of payments (gold outflow) because for the most part the planes and crews would be US. However, Ball said he thought we should get the Boss’ reaction and the British would like an answer tonight. Ball said he planned for this to be a public arrangement and we want to be able to announce that we are reinforcing the air lift because we want to get some kudos out of the Africans ourselves.
Bundy said he would do his best to reach the President and he would have to do it within the next half hour. If not they would just go ahead.
7:05 p.m.
Bundy had one question—why do we need to join in something that is as low in cost as this? Is this something we want to do?
[Page 865]Ball replied that he thought we wanted to do it and the British say they are putting in a lot more money and that it will exhaust the supply of planes readily available to them which they could get for sterling in the UK. Ball said he told the British the most we would be prepared to do would be to reinforce them.
Bundy asked why it would be for two months. Ball said by that time they will be able over the rail facilities to get enough oil in to stock it and could manage.
7:10 p.m.
Bundy said the President said o.k. go ahead.
- Source: Johnson Library, Ball Papers, S. Rhodesia, 10/12/65–11/2/66. No classification marking. The source text bears the typed initials “jt.”↩