Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXXIII, Organization and Management of Foreign Policy; United Nations

91. Paper Prepared in the White House¹

Washington, September 1, 1966.

Alternative Teams to Fill the Top Sub-Cabinet Positions in the State Department

General Assumptions.

1. Dean Rusk will remain Secretary of State for the foreseeable future.

2. The Under Secretary—Ball’s replacement—will function as his alter ego and the principal coordinator of inter-agency efforts abroad.

3. The Under Secretary for Political (or Economic) Affairs—Mann’s replacement—will be the principal management officer of the Department, the general supervisor of the regional and functional Assistant Secretaries and the administrative programs. He will be assisted by the two Deputy Under Secretaries.

4. The Deputy Under Secretary for Political (or Economic) Affairs—Alex Johnson’s replacement—will be the direct supervisor of the regional and functional Assistant Secretaries. He will be the Department’s principal director of substantive processes, including program planning, intelligence, politico-military affairs, and economic policy.

5. The Deputy Under Secretary for Administration—Crockett or his replacement—will be the principal supervisor of administrative processes, including budgeting, personnel, inspections, communications, and logistics.

6. Since Secretary Rusk will remain, vacancies in the number 2, 3, and 4 jobs will probably be filled partly or entirely from inside the Government.

The following are some of the possible combinations of men currently serving in the Executive Branch that would be worthy of consideration, given alternative specific assumptions or objectives. Tab A is a more comprehensive list of men, in and out of Government, who could be considered as substitutes for those specified below.²

TEAM I

Specific assumption. The President wants to select a Rusk team, one that presents no problem of relationships with an heir-apparent, and one that has a strong link to the Defense establishment.

Ellsworth Bunker , Under Secretary.

Lucius D. Battle, Under Secretary for Political Affairs.

John T. McNaughton, Deputy Under Secretary for Political Affairs.

TEAM II

Specific assumption. The President wants a team that can bring maximum focus to our international politico-military affairs, that can work with Defense to bring the Vietnam war to a successful conclusion.

Cyrus R. Vance, Under Secretary.

William P. Bundy, Under Secretary for Political Affairs.

Jeffrey C. Kitchen, Deputy Under Secretary for Political Affairs (since 1961, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Politico-Military Affairs).

TEAM III

Specific assumption. The President wants a team that can develop and implement a series of imaginative foreign policy initiatives, with emphasis on our relationships with the underdeveloped world-systematically putting to work our accumulated experience in economic aid, counter-insurgency, and military assistance as a single package of coordinated programs.

Paul H. Nitze, Under Secretary.

Ralph A. Dungan, Under Secretary for Political Affairs.

Alternate: James W. Clark, now Chief of Budget Bureau International Division.

Anthony M. Solomon, Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Affairs.

TEAM IV

Specific assumption. The President wants to emphasize the continuity between his foreign policy and that of previous Administrations, using a prominent Texas diplomat, a Kennedy aide, and a seasoned Foreign Service officer.

George C. McGhee, Under Secretary.

Ralph A. Dungan, Under Secretary for Political Affairs.

Edwin M. Martin, Deputy Under Secretary for Economic (or Political) Affairs.

TEAM V

Specific assumption. The President wants to appoint a team of mature professionals, men who understand the art of diplomacy and the world of politics.

W. Averell Harriman , Under Secretary.

Ellsworth Bunker , Under Secretary for Political Affairs.

Alternate: Samuel D. Berger (former Ambassador to Korea, now Deputy Assistant Secretary for Far East).

Philip H. Trezise, Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Affairs.

TEAM VI

Specific assumption. The President wants to rejuvenate the State Department by appointing a team of young, dynamic activists who are compatible with Secretary Rusk and can build the kind of solid, responsive staff support that Rusk, as senior diplomatist and foreign policy advisor, needs.

Lucius D. Battle (age 48), Under Secretary.

William P. Bundy (49), Under Secretary for Political Affairs.

James W. Clark (43), Deputy Under Secretary for Political Affairs.

1. Source: Johnson Library, White House Central Files, Subject Files, EX FG 105. No classification marking. Drafted by Robert G. Cox of the White House staff. (Memorandum from Cox to Macy, September 1; ibid., Office Files of John W. Macy, Box 693, State-General-1966) It was handed to President Johnson by Macy during their meeting on September 1. (Memorandum from Macy to the President, September 19; ibid.) The paper indicates that the President saw it. Under cover of a September 19 memorandum, 2 days before Johnson announced his appointments to the three posts, Macy forwarded to the President a second list of suggestions consisting of 6 teams. Macy explained that the list was “based on the same general assumptions but with suggested names from outside of the government.” (Ibid.)
2. Attached but not printed.