Office of the Historian

11. Memorandum From Winston Lord of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)1

Washington, November 24, 1969.

SUBJECT

  • Expansion of UN Headquarters in New York

This memorandum is to a) inform you of the actions taken on the UN Headquarters problem after you telephoned White House concurrence to State Assistant Secretary De Palma on Friday and b) request your approval of a Watts to Eliot memorandum confirming the White House position.

[Page 16]

After learning of White House approval of State’s request to commit $20 million in the FY 1971 budget, I asked State to clear with us their telegram to our UN Mission in New York. The telegram is at Tab B2—I cleared it with Ehrlichman’s office (Ehrlichman himself concurred in substance while his staff approved the wording) and BOB. We made two changes in the original State cable:

  • —The phrase “because of the urgency placed upon expansion of UN facilities” was added to the first paragraph at Ehrlichman’s request, to underline White House understanding that State believes this to be an urgent matter.
  • —Paragraph three was added at my request, to spell out the two conditions, stipulated in Budget Director Mayo’s memorandum to the President, of our going after private sources for contributions and our not exceeding $20 million in U.S. government special contributions to the project.

I also confirmed that appropriate Congressional leaders were being informed before public disclosure of our position and that Harlow’s office was aware of this action.

I believe it is now appropriate to confirm the White House approval in writing to State and have thus prepared a memorandum from Bill Watts to Theodore Eliot. I think this is the proper channel, rather than involving you personally. The Watts–Eliot memorandum is at Tab A3 for your approval.

At Tab C for your background is the original package plus the follow up memorandum that De Palma drafted at your request at last Thursday’s AFSA lunch.3

Recommendation:

That you approve the Watts to Eliot memorandum at Tab A.4

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 297, Agency Files, USUN, Vol. III. Confidential. Sent for action.↩
  2. See footnote 2, Document 10.↩
  3. Attached but not printed.↩
  4. Attached but not printed.↩
  5. Kissinger initialed his approval on November 25.↩