314. Memorandum of Conversation, Washington, January 5, 1973, 3:30 p.m.1 2
MEMORANDUM
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION
PARTICIPANTS:
- President Nixon
- Carlos P. Romulo, Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the Philippines
- Richard T. Kennedy, Acting Assistant to President for National Security Affairs
DATE AND TIME: Friday, January 5, 1973 3:30 p.m.
PLACE: The Oval
Office
Romulo: Congratulations on your election victory.
The President: I’m glad you recovered from your accident. You’re a strong man.
Romulo: It’s hard to kill weeds.
The President: Do you follow American politics?
Romulo: Very closely.
The President: I wanted you to know you are here because you’re an old friend.
Romulo: Of long standing.
The President: [Reminisced] I hope things are quieting down.
Romulo: Yes. The politicians have surrendered their arms.
The President: I told the people here we are not going to lecture you. You can’t have anarchy. You once told me that The Philippines had taken all our faults and improved on them.
[Page 2]Romulo: I’m affected. I’m a landowner. We’ve cleaned up the cities. Democracy is for a mature developed society. In a developing society you need some restraint.
The President: How true.
Romulo: The editorial board of the New York Times — the power of the press — they went after you and repudiated you.
The President: Years ago we discussed the People’s Republic of China. You alone said it was time for the US to take a new look.
Romulo: It was masterful. It has relaxed tensions in the area.
The President: Some said they were worried for the non-Communist countries.
Romulo: No, it’s strengthened us. It showed the PRC would rather have the US in the Formosa Strait than the USSR. Japan knows she can be killed in a nuclear war, and this affects a restraint. Their [Japan] national discipline is the greatest in the world.
The President: Let me say one thing about Vietnam. We are doing the best we can. I have sent Kissinger to go to Paris against all odds. What we want is a ceasefire, return of our prisoners, and a political process to let the South Vietnamese people determine their own future. In October North Vietnam said they had agreed and it was true, but then after the elections they backed away. I then returned to bombing — two days before the first of the year they said we can talk again. We are serious if they are; we’ll make a deal. My view is that it’s up to the other side whether they want to settle. Our role down will be reduced. The South Vietnamese can handle themselves. The question is: Can we have an honorable peace so we can take another road.
Romulo: We were worried. First he said peace is at hand and then he explained to the press that it wasn’t. President Marcos realized the US did its best and they filibustered. This is the Communists’ way of negotiation.
The President: We want to end the war. Your interest is that our withdrawal not be a bug-out, but an honorable settlement — a ceasefire [Page 3] in place and a political settlement. President Thieu wants more — he wants to kill all Communists.
Romulo: We know you want out of the war.
The President: But not out of Asia.
Romulo: You said it well at Guam. Your presence has to remain; otherwise there is a vacuum. The Chinese, or Russia, or Japan would try to fill it.
The President: None of the others are strong enough, except Japan or the US.
Romulo: We’d rather it be the US than any others.
The President: We want to help others to help themselves.
Romulo: You were right to say that American manpower shouldn’t be in Asia in war. We are happy you are the head of this country. Of all the Presidents I have met, you are the most knowledgeable about Asia.
The President: You are very kind.
Romulo: President Marcos instructed me to give you his best wishes.
The President: Please carry to him my respect. We will keep in the closest touch. Do what he needs to do; we understand his situation. We may make a change in our Embassy but we’ll have a very strong man.
Romulo: Byroad is highly respected. I wish you had Bush in the UN. He’s a good man.
The President: Scali is a very good man. He knows the world. Bush is needed in the party.
Romulo: I’m signing a loan for a $70 million education loan in the IBRD. There are too many lawyers — now we’ll have vocational and agricultural training.
[Page 4]The President: We have lots of vocational training here. It gives a great education.
Romulo: We have too many politicians.
The President: Here is an ash tray. Have some.
Romulo: Yes. How is Mrs. Nixon?
The President: She’s fine. She’s in California.
- Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 1026, Presidential/HAK Memcons, January–March 1973. Secret; Nodis. At the time Nixon and Romulo met, the Philippines had been under martial law since September 1972 and the Filipino army was fighting rebels in the Sula Archipelago.↩
- Nixon and Romulo discussed affairs in the United States, the Philippines, and Vietnam.↩