72. Editorial Note

On September 9, 1964, the National Security Council held its 542d meeting from 12:45 to 1:15 p.m. to discuss Cyprus and receive a “global briefing.” President Johnson chaired the meeting, which was attended by Secretary Rusk and Under Secretary Ball for the Department of State, Secretary McNamara, Deputy Secretary Vance, General Wheeler, and Assistant Secretary of Defense McNaughton for the Department of Defense, McGeorge Bundy and Bromley Smith of the White House, Director McCone and Deputy Director for Intelligence Cline for the Central Intelligence Agency, Secretary of the Treasury Dillon, Director of the U.S. Information Agency Rowan, Director of the Agency for International Development Bell, and Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness McDermott.

The President invited McCone to provide a global intelligence briefing which included a brief report on Indonesia. According to a memorandum of the record by Cline, McCone stated that the trend in Indonesia was adverse and he cited as evidence Sukarno’s speech of August 17. Later in the meeting, Rusk reported that Ambassador Jones was returning to Indonesia “still hopeful of finding some way to mediate with Sukarno so as to let him escape from the Malaysia confrontation policy if he is willing to do so.” Smith also made a record of the meeting which he stated that Rusk reported that Jones would have a “frank talk with Sukarno,” and noted that Nasution was still in the Indonesia Cabinet. (Memorandum for the record by Cline, September 1; Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (McCone) Files: Job 80–B01285A, Meetings with the President, 1 May–31 Oct. 1964, and summary notes of the 542nd NSC meeting by Smith, September 1; Johnson Library, National Security File, NSC Meetings, Vol. 3, Tab 24)