393. Memorandum From Gordon Chase of the National Security Council Staff to the Presidentʼs Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)1

SUBJECT

  • British Guiana

Here are a few miscellaneous items on British Guiana.

1.
The election prospects still look good. One of the things we are concentrating on is ensuring that the opposition parties turn out to vote on election day; to this end the CIA, in a deniable and discreet way, is providing financial incentives to party workers who are charged with the responsibility of getting out the vote. Another thing worth concentrating on is the job of ensuring that intimidation, threats, and violence do not hamper the conduct of the BG elections; attached is a cable from Carlson which describes British planning in this area.2
2.

With respect to the impact on the BG situation of the Labor victory, State feels that the election was sufficiently close so that Labor will be chary of tampering with the present course of events in BG.

While this takes some of the edge off our worry, you may still want to talk about BG with Lord Harlech the next time you see him.3

3.
We are going ahead with our contingency planning for a likely Burnham victory. In this regard, Harry Yoe, the AID man working on BG, will make a quiet trip to BG between November 4 and November 12 to evaluate projects which we may want to initiate immediately after the BG elections.
GC
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, British Guiana, Vol. II, Memos, 12/63–7/64. Secret; Eyes Only.
  2. Dated October 10; attached but not printed.
  3. Two notations in Bundyʼs handwriting relating to this paragraph appear on the memorandum: one reads “Bruce and Walker talked recently,” and the other reads “I did it. He assures me new Govt. will know of our interest.”