608. Letter 33 from Johnson to McConaughy1
With reference to my letter No. 32 concerning the visit of the Brazilian Parliamentary Delegation to Communist China, I am not clear as to exactly what may have happened. However, on the following evening they denied to Vedeler that they were going to Communist China and I now assume that this must be the fact. There was no possibility of misunderstanding between us at the time I had my conversation with them as several of them with whom I was speaking spoke good English and we talked about it in some detail. However, you can now I think disregard it.
I have received the instructions for tomorrow’s meeting and will try to carry them out to the best of my ability. In thinking it through, I have decided that my best tactic for tomorrow is to avoid specifics and simply attack his draft as a whole, then try to steer the discussion to our April 19 draft. I doubt if I am going to be very successful on the latter point but we will have to see how it works out. I figure that if I get into specifics, particularly with respect to the self-defense clause, I will open the door for him to suggest its inclusion along with their mutual respect clause and will find myself mired down in an unproductive morass.
Thanks very much for your letter No. 42. It seems to me that Sebald’s discussion with Dayal was an excellent idea and should be very helpful in influencing Indian attitudes.
[Facsimile Page 2]I am very glad to note the action you have taken with INS on the “application for permission to depart” problem.
Regards to all.
Sincerely yours,
American Ambassador
- Source: Department of State, Geneva Talks Files, Lot 72D415. Secret; Official–Informal. Johnson signed the original “Alex.”↩