118. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between Secretary of State Herter and Secretary-General Hammarskjöld0

MEMORANDUM OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH SECRETARY-GENERAL HAMMARSKJOLD

Mr. Hammarskjold telephoned to say he had just finished his meeting with the whole African group regarding the Congolese request for technical assistance from the UN and this group was very much back of his line. The SYG said what is practical depends very much on the Congo Government. The SYG said so far so good and he [Page 297] could say he has tied it up there but is having a meeting of the members of the Security Council in the morning—not the Security Council itself, but the members of the Council. The SYG said there is one curiosity in this, i.e. they have not yet received the formal request, but SYG said he will go ahead anyway. The SYG said there is another side, i.e. the request to the U.S., but that in no way collides with the request to the UN. The Secretary said we do not want to do a single thing which we do not do under UN auspices. SYG said he hasn’t yet found where to put this. SYG said he saw the Secy’s point in keeping this neutral. SYG said this is one of those situations where we must innovate and we must find a formula. SYG said Lodge is coming this afternoon and they might see what formula is available. SYG said he took very definite stand we should not go into a new framework but that doesn’t solve the Secy’s problem or his. The Secretary said we have instructed our Ambassador that with the appeal having gone to the UN that this matter was within Hammarskjold’s competence and that we are not going to make any independent move. SYG said let us then see what this afternoon brings.

The Secy said there was one matter he would like to mention confidentially. Some days ago as a matter of precaution we sent an aircraft carrier2 to stand by out of sight outside with helicopters in case they were needed for rescue of people and Secy said there are some Marines aboard, but the ship will not arrive until the 21st. The Secy said we have kept this very secret. The Secretary said he personally had a strong feeling that white troops not speaking French should not go into that area. SYG said he agreed; that this would only aggravate the situation. SYG said we should continue working on line to put the responsibility on the Congo and then one can use some white troops. SYG said if they just used their police functions, he knew he didn’t have to tell the Secy the repercussions. SYG said of course we can’t help some cold-war overtones. The Secretary referred to Khrushchev’s attack on the Belgian Government’s actions.3SYG said he had not seen this but could tell the Secy that the African Ambassadors in NY did not look at us in that light. The Secy said in what he was saying about troops, he didn’t want the SYG to feel we wouldn’t want to do our share. SYG said he understood. SYG said that of course our people could do the job, but with what consequences. SYG said that is a real snag and a similar snag is can we find new kind of formula where this can be done at the request of the Government. The Secretary said we will keep in touch and we will do nothing unilaterally.

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The Secretary said we may do something on food, with [which?] SYG said was, of course, an entirely different matter. The Secy said if we did something on food, SYG would not feel we were going beyond our competence in doing this and SYG said this is entirely different. SYG said one thing we might think about if we really do it is addressing our announcement on it to the UN. Secretary said we could work in conjunction with UN, and said actually the question of food has only come from our Ambassador and that we have no word from the Congo Government. Secy said it might also be helpful if it were decided to do this if the food were made available in Leopoldville to Bunche for UN distribution. SYG said that might be a very good thing but he would like to think about it a little. The Secretary said it was his feeling it would be very much better to do this through the UN. SYG said his first reaction is that it is a very good idea, but said he would like to give it a little thought. Secy suggested if SYG were talking to Bunche he might sound him out on this and SYG said he would.

  1. Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Limited Official Use. Prepared in the Secretary’s office.
  2. Herter was in Washington; Hammarskjöld was in New York.
  3. The Wasp.
  4. Reference is to Khrushchev’s remarks at a July 12 news conference in Moscow.