Office of the Historian

September–December 1961: Hostilites in Katanga and the Kitona Accord

102. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Congo

Washington, September 1, 1961, 9:33 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/8–2861. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Woodruff; cleared by Eisenberg, Blue, and Wallner; and approved by Ferguson. Also sent to Brussels and Elisabethville and repeated to USUN, Paris, and London.

103. Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State

New York, September 6, 1961, 8 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–661. Confidential. Repeated to Léopoldville and Brussels.

104. Telegram From the Embassy in the Congo to the Department of State

Léopoldville, September 8, 1961, 7 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–861. Top Secret; Eyes Only.

105. Telegram From the Embassy in the Congo to the Department of State

Léopoldville, September 11, 1961, 4 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–1161. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Brussels, Elisabethville, USUN, London, Paris, and Salisbury.

106. Telegram From the Embassy in Belgium to the Department of State

Brussels, September 12, 1961, 3 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–1261. Confidential; Priority; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Léopoldville, Elisabethville, and USUN.

107. Telegram From the Embassy in the Congo to the Department of State

Léopoldville, September 13, 1961, 9 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.70G41/9–1361. Confidential. Repeated to Brussels, London, Paris, Elisabethville, Brazzaville, USUN, and Salisbury.

108. Telegram From the Consulate in Elisabethville to the Department of State

Elisabethville, September 14, 1961, 4 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 332.70G/9–1461. Confidential; Niact. Also sent to Léopoldville and repeated to Brussels, USUN, London, Paris, and Salisbury.

109. Telegram From the Embassy in the Congo to the Department of State

Léopoldville, September 15, 1961, 7 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–1561. Confidential; Niact. Repeated to Brussels, USUN, London, Paris, Salisbury, and Brazzaville.

110. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Congo

Washington, September 15, 1961, 8:55 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–1561. Secret; Priority. Drafted and approved by Cleveland and cleared in substance by Vance. Repeated to Elisabethville, London, USUN, and to the President at Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.

111. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Belgium

Washington, September 15, 1961, 10:18 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–1461. Confidential; Priority. Drafted and approved by Blue. Repeated to Léopoldville, USUN, London, and Paris.

112. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Congo

Washington, September 15, 1961, 10:47 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–1561. Secret; Niact. Drafted and approved by Vance and cleared in draft by Cleveland and Rusk. Repeated to USUN, Brussels, Paris, and London.

113. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Belgium

Washington, September 16, 1961, 6:20 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 332.70G/9–1661. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Sisco, cleared by Vance and Fredericks, and approved by Cleveland. Also sent to Léopoldville, London, Paris, and USUN.

114. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Belgium

Washington, September 16, 1961, 9:29 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 325.70G/9–1661. Confidential; Priority; Verbatim Text. Drafted by Sisco and Cleveland, cleared by Vance, and approved by Rusk. Rusk’s staff assistant Walter L. Cutler initialed for him. Also sent to Léopoldville, London, Paris, and USUN.

115. Telegram From the Embassy in the Congo to the Department of State

Léopoldville, September 17, 1961, 1 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–1761. Secret; Niact. Repeated to USUN, Brussels, Brazzaville, Paris, and London.

117. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Congo

Washington, September 18, 1961, 9 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 332.70G/9–1861. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Vance, cleared by Fredericks, and approved by Cleveland. Also sent to USUN and repeated to London, Paris, and Brussels.

118. Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State

New York, September 18, 1961, 9 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–1861. Secret; Priority; Limited Distribution. Received at 2:50 a.m. on September 19 and repeated to Brussels and Léopoldville.

119. Telegram From the Embassy in the Congo to the Department of State

Léopoldville, September 18, 1961, 11 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–1861. Secret; Niact. Received at 8:10 a.m. on September 19 and repeated to USUN, Brussels, London, Paris, and Brazzaville.

120. National Security Action Memorandum No. 97

Washington, September 19, 1961.

Source: Department of State, NSAM Files: Lot 72 D 316, NSAM 97. Secret. A copy was sent to the Secretary of Defense. A draft with Bundy’s handwritten revisions is filed with a September 19 memorandum to Wallner in the Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Congo. Additional documentation concerning its background is filed with a September 26 memorandum by Brubeck in Department of State, S/S–NSC Files: Lot 70 D 265, Presidential Record of Report on the Congo.

121. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Congo

Washington, September 20, 1961, 9:56 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–2061. Confidential; Niact. Drafted by Eisenberg, cleared by Vance, and approved by Cleveland. Repeated to USUN, Brussels, London, Paris, and Salisbury.

122. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (Ball) to President Kennedy

Washington, September 23, 1961.

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Congo. Secret. The Department of State copy of this memorandum indicates Ball was the drafter. (Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–2361) A covering memorandum of the same date from Ball to the President states that this memorandum represented the Department of State view of the proper U.S. position in the Katanga crisis. For Ball’s recollection of the Congo problem, see The Past Has Another Pattern: Memoirs, pp. 222–259.

123. Telegram From the Department of State to the Consulate in Elisabethville

Washington, September 23, 1961, 8:51 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–2261. Confidential. Drafted by Vance and Eisenberg, cleared in substance by Rostow and Deputy Director of the Office of United Nations Political and Security Affairs William B. Buffum, and approved by Williams. Also sent to Léopoldville and repeated to USUN, Salisbury, London, and Brussels.

124. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Belgium

Washington, September 26, 1961, 8:51 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–2661. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Woodruff; cleared by Blue, Buffum, and Wallner; and approved by Ferguson. Also sent to Paris and Salisbury and repeated to USUN for Secretary Rusk, Léopoldville, and London.

125. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Belgium

Washington, September 27, 1961, 10:14 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–2361. Confidential; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Miller and Woodruff; cleared by Ferguson, Vance, Wallner, and Tyler; and approved by Ball.

126. Telegram From the Consulate in Elisabethville to the Department of State

Elisabethville, September 28, 1961, 2 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–2861. Confidential; Niact. Also sent to Léopoldville and Brussels and repeated to USUN, Paris, London, and Salisbury.

127. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Congo

Washington, September 29, 1961, 8:12 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.70G41/9–2961. Confidential. Drafted by Robert C. Huffman of the Office of Central African Affairs and by Eisenberg; cleared by Assistant Secretary for Economic Affairs Edwin M. Martin, Deputy Director of the Office of International Administration Frank K. Hefner, Buffum, and with the ICA; and approved by Ball. Repeated to USUN, Brussels, London, and Paris.

128. Telegram From the Embassy in Belgium to the Department of State

Brussels, September 30, 1961, 7 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/9–3061. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to USUN, London, Paris, Léopoldville, and Elisabethville.

129. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Congo

Washington, October 13, 1961, 4:57 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/10–1361. Secret. Drafted by Woodruff, cleared by Fredericks, and approved by Vance. Repeated to USUN, Brussels, Paris, London, and Salisbury.

130. Telegram From the Embassy in the Congo to the Department of State

Léopoldville, October 13, 1961, 5 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/10–1361. Secret. Received at 2:40 p.m. on October 15 and repeated to London, Brussels, USUN, Paris, Brazzaville, and Elisabethville.

131. Telegram From the Consulate in Elisabethville to the Department of State

Elisabethville, October 16, 1961, 3 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/10–1661. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to Léopoldville, Brussels, USUN, Paris, London, Salisbury, and Rome.