Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XX, Congo Crisis

283. Telegram From the Embassy in the Congo to the Department of State¹

Léopoldville, August 25, 1962, 8 p.m.

466. Eyes only Acting Secretary. Reference Department telegram 335, August 24.² I should like to appeal strongly to President Kennedy against Hoffacker’s telling Tshombe that President concurs in Senator Dodd’s letter.

Tshombe will brandish this letter to the world with its doubtless well meant flattery of man who has reviled President and our country. This will make us ridiculous in eyes of Africans.

With its implied presidential endorsement, Tshombe can use this letter to resist every summation to bring matters to a head and knock so-called “plan” into cocked hat. Presidential concurrence can be taken to extend not only to fair content of letter but to opening new channels of communication outside UN and some outside executive branch USG.

Strongly urge that this whole proceeding be cleared with UN which I fear will feel itself suddenly undercut in one of most delicate negotiations of its life.

In eyes of Congolese presidential concurrence will associate executive branch with Senator Dodd’s special views on Katanga (not merely those in letter) to detriment our relations with government to which I am accredited. Nothing I can say to Adoula will alter this and our influence will be sadly reduced in these negotiations and thereafter.

These bad effects are inherent in this operation however managed. They will only be mitigated by omission of President’s concurrence. I consider this omission essential and strongly urge all reference to President be omitted from text.³

Gullion

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/8–2562. Secret; Niact. A copy was sent to Bundy with a covering memorandum from Brubeck. A handwritten note by an unidentified member of the White House staff states that the telegram was a “toned-down version” of a Ball-Gullion telephone conversation the day before, and that Ball thought it should not be shown to the President until they heard from Hoffacker, who would be talking to Gullion that night or the next day. (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Congo Cables) In the Ball-Gullion telephone conversation, Ball urged Gullion to wait and send a telegram after he had an opportunity to talk to Hoffacker. (Memorandum of telephone conversation, August 25, 1:45 p.m.; Kennedy Library, Ball Papers)
2. Document 282.
3. In telegram 479 from Léopoldville, August 28, Gullion stated that talking to Hoffacker had merely reinforced his views and renewed his appeal that mention of the President’s concurrence be omitted. (Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/8–2862)