Office of the Historian

394. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom1

Washington, December 31, 1962, 6:49 p.m.

3393. Following based on an uncleared memcon:2

UK Charge Greenhill requested meeting with Secretary today to discuss Congo situation. Greenhill expressed HMG view that important next step will be to bring Tshombe back to Elisabethville under UN guarantees.3 Greenhill anxious to know whether US envisages [Page 800] Tshombe’s future participation in political settlement as result recent events. Greenhill said he had seen reports from Salisbury that Tshombe’s tough talk was merely histrionics and that Tshombe worried for his own safety.

Secretary told Greenhill that US had been pressing UN to get on with political settlement. In our view, UN must not try destroy political establishment in Katanga. Secretary mentioned U Thant’s statement on these lines issued today.4 Greenhill had read summary of statement which he termed “very good.”

Secretary pointed out that if Tshombe returns to Elisabethville, he cannot revert to status quo ante, but must indicate willingness move promptly toward reconciliation. Tshombe must respond to any conciliatory gestures or statements by UN or Adoula. In this connection we have info that Adoula may make conciliatory speech very soon. Secretary remarked that Tshombe must understand that he cannot achieve military solution.

Greenhill wondered how we could achieve solution constitutional problem quickly. Secretary suggested that Tshombe should indicate privately which specific modifications of constitutional draft he needed. Greenhill expressed hope that UN would do everything possible to avoid incidents in Elisabethville which might create bad impression abroad. Secretary noted that outbreak of shooting caught everyone by surprise, but remarked that since it had happened we should try to get the Congo question settled quickly.

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 770G.00/12–3162. Secret. Drafted by Beaudry and approved by Davis. Repeated to Brussels, Léopoldville, USUN, Elisabethville, and Salisbury.↩
  2. Drafted by Beaudry. (Ibid., 332.70G/12–3162)↩
  3. A December 30 message from Lord Home to Rusk reads in part: “The only constructive course now is for the U.N. to bring Tshombe back to Elisabethville with absolute guarantees of safety for himself and his ministers and an understanding of fair treatment for the gendarmerie provided they do not engage in hostilities pending agreement on their integration. I am in touch with U Thant urging him to give such guarantees immediately and I hope I shall have your full support.” (Ibid., Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204, UK Officials Correspondence with Secretary Rusk, 1962)↩
  4. Thant’s statement declared that he intended to continue to try to secure the implementation of the Plan of National Reconciliation, and it urged all parties to take steps toward that end. (U.N. doc. S/5053/Add.14/Annex XXIX; printed in part in American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1962, pp. 916–918)↩