136. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between the Administrator of the Agency for International Development (Bell) and the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Harriman)0
Bell called re Cambodia.
B—You made a suggestion to them this morning that if they wanted us to, we would complete the road.1
H—I said these negotiations have got to be conducted in Cambodia but the one thing we all agree to finish if it is possible, and I am not sure it is, is the road. I wanted to make clear that we were willing to complete the road, for the record. They are getting out a telegram of instructions.2
B—A couple of points about it—1, are we distinguishing in some fashion between the road and other projects?
H—Everybody seemed to think that was the one project where our reputation was at stake. Badly constructed. Eyesore of the US record in the world.
B—Up to now, we are prepared to finish the road, and as far as other projects that are . . .
H—. . . The Cambodian came in.3 We thought he was instructed to go home at once. He says he hasn’t received those instructions yet. He would be glad to send any messages. Certain things he said—he said there were misunderstandings. He went over some of those. He said there was feeling that when this was proposed that there would be an orderly termination. Suddenly the Americans announced everything would stop and seized the property, etc. Ready to stop all projects underway. I said that is not the way it looks to us. He said he knows that. I said for example, the road is something if they want us to finish we would be glad to do it. There are a series of matters that have to be worked out on [Page 287] the ground. So this was just an attempt to get into the record that (if the door were slammed) we would be officially on record that we were not going out or dumping. As to the rest of the projects there is no provision against our (not) finishing anything else.
B—The way I read it, everything else is to be wrapped up but the Cambodians are to be informed that if they want the road—
H—I didn’t understand that. This is the only project I know about. Haven’t the slightest idea about the importance of the others. But we don’t want to leave buildings half-finished.
B—We are prepared to honorably complete the projects that have been started including the road, but we are not trying to draw any sharp distinction between this road and the others.
H—That’s right. I just happen to know about the road. I told him we didn’t see why because there was a difference in our governments that we should interfere with the lives of young people, that the scholars over here should be able to finish their (terms). I think our boys have been a little bit scared about this thing. I would like to tell you some time what he said about the past. I don’t think we handled ourselves well. We put in the wrong man. This type of fellow—he is a pseudo-intellectual, cultured. Likes music. Likes to have people around that enjoy that sort of thing. If we had gotten an imaginative person to send out there. He is a sucker for black propaganda. He believes this stuff. I kick myself around the room because we sent the wrong guy. I don’t think we ought to write this whole damn place off. We ought to do it in an orderly way. I told him I also hoped it wouldn’t interfere with the improved relations between Saigon and PhPenh. I asked him to send a message on that. I just picked this road as one thing that I know about and the sort of thing that we didn’t want to run out and leave if he wanted it finished, and if he would do it under conditions that we could operate.
B—That contractor has already told us he considers his previous contract terminated and wants several millions more to finish. (Close to 4 million.) The important thing we have to have [is] really effective assurances from the Cambodian Govt and inspection, that this guy could do his work.
- Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Harriman Papers, Memoranda of Telephone Conversations. No Distribution. Transcribed in Harriman’s office.↩
- The Khmer-American Friendship Highway.↩
- Apparent reference to telegram 348 to Phnom Penh, December 16, in which Ambassador Sprouse was instructed to inform Cambodian officials that if Cambodia desired the U.S. Government to complete the rehabilitation of the highway, it could address a note to the United States to this effect. The note would be given a favorable response. (Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) CAMB) Sprouse informed the Cambodians as instructed on December 18. (Telegram 535 from Phnom Penh, December 18; ibid.)↩
- Ambassador Nong Kimny met with Harriman on December 14. Another account of their discussion is in telegram 339 to Phnom Penh, December 15. (Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) CAMB)↩