59. Editorial Note

While President Johnson and Prime Minister Wilson met in private (see Document 58), Foreign Ministers Rusk and Gordon Walker met in the Cabinet Room and discussed British Guiana, India, South Africa, China, and Secretary Rusk’s conversation with Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko at the United Nations. (Memoranda of conversation, December 7; Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 66 D 110, CF 2460) The President and the Prime Minister joined the Foreign Ministers in the Cabinet Room at 1:10 p.m., where Wilson said that no decisions on the MLF would be taken during his visit. (Memorandum of conversation, December 7; ibid.)

At 3:45 p.m., following a luncheon at the British Embassy, the U.S. and British Foreign and Defense Ministers began a general discussion of defense problems with the British reporting the very serious economic pressure confronting them and the need to cut back their worldwide commitments. They submitted a paper entitled “Atlantic Nuclear Force, Outline of Her Majesty’s Government’s Proposal,” subsequently circulated to the other NATO members, which committed British strategic nuclear forces to a new Atlantic nuclear force with the exception of certain bombers, included four Polaris submarines, acceded to the concept of German equality in the force, and agreed to try mixed-manning for some of the bombers. A memorandum of the Ministers’ conversation is ibid., Ball Files: Lot 74 D 272, MLF #4. A copy of the British paper is attached to a December 15 memorandum by Bundy. (Ibid., Central Files, DEF(ANF))