138. Memorandum of Conversation1
SUBJECT
- Viet-Nam
PARTICIPANTS
- Chancellor Erhard
- Foreign Minister Schroeder
- Minister of Defense Von Hassel
- Ambassador Heinrich Knappstein
- State Secretary Karl Guenther von Hase
- State Secretary Dr. Karl Carstens
- Assistant Secretary Franz Krapf
- Assistant Secretary Karl Hohmann
- Minister Georg von Lilienfeld
- Counselor Berndt von Staden
- Mr. Jorg Kastl, Press Spokesman, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- General Werner Boie, Air Attache
- Captain Herbert Trebesch, Aide to Minister of Defense
- Secretary Rusk
- Secretary McNamara
- Under Secretary Ball
- Ambassador McGhee
- Ambassador Thompson
- Assistant Secretary Leddy
- Ambassador Hand
- Assistant Secretary McNaughton
- Mr. Alfred Puhan—GER
- Mr. Ronald Spiers—RPM
- Mr. Richard B. Finn—GER
The Chancellor said that what the US is doing in Viet-Nam and other parts of the world in turmoil affects the FRG as well. The FRG has given the US moral support and also material help, although its help has been small in comparison with the US effort. The FRG will also give consideration to what more it can do.
The Secretary said he would call on Secretary McNamara to comment but first he would like to make a brief remark about the political atmosphere in the US during the next few weeks. Our friends around the world pay us the supreme compliment of never worrying about the morale of the American people. The US has suffered over 160,000 casualties in combat since the end of World War II. We have spent $800 billion in defense budgets since 1947.
In January the President will present to Congress the dimensions of our requirements for Viet-Nam in terms of manpower and money. This will lead to questions as to what others are doing in view of the scale of the US effort. The President will have to defer many domestic requirements, including those involved in the Great Society, because of our relations with the rest of the world.
Secretary McNamara briefly described the scope of the US efforts in Viet-Nam. The US now has about 185,000 personnel there and this will be increased by the end of the year to about 200,000. These numbers will rise continuously next year. Viet-Nam is costing about $10 billion a year and this figure will probably rise. These are matters the President will be discussing in January.
Secretary McNamara said that US defense spending is much higher than that of any other nation in the Free World. The increased effort in Viet-Nam would have an effect on the US internal economic situation. The US has proportionately twice as many men in uniform as the nations of Western Europe. Questions will be asked at home regarding this heavy burden in men, money and blood.
- Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 67 D 305, CF 2571. Confidential. No drafting information is on the source text, which was cleared in S on January 10, 1966. The meeting was held in the Under Secretary’s Conference Room. The source text is marked “Part III of V.” Chancellor Erhard visited Washington December 19–21.↩