Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XV, Germany and Berlin

219. Memorandum of Conversation¹

Washington, July 11, 1967, 1 p.m.

SUBJECT

• FRG Troop Levels; Chancellor Kiesinger’s Visit

PARTICIPANTS

• President Johnson
• FRG Ambassador Knappstein
• Mr. Harry Obst, Language Services (interpreter)

Ambassador Knappstein told the President that he had a message which he had just received from Chancellor Kiesinger. The Chancellor wanted the President to know that there has been no decision to cut troop levels, just a reduction of the military budget in terms of money. He wanted to assure the President that he will make no important decisions on foreign policy without first consulting with the US. He accepts the President’s invitation to come to Washington and accepts the dates of September 12–13. He would write the President a personal message the same day.²

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 7 GER W. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Obst and approved in the White House on July 13. The discussion took place during a luncheon in honor of former Chancellor Erhard. The source text is noted as a “revision” of the original memorandum. The original read: “The Chancellor wanted the President to know that there will be no cuts in troops.” In a memorandum attached to the source text, Benjamin Read, Executive Secretary of the Department of State, noted: “Although we have every reason to believe that Mr. Obst is accurate in recalling the statement, subsequent information including a check with Ambassador McGhee indicates that Ambassador Knappstein’s statement should have been qualified to indicate that there had been no decision on troop cut levels.”
2. A copy of the July 11 Kiesinger letter confirming that no decision had been taken on troop reductions is in the Johnson Library, National Security File, Special Head of State Correspondence, Germany.