57. Memorandum for the Files1
SUBJECT
- Article by Bonn Correspondent of the Washington Post dated June 15, 19642
Following a call from Mr. Klein at the White House, I told the Secretary of State that President Johnson was greatly disturbed by this article and by the fact that, according to information from our Embassy in Bonn (Bonn’s telegram 4666)3 it was based on a briefing by the Federal Press Office. The President wanted someone to call Ambassador McGhee and ask him to go to see the Chancellor right away, expressing the President’s concern at the origin and effect of this article, and asking if the German [Page 130] Government could set the record straight right away. The Secretary then read the article and agreed that I should call Ambassador McGhee along the foregoing lines.
I reached Ambassador McGhee at about 10:15, apprised him of the situation and dictated to his secretary the most important and obnoxious passages of the article in question. The Ambassador, who had not seen the text of the article, expressed his dismay and concern that such an article could have been published at all, let alone the fact that it purported to reflect official German views. He said he would ask to see the Chancellor immediately. I also asked the Ambassador to tell the Chancellor that we would like to publish the President’s letter to him of June 13 and the Chancellor’s own message to the President of the following day.4
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, PPV 7 GER W–US. Confidential. Drafted by Tyler. Copies were sent to the White House and to GER.↩
- Entitled “Bonn Balks at New U.S. Germany Policy.”↩
- Not printed. (Department of State, Central Files, PPV 7 GER W–US)↩
- See Document 56. Erhard’s reply is in Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204. The exchange of letters was not published.↩