Historical Documents - Office of the Historian

The Ball Missions and Meetings at Washington, January–June 1964

1. Memorandum of Conversation

Washington, January 24, 1964.

Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 65 D 330. Secret. Drafted by Koren and approved in S on February 8.

2. Telephone Conversation Between President Johnson and the Under Secretary of State (Ball)

Washington, January 25, 1964, 2:05 p.m.

Source: Johnson Library, Recordings and Transcripts, Recording of Telephone Conversation between President Johnson and Ball, January 25, 1964, 2:05 p.m., Tape F64.07, Side B, PNO 4. No classification marking. This transcript was prepared by the Office of the Historian specifically for this volume.

3. Memorandum of Conference With President Johnson

Washington, January 25, 1964, 6:30 p.m.

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of McGeorge Bundy, Miscellaneous Meetings. Top Secret. Drafted by Bromley Smith.

4. Editorial Note

5. Telegram From the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (Lemnitzer) to Secretary of Defense McNamara

Paris, January 30, 1964, 2134Z.

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Cyprus, Vol. 2. Secret; Noforn. Repeated to USDOCOSouth for Admiral Russell, Athens, and Ankara and passed to the Department of State. The source text is the Department of State copy. The Chairman of the JCS had requested that Lemnitzer visit Athens and Ankara to “calm the situation” in telegram 4559, January 27. (Ibid.)

6. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Turkey

Washington, February 8, 1964, 8:41 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Secret; Immediate. Drafted by Bracken, cleared by Ball, and approved by Talbot.

7. Telegram From the Embassy in Turkey to the Department of State

Ankara, February 9, 1964, 1 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Secret; Immediate. Repeated to London. Passed to the White House, JCS, OSD, CIA, USUN, CINCEUR, and CINCSTRIKE.

8. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Kingdom to the Department of State

London, February 9, 1964, midnight.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Confidential; Flash. Repeated to Athens for Ball. Relayed to the White House, JCS, OSD, CIA, USUN, CINCEUR, and CINCSTRIKE.

9. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Athens, February 10, 1964, 10 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Confidential; Immediate; Exdis. Repeated to USUN. Passed to the White House, CIA, JCS, OSD, CINCEUR, and CINCSTRIKE.

10. Telegram From the Embassy in Turkey to the Department of State

Ankara, February 11, 1964, 6 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Nicosia, London, USUN, and Athens. Passed to the White House, CIA, JCS, OSD, CINCEUR, and CINCSTRIKE.

11. Telegram From the Embassy in Cyprus to the Department of State

Nicosia, February 13, 1964, 1:45 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files POL 23–8 CYP. Secret; Immediate; Exdis. Repeated to USUN. Passed to the White House, JCS, OSD, CIA, CINCEUR, and CINCSTRIKE.

12. Memorandum of Conversation

Washington, February 13, 1964, 10:55 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Presidential Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 66 D 149. Secret. Drafted by Knox and approved in S on February 20 and in the White House on February 24. The meeting was held in the White House. The source text is marked “Part I of II.” Prime Minister Home visited the United States February 12–14.

13. Telegram From the Embassy in Turkey to the Department of State

Ankara, February 14, 1964, 6 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Confidential; Immediate. Repeated to Athens, London, and USUN. Passed to the White House, JCS, OSD, CIA, CINCEUR, and CINCSTRIKE.

14. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Turkey

Washington, February 14, 1964, 8:48 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by Bracken, cleared by Burdett, and approved by Talbot. Also sent to Athens and repeated to London, Nicosia, Paris for USRO, and USUN.

15. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom

Washington, February 18, 1964, 5:55 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Confidential; Immediate; Exdis. Drafted and approved by Ball and cleared by Komer for the White House. Repeated to Ankara and Athens.

16. Message From President Johnson to Prime Minister Papandreou

Washington, February 20, 1964.

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of Robert W. Komer, Cyprus. Secret. A copy of the message was transmitted in telegram 943 to Athens, February 20. (Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP) The President also addressed similar letters on the Cyprus issue to Prime Minister Inonu and President Makarios. The text of the February 21 letter to Makarios is in the Johnson Library, National Security File, Special Head of State Correspondence, Cyprus. The text of the letter to Inonu was transmitted in telegram 848 to Ankara, February 20. (Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP)

17. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Athens, February 21, 1964, 3 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Secret; Immediate. Repeated to USUN, Ankara, London, and Nicosia. Passed to the White House, COA, JCS, OSD, CINCEUR, and CINCSTRIKE.

18. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Greece

Washington, February 24, 1964, 8:46 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Buffum and Sisco; cleared by Bracken, Talbot, and Cleveland; and approved by Ball. Repeated to Ankara, Nicosia, London, and USUN.

19. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom

Washington, February 26, 1964, 6:05 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Secret; Immediate; Exclusive Distribution. Drafted and approved by Ball and cleared by Burdett and Jernegan. Repeated to Ankara, Athens, USUN, DOD, and the White House.

20. Telegram From the Embassy in Greece to the Department of State

Athens, February 27, 1964, 5 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Secret; Priority. Repeated to Ankara, Nicosia, London, and USUN. Relayed to the White House, CIA, JCS, OSD, CINCEUR, and CINCSTRIKE.

21. Telegram From the Embassy in Cyprus to the Department of State

Nicosia, March 3, 1964, 4 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Confidential; Immediate. Repeated to USUN, Ankara, Athens, London, and Paris for USRO. Passed to the White House, CIA, JCS, OSD, CINCEUR, and CINCSTRIKE.

22. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Cyprus

Washington, March 7, 1964, 6:26 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Confidential. Drafted and approved by Jernegan and cleared by Komer for the White House. Also sent to Ankara, Athens, London, and USUN.

23. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission to the United Nations

Washington, March 9, 1964, 9:05 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 23–8 CYP. Confidential. Drafted by Buffum and Moffitt, cleared by Jernegan and Cleveland, and approved by Ball. Also sent to Nicosia and repeated to Ankara, Athens, London, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Dublin, and Ottawa.

Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XVI, Cyprus; Greece; Turkey