504. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom1
3246. The following message from the President was transmitted today to Prime Minister Wilson:
“Thank you very much for your thoughtful message on the Rhodesian situation. I cannot express too strongly my admiration for the calm but forceful way you have taken personal responsibility of this complex and difficult problem.
Within the limits imposed on us by Vietnam, we intend to give our utmost support for your efforts to reach an acceptable solution in Rhodesia. As you know, our people are tightening the economic noose. We have established administrative machinery for controls on exports and will put these into effect in tandem with yours. We are asking our importers to restrict the shipment of Rhodesian goods to our shores, though total [Page 860] value of these imports last year amounted to only $11 million. We will recognize the authority of the newly-appointed Board of Governors of the Rhodesian Bank. And we are prepared to talk with our oil companies about termination of shipments to Rhodesia, depending on the outcome of your analysis of this particular dilemma.
We all hope that these measures will produce the desired objective. At the moment, however, we here feel that it is hard to be certain of favorable results in a short period of time. Because of this, we are convinced that the maintenance of Zambia-Katanga copper exports must take a high place in our planning. Our long-term interests indicate that the only sensible course of action is that which avoids strangling the Zambian economy and dislocating world copper markets for any substantial period of time.
The efforts involved and the possible dangers, both economic and political, are so great that I think we should, as you suggest, arrange to have our people get together before our meeting on December 17. Although Roswell Gilpatric will not be available for this, George Ball has himself organized a group within his own office at the State Department which is acting as a focal point for the Rhodesian situation. They are presently discussing with your representatives measures in East Africa and at the UN in the coming difficult weeks and going over the Rhodesian items to come up at our meeting—to which I look forward with great pleasure.”
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 16 RHOD. Secret; Exdis. Drafted at the White House and approved by John P. Walsh of S/S.↩