Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXIV, Africa

630. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in South Africa¹

Washington, January 4, 1967, 8:26 p.m.

112608. Ref: Pretoria 1522² and 1574.³ Subject: F.D. Roosevelt Visit to Capetown.

1. Department would like use occasion of operationally desirable refueling visit of FDR to Capetown Feb. 1–4 to establish principle that related flights from carrier would be permitted without racial conditions, along lines proposed in Pretoria 152

2. Charge therefore requested informally approach Sole or other appropriate DFA official along following lines:

a. FDR will be returning from Viet-Nam towards end of January. As Sole knows, on recent trips such ships have refueled at sea thus obviating visits to Capetown which both US and SAG had in past found advantageous. For operational reasons refueling stop at Capetown would be desirable at this time from USG point of view, and you think such a visit would be in interest both countries

b. In this connection, you would like to inquire informally and on personal basis whether routine flights from this carrier would be permitted in connection with this port call. You do not know whether such flights will in fact be operationally necessary, but if they are you would like to feel confident they would be permitted to land without conditions on racial composition of aircrews.

c. If Sole or other official gives desired assurance you should further note that, in view publicity given to previous carrier incidents, you hope SAG will understand may be necessary for US spokesman to state in reply to questions that no racial conditions had been attached to this visit.

3. FYI. It may be necessary for FDR to refuel in Capetown, so approach should be handled in manner that would permit this even if SAG not willing give advance assurance as requested even on informal basis. We do not in fact know whether flights in connection with this visit will be desired, so your ignorance on this point can be genuine. In view long lead time for scheduling alternative fueling arrangements request you carry out above inquiry ASAP. End FYI.⁴

Rusk

1. Source: Department of State, Central File, DEF 7 S AFR–US. Confidential; Limdis. Drafted by Donald R. Morris and Frank A. Sieverts of U and approved by Katzenbach. Sent to Pretoria, and repeated to Cape Town.
2. In telegram 1522 from Pretoria, December 23, Hooper noted that top South African Government officials had repeatedly said during the past few months that they would welcome a U.S. aircraft carrier port visit and had implied that the problems that had interfered with the USS Independence visit need no longer arise. Hooper recommended, however, that the United States request advance flights from the carrier to the shore in order to establish a fully acceptable basis for future port calls. (Ibid.)
3. Dated January 3. (Ibid.)
4. Telegram 621 from Cape Town, January 13, reported that Deputy Foreign Secretary Sole stated that the South African Government would welcome the visit and that detailed arrangements should be worked out at the service level. (Ibid.)