Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXV, South Asia

480. Telegram From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson in Texas¹

Washington, January 12, 1968, 1638Z.

CAP 80307. For the President. Subject: Wheat for Pakistan. You will recall that you authorized us to accept President Ayub’s offer of a 500,000 ton wheat deal, 100,000 tons in CCC sales and 400,000 tons on PL 480 terms. That decision was conveyed to Ben Oehlert.

Last night Oehlert advised us² that (1) he understood you to instruct him to put together a program totalling one million tons of wheat (not 500,000); (2) he has put together a package proposing a one million ton program—all PL 480—to cover the rest of calendar ’68; and (3) he wants to give this proposal to Ayub at 9:30 tonight Ranch time.

Everybody wants to move as much wheat to Pakistan as possible but we need organized recommendations on two questions raised by the Oehlert proposal. First, do we want to bless the calculations of wheat requirements contained in Oehlert’s memorandum? (Once we sign on to these, we will have pretty well settled the limits on our 1968 PL 480 program.) Second, do we want to offer Ayub the full million tons on PL 480 terms? (This proposal involves a one-to-ten ratio between CCC sales and PL 480, rather than the one-to-four ratio represented by the proposal you approved last month.)

We know of no reason why a delay of a day or two to pull the government together on these questions should cause any problem in Pakistan. Therefore, we have instructed Oehlert not to deliver his proposal until he gets further instructions.

We expect to come to you for a decision on this matter in the very near future. But I thought you would want to know how we are handling Oehlert’s request. If you wish, of course, we can simply tell him to go ahead now.³

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Pakistan, Vol. VIII, Memos, 8/67–4/68. Confidential. Received at the LBJ Ranch at 11:45 a.m.
2. Telegram 2692 from Rawalpindi, January 11. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1967–69, AID (US) 15–8 PAK)
3. A handwritten note on the telegram by Jim Jones reads: “I said I’d give 400 and sell 100 and do it again—give 800 sell 200. But I would give all if necessary.” The quote is apparently the President’s response to Rostow’s comments. Another handwritten note reads: “Jones told Rostow.”