173. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation Between President Johnson and Under Secretary of State Ball1
Pres said he had been worried about the Cambodian situation for some time—our harassing their border. Pres said Ball in talking to Mansfield should ask him to tell Sihanouk that he had reported to the President and the President reciprocated Sihanoukʼs good wishes.2 He is to tell Sihanouk that we are very anxious to have no border disturbances and we wish he would make a study of these raids that are being initiated within his borders so that our people would not pursue them.
Ball said he would see what we could get back to Sihanouk. Pres said we should put it on Sihanouk that he should stop these raids from being [Page 379] initiated and that we donʼt want to go across his borders. Pres said Mansfield is Sihanoukʼs biggest sponsor and he is a hero to Mansfield. Pres [said] Mansfield should tell Sihanouk that he gave a full three hour report to the President and told him how great Sihanouk is. We should try in this way to get a little closer to Sihanouk.
- Source: Johnson Library, Ball Papers, Cambodia [12/9/63–6/26/68]. No classification marking.↩
- See Document 168.↩