Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXVII, Mainland Southeast Asia; Regional Affairs

242. Memorandum of Meeting With President Johnson¹

Washington, July 30, 1968, 1 p.m.

[Here follows discussion unrelated to Cambodia.]

5. Cambodia

Secretary Rusk said we are getting hints that Cambodia may free the U.S. personnel now being held captive.

Secretary Clifford displayed maps and enlarged photographs showing the North Vietnamese buildup in Cambodian sanctuaries.

The President asked Secretary Rusk to take copies of the pictures and talk to Senator Mansfield.

General Wheeler said that more detailed pictures would be available at the end of this week.² The disposition of North Vietnamese forces in Cambodia gives them a free shot at Saigon. Attacking from the west, they are no more than 25 miles from the outskirts of Saigon.

Secretary Clifford said that if our diplomatic efforts to free American prisoners fail, we should have a plan ready to implement. Such a plan would include:

a. The stopping of visits to Cambodia by U.S. tourists.³

b. Halting or restricting traffic on the Mekong going into Cambodia.

c. Using Market Time ships to seize a Cambodian ship near shore and use it for negotiating purposes.

d. Increasing aerial surveillance of Cambodian frontier areas.

e. Attacking the Cambodian frontier.

The President asked that a memorandum on Cambodia be prepared for discussion at the Friday meeting.⁴ He suggested that Senator Mansfield or Australian representatives show our aerial pictures of North Vietnamese use of Cambodian territory to Prince Sihanouk.⁵ Then, if the Cambodians did not try to prevent North Vietnamese use of their territory, we could make one final strong statement and then destroy the North Vietnamese forces now inside Cambodia.

[Here follows discussion unrelated to Cambodia.]

Bromley Smith

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Files of Bromley Smith, [Luncheon with the President, 7/30/68]. Secret. This was a regular weekly Tuesday lunch meeting with Rusk, Clifford, Wheeler, Taylor, Helms, George Christian, Bromley Smith (acting for Rostow), and Tom Johnson. According to the Presidentʼs Daily Diary, the meeting lasted until 2:05 p.m. (Ibid.) Tom Johnson also prepared a memorandum of this meeting. (Ibid., Tom Johnsonʼs Notes of Meetings, July 30, 1968) Additional information from Tom Johnsonʼs account is noted in footnotes below.
2. According to Tom Johnsonʼs record, Wheeler noted that “two years ago there were only 200 people there. Now there are 2,000 people there. The 9th Viet Cong Division goes back there to rehabilitate and rest. There may be prisoner of war camps there.”
3. According to Tom Johnsonʼs account, Rusk observed that U.S. tourists amounted to one-fourth of Cambodiaʼs $1 million tourist trade.
4. The President met with the same group for an “off the record” breakfast meeting on Friday, August 2, at 8:30 a.m. (Johnson Library, Presidentʼs Daily Diary) No record of the meeting or the memorandum has been found.
5. President Johnson, according to Tom Johnsonʼs account, said: “Senator Mansfield says Sihanouk is a great statesman. I would show him these maps and photos of enemy positions.” The President later remarked that he would “look with favor on showing these pictures to Sihanouk. Give them a strong statement.”