55. Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State1
New York, September 24, 1971,
2138Z.
2843. Dept pass SecState for Rogers, White House for President and Kissinger, Senate for Sen. McGee, House of Rep. for Congressman Diggs off. For Butcher from Diggs.
- 1.
- Strongly associate myself with statement of Senator McGee that the Byrd Amendment passed yesterday by the Senate if finally adopted into law would represent “formal US defiance” of the UN embargo on the importation of chrome ore from Rhodesia and would impair US relations “with virtually all African countries”.2
- 2.
- Being here in NY as a US UN delegate I can attest that news re: the aforementioned vote was ill received and will be costly to US interest on all questions.
- 3.
- USG can recover however if you issue a strong statement against this removal of your authority to ban import of chrome ore from Rhodesia and that the rest of your administration will exert every effort in support of the State Dept’s opposition to the Byrd Amendment.
- 4.
- Declaration by Office of Emergency Planning [Preparedness] that US chrome stockpile is far in excess of foreseeable strategic needs, among other reasons, would fully justify such a statement.
Bush