Office of the Historian

196. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon1

Washington, June 20, 1970.

SUBJECT

  • Additional Romanian Flood Relief

Secretary Rogers has submitted his recommendation for additional flood relief for Romania. He proposes the following package (Tab A):2

  • —$6 million in PL–480 Title II emergency aid to supply feed grains and dried milk;
  • —$1.5 million in additional Commodity Credit Corporation credits for purchase of urgently needed seeds;
  • —Up to $1 million in AID emergency contingency funds for medicines, seeds and other emergency purposes.

The Secretary states that this amount of $8.5 million will not create serious problems for Romania in its relations with the Soviet Union, which has been holding back on its assistance. We would, however, work out the timing and manner of announcement with the Romanians in light of the Brezhnev trip to Bucharest and the signing of a new Soviet-Romanian treaty.

Thus far we have provided $220,000 in blankets, cots, tents, and medicines and have helped finance transportation of goods by voluntary agencies. We will respond to a request from the multilateral World Food Program of the UN to supply $2.4 million in flour, dried milk and vegetable oils.

Preliminary estimates put the total damage thus far at over $300 million. Particularly damaging are the longer term effects on both agriculture and industry.

Our efforts thus far (we were the first country to respond) have gained us important political and popular credit in Romania, and the package suggested by Secretary Rogers, though well short of what the Romanians have asked for, seems highly worthwhile.

[Page 479]

Recommendation

That you approve the additional assistance package suggested by Secretary Rogers. (Tab A)3

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 702, Country Files—Europe, Romania, Vol. II 9/69–Jun 70. Confidential. Sent for action.↩
  2. Attached but not printed are Rogersʼs recommendations for emergency relief.↩
  3. The President initialed his approval of Rogersʼs additional assistance package. A handwritten notation indicates he gave his approval on June 24. The Department of State notified the Embassy in Bucharest of the Presidentʼs decision in telegram 101714, June 26. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 702, Country Files—Europe, Romania, Vol. II 9/69–Jun 70)↩