150. Transcript of Telephone Conversation1 2
[Omitted here is material unrelated to Nigeria/Biafra.]
R: [continuing]: Item 2 is a Christmas truce in Nigeria. I understand Morris has been interested in this. We have been trying to [Page 2] see if there is any basis we could join with the people of other countries for an appeal to both sides for a truce. We have been in touch with the Hague group, with the Swiss. Hearing the President was interested in it I asked for a check today to be made through our Embassy in Rome with the Vatican. It is so late now nobody could do anything unless the Pope were prepared to do so and we could associate ourselves with has appeal. Stabler (? ) our Minister in Rome talked with Casarobli (?) an authority on this subject in the Vatican. The Pope had considered a truce appeal, had contacted the TMG (?) but had no reply. A TMG response is very unlikely. We had got a negative on the part of anybody else although there is a possibility the Italians may want to make an approach to the Emperor and we are prepared to say our Ambassador there would join with them. We would not think under the circumstances we want to do anything unilaterally especially since the TMG is engaged in a very broad offensive and they would think if we did anything unilaterally we are involving ourselves.
K: That sounds right. Why donʼt you have it written up as a memo and I will pass it to the President and we can show that State has acted on his preference.
R: All right.
K: Are you going to Boston for the Holidays.
R: I am going up for the New Year. Are you going away at all?
K: I am going with the President to the west coast.
R: How long will you be away?
K: Until the 4th or 5th.
R: Have a good time.
K: Thank you. I know we will be working together in the New Year.
R: Well, I count on it Henry.
K: Even better next year. It has been one of the good things that has happened to me here.
R: I feel the same way. Thank you very much, Henry.
- Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box 361, Telephone Conversations, Chronological File. No classification marking.↩
- Under Secretary of State Elliot Richardson and Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Henry Kissinger discussed National Security Council staff member Roger Morrisʼs proposal for a Christmas truce. Richardson indicated that the Department of State had sought to determine if there was any basis for joining other countries in an appeal and had received little support. He noted that the Federal Military Government (FMG) was engaged in a broad offensive and would believe that unilateral action on the part of the United States would suggest involvement.↩