Office of the Historian

174. Memorandum From John Froebe of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Washington, June 6, 1973.1 2

Washington, June 6, 1973

MEMORANDUM
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
ACTION

June 6, 1973

MEMORANDUM FOR: MR. KISSINGER
FROM: JOHN A. FROEBE, JR. [JAF initialed]

SUBJECT: Proposed Signing of U.S.-Japan Environmental Agreement During Prime Minister Tanaka’s Visit

At Tab B is a draft State cable instructing Embassy Tokyo to broach with the Japanese Government the possibility of the President and Prime Minister Tanaka’s signing the U.S.-Japan Environmental Agreement during Tanaka’s visit to Washington next month. As the draft cable points out, concluding the environmental agreement formally during Tanaka’s visit would add to the aura of U.S.-Japan cooperation that we want the visit to produce. The cable notes that the remaining problems to be negotiated in the agreement could in all probability be wound up in time for the Tanaka visit.

If the President does not want to sign the agreement during the Tanaka visit, it could be signed during ECONCOM IX in Tokyo July 16-17.

In the event that you wish to ask the President’s approval on this, a draft memorandum to him from you is at Tab A.

Mr. Elliott and Dick Fairbanks concur.

Recommendations:

That you approve the draft State cable at Tab B.
Approve [HK initialed]
Disapprove

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 538, Country Files, Far East, Japan, volume 9, January–June 1973. Confidential. Sent for action. Concurred in by Elliot and Fairbanks. Kissinger initialed his approval of the recommendation on June 11, and an NSC staff member notified the Department of State by telephone on June 12.↩
  2. Froebe recommended that Kissinger approve a cable instructing Embassy Tokyo to broach a U.S.-Japan Environmental Agreement.↩