128. Memorandum of Conversation1
SUBJECT
- Summary of the President’s Telephone Conversation with Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (U)
Chancellor Schmidt: Hello, Jimmy, how are you?
President Carter: Hello, how are you?
Chancellor Schmidt: Well, thank you. We wanted to congratulate you on Iowa.2
President Carter: Oh, thank you. That was a great evening for us.
Chancellor Schmidt: Yes. Let me tell you quite personally, and also from a political point of view, in a way it relieves me. I am not going further.
President Carter: I understand. Thank you.
Chancellor Schmidt: It really does relieve me, and I feel happy about it, and I wanted to share this feeling with you.
President Carter: As you probably know, being a careful observer of the political scene, that was probably the most significant election contest of the whole primary season.
Chancellor Schmidt: I hope it is.
President Carter: What happened there will be very meaningful in the subsequent elections, and we were very pleased. We both went all out, both he and I, and I had some difficult decisions to make about Iowa, you know, cutting off grain sales and not going out there to debate, but it worked out well.3 And thank you for your good expression.
Chancellor Schmidt: Also I would like to comment upon the State of the Union message, which I have read.4 Both Genscher and I are impressed by what you called the new spirit of unity and resolve, and I would also like to thank you for the intensive talks which Genscher had both with Vance and with you personally.5 He has reported in detail and we feel that this was especially useful and productive. I have the feeling, despite what some people in the press already are again writing, at least in some German and some American newspapers, I have the feeling that the relationship is functioning well and that the solidarity is functioning well.
President Carter: Well, I share your opinion of that. There has never been any more vivid feeling in my mind about that than recently. What you have done and what your country and government have done I think has been extremely courageous, because you are in a much more vulnerable position than we.6
Chancellor Schmidt: Our position, of course, is vulnerable, and this is going to be one of the points which, when I come to see you later on in a couple of weeks, I would like to analyze for your eyes and your evaluation.
President Carter: Very good.
Chancellor Schmidt: Personally, I would like to express the agreement which my Cabinet and the people here share regarding the need for unity among us. We agree with you on the necessity to devise an overall concept and then to formulate a division of labor within that concept in order to carry it out and realize it. My advisers and I are now undertaking an internal brainstorming operation in order to find what we can contribute to the coming days, and you will certainly hear about it.
President Carter: Okay. Prime Minister Cossiga is here with me from Italy.7
Chancellor Schmidt: Ah, yes.
President Carter: And the forum that Genscher and Vance and I discussed in the Oval Office was proposed by Cossiga independently. I presume that Genscher talked to you about this.
Chancellor Schmidt: Certainly.
President Carter: Good.
Chancellor Schmidt: Certainly. And what about the two other countries, one in your hemisphere and another one . . .
President Carter: Yes. I think we need them because trade, and particularly grain, is so important. I think it would be good to have them in order to keep the cover or the umbrella for the meeting with some degree of legitimacy.
Chancellor Schmidt: I will certainly go along and . . .
President Carter: That’s good news.
Chancellor Schmidt: And please try to make it understandable and acceptable to my French friend. I also will do the same.
President Carter: That’s good. And as a matter of fact, I hope that the French will agree it would be to their advantage, and I’m sure they’ll do it. But even if they disagree, I think we ought to go ahead anyway.
Chancellor Schmidt: I hope they will, and I will try my best. I am going to see my friend in ten days privately.8
President Carter: Good.
Chancellor Schmidt: And I will just before that be in touch, and afterwards again in order to keep you in the picture as regard to the thinking over there.
President Carter: Fine. I think the discussion among the seven Foreign Ministers ought to be carried out as early as possible.
Chancellor Schmidt: Well, I would guess the week after next or so.
President Carter: Oh, that would be great. That will be fine. I’ll tell Secretary Vance what you said, and do you mind if I relay your opinion to Prime Minister Cossiga?
Chancellor Schmidt: No, certainly not, and please give him my best wishes. I have high regard for Cossiga.
President Carter: So do I. I was really impressed with him.
Chancellor Schmidt: He is a man of judgment and stability, and one must also like him as a person.
President Carter: I certainly do. But we really look forward to seeing you over here.
Chancellor Schmidt: So do I. Let me make one remark, though, with regard to the Olympic games.9 I think you are aware of the fact that we were in a way surprised. We did not reckon with that after the visit of Christopher10 and after the other visits, and therefore we need a little time.
President Carter: Okay.
Chancellor Schmidt: But speaking as a person, please be sure that in the end we will fall down on the right side.
President Carter: That’s good news. I wrote you a little private handwritten note this morning about that.11 I didn’t even distribute it among my own advisors.
Chancellor Schmidt: I haven’t received it as yet.
President Carter: No, I just mailed it this morning. It’s just a little small one-page handwritten note with that one subject. But that’s very good news to me. I won’t say anything publicly about the note to you or your comment.
Chancellor Schmidt: Just privately between you and myself . . .
President Carter: Good.
Chancellor Schmidt: We need some time for consultations, but we will come down on the right side.
President Carter: That’s great. Well, best of luck to you in your own political affairs this year, and I look forward to talking to you about diplomacy, about mutual defense, about politics, and other matters when you get over here.
Chancellor Schmidt: Well, and if in the meantime we have the feeling that it is necessary to be in touch, we will be.
President Carter: Good. Thank you again. Good-bye.
Chancellor Schmidt: Good-bye, Jimmy.
President Carter: Good-bye, Helmut.
- Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Subject File, Box 38, Memcons: President, 1/80. Confidential. Sent for information. At the top of the page, Carter wrote: “OK. J.” Carter spoke to Schmidt from the Oval Office. (Carter Library, President’s Daily Diary)↩
- See footnote 7, Document 194.↩
- In this sentence, Carter crossed out the word “ours” and wrote “Iowa” in the adjacent margin.↩
- Reference is to Carter’s January 21 speech to Congress on the State of the Union; see “Annual Message to Congress,” Public Papers: Carter, 1980, pp. 114–180.↩
- See Document 194.↩
- On January 17, Genscher informed Stoessel that the FRG would impose sanctions on Iran that would be announced following consultations with the other EC members. (Telegram 1017 from Bonn, January 17; National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, N800002–0051 and P900086–2014) In response, on January 18, Carter sent Schmidt a letter of appreciation, promising to limit information about the FRG’s decision, and further thanking Schmidt for the FRG’s willingness to organize economic assistance for Turkey. (Telegram 13507 to Bonn, January 18; National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, N800002–0071 and P900086–2163)↩
- For Carter’s talks with Cossiga, see Document 249.↩
- Schmidt was scheduled to meet with Giscard during the 35th Franco-German summit held in Paris from February 3 to 5. (AAPBD 1980, Document 38, note 3)↩
- See footnote 8, Document 194.↩
- On January 16, Christopher visited Bonn for talks with Schmidt and Genscher, as part of a trip during which he participated in the January 15 NAC meeting and consulted with leaders in London (January 14), Rome (January 14), and Paris (January 16). (Telegram 915 from Bonn, January 16; National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, N800002–0022 and P900086–2017) See footnote 1, Document 37.↩
- Carter’s January 24 letter to Schmidt is scheduled to be published in Foreign Relations, 1977–1980, Volume XXV, Global Issues; United Nations Issues.↩