The Department of State and the Coordination and Supervision of U.S. Foreign Policy


61. Telephone Conversation Between President Johnson and Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Johnson Library, Recordings and Transcripts, Recording of a Telephone Conversation between the President and Rusk, Tape 66.12, Side A, PNO 4–5. No classification marking. This transcript was prepared in the Office of the Historian specifically for this volume.


62. Memorandum From the Chairman of the Policy Planning Council (Rostow) and the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration (Crockett) to Secretary of State Rusk

Source: Kennedy Library, Crockett Papers, MS 75–45, Foreign Affairs Planning System 1966. No classification marking. The memorandum is unsigned. Another copy of the memorandum indicates it was drafted by Rostow, Crockett, Barrett, and Robert T. Bonham on March 7 and forwarded to Ball by Springsteen, together with two draft documents implementing the proposal, for Ball’s 3:30 p.m. meeting on March 7 with Crockett and Rostow. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, S/S-Ball Files: Lot 74 D 272, SIG Miscellaneous) A handwritten note on Crockett’s letterhead attached to the copy of the memorandum in the Crockett Papers states: “These memos were prepared for discussion with the Secretary by WJC [Crockett], Rostow, Ball, [U. Alexis] Johnson, & Barrett. However, meeting did not take place. Rostow saw Sec privately Mar 8 and gave him copy of memo. Also subsequently sent Nodis telegram [to Crockett] from Panama [where Rostow was attending a conference]. However, Mar 9 meeting with BOB changed picture and agreement reached to work on experimental basis this yr. BOB was to send paper detailing understanding.” In Programming Systems and Foreign Affairs Leadership, pp. 128–143, Mosher and Harr discuss the background and substance of the memorandum, describe the March 9 meeting with BOB, and print BOB’s summary of what, from its perspective, was concluded at the meeting. The memorandum itself is printed on pp. 252257.


63. Memorandum From the Ambassador at Large (Harriman) to the Under Secretary of State (Ball)

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, S/S-Ball Files: Lot 74 D 272, SIG Miscellaneous. Confidential.


64. Memorandum for Record

Source: Johnson Library, Agency File, State Department, SIG, Memos & Misc, IV, Confidential. Drafted on March 9 by Major General W.T. Fairbourn, Deputy Director for Plans and Policy, J–5 (Plans and Policy) Directorate, Joint Staff, Joint Chiefs of Staff. A “backgrounder,” talking points, an agenda, and other material provided to Ball for this meeting are attached to a March 8 memorandum from Schwartz to Read. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, S/S-SIG Files: Lot 70 D 263, SIG/Administrative)


67. Memorandum From the Executive Director-Comptroller of the Central Intelligence Agency (White) to Director of Central Intelligence Raborn

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, Executive Registry, Job 80–R01580R, SIG. Secret.


68. Memorandum From the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (Smith) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, White House Central Files, Subject Files, Ex FG 600/S. No classification marking.


69. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DDO/IMS Files, Job 78–5505, US Govt-Policy Planning Group. Secret. Prepared by Godfrey on April 26.


70. Notes of a Telephone Conversation Between the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration (Crockett) and Dr. Charles Hitch

Source: Kennedy Library, Crockett Papers, MS 75–45, Foreign Affairs Planning System 1966. No classification marking. Drafted in Crockett’s office. Copies were sent to Barrett and Sherman. Hitch met with Rusk, Lincoln Gordon, and a number of other Department of State officials in Washington on April 4 and 5 in connection with the possibility of his chairing a high-level advisory group on foreign affairs programming. Crockett informed Rusk by memorandum in late May that, before leaving Washington on April 6, Hitch told him “that he was not just willing, but very interested and anxious to help us develop a comprehensive and unified planning and programming system for foreign affairs.” (Undated memorandum from Crockett to Rusk, drafted May 21; National Defense University, Taylor Papers, Box 63, Folder G, Papers Relating to NSAM 341) The Hitch Committee was formed in June. For more information, see Documents 75 and 80 as well as Mosher and Harr, Programming Systems and Foreign Affairs Leadership, pp. 146–157.


71. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President-Walt Rostow, Vol. 1. Confidential. Copies were sent to Moyers and Valenti.


72. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration (Crockett) to the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs (Palmer)

Source: Kennedy Library, Crockett Papers, MS 74–28, WJC Book. No classification marking. Drafted by Eddie Williams.


73. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, Office of the President File, Walt Rostow. Secret; Eyes Only.


75. Report Prepared by the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bator) and Edward Hamilton of the National Security Council Staff

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Agency File, State Department, IRG. Confidential. For background to the report, see Document 74.


77. Memorandum From Secretary of State Rusk to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Agency File, State Department, Vol. 8. Confidential. Forwarded to the President under cover of a May 30 memorandum in which Rostow proposed additional talking points. On May 31 the President met in the Cabinet Room from 1:25 to 2:32 p.m. with the following Department of State officers: Assistant Secretaries, Acting Assistant Secretaries, Presidential appointees with the rank of Assistant Secretary, and officers with the equivalent rank of Assistant Secretary. (Ibid., President’s Daily Diary) No record of the discussion has been found. During a telephone conversation with Rusk that began at 12:45 p.m. on May 28, the President indicated that at the meeting he wanted the Assistant Secretaries to “give me their area of the world and what the problems are and what the solutions are as they see them.” (Ibid., Recordings and Transcripts, Recording of a Telephone Conversation between Johnson and Rusk, Tape F66.15, Side B, PNO 2)


78. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Rostow Files, Personnel, April 1, 1966–. Confidential; Sensitive.


79. Memorandum of Telephone Conversation

Source: Johnson Library, Mann Papers, Telephone Conversations with LBJ. Extra-Sensitive. Prepared by Patricia Saunders, Mann’s secretary.


80. Airgram From the Department of State to All Posts

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, ORG 1. Unclassified. Drafted by Barrett on June 4, cleared by Crockett, and approved by Ball.


81. Memorandum From James C. Falcon of John W. Macy, Jr.’s Staff to John W. Macy, Jr.

Source: Johnson Library, Office Files of John W. Macy, Box 693, State-Under Secretary. No classification marking.


82. Record of Agreements and Decisions of the Senior Interdepartmental Group Meeting

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Agency File, State Department, Senior Interdepartmental Group, Vol. I, 13th Meeting, 7/26/66, Box 56. Secret. Drafted on July 28 by Harry H. Schwartz, SIG Staff Director.


83. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Rostow Files, Personnel, April 1, 1966–. No classification marking. The memorandum indicates the President saw it.


85. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bator) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Rostow Files, Personnel, April 1, 1966–. Sensitive. The memorandum is marked with an indication the President saw it.


86. Letter From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Administration (Crockett) to the Country Director for Iran (Eliot)

Source: National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, Central Files 1964–66, ORG 1–1. No classification marking. The same letter was apparently sent to all Country Directors. The text of the letter was included in the appendix to A Management Program for the Department of State (see Document 84), under the heading Country Director Doctrine. For information on the development of the Country Director system, see William I. Bacchus, Foreign Policy and the Bureaucratic Process: The State Department’s Country Director System (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1974).


89. Memorandum From the Director of the Bureau of the Budget (Schultze) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, NSAMs, NSAM 341. Confidential. Typed at the end of the memorandum is the following note: “Walt Rostow has seen, and agrees with this memo. CLS [Charles L. Schultze].”