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{
    "localId": "1553073",
    "label": "May 12, 1975 - Ford, Kissinger",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "May 12, 1975 - Ford, Kissinger",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1553073",
    "collections": [
        "Memoranda of Conversations (Nixon and Ford Administrations)",
        "Ford Administration Memoranda of Conversations"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Greece",
        "Turkey",
        "Panama Canal (Panama)",
        "Arms transfers",
        "Mayagüez Incident, 1975",
        "Presidential campaign, 1976"
    ],
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    "ocrText": "File scanned from the National Security Adviser's Memoranda of Conversation Collection at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nMEMORANDUM\nTHE WHITE HOUSE\nWASHINGTON\nSECRET/NODIS/XGDS\nMEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION\nPARTICIPANTS:\nPresident Ford\nDr. Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State\nand Assistant to the President\nfor National Security Affairs\nLt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft, Deputy Assistant\nto the President for National Security Affairs\nDATE AND TIME:\nMonday, May 12, 1975\n9:15 a.m.\nPLACE:\nThe Oval Office\nThe White House\nSUBJECTS:\nCampaign; Mayaguez; Cyprus; Cuba;\nPanama Canal; OAS\nThe President: The campaign part of the effort will be outside the White\nHouse. But I am setting up an informal group within the White House\nconsisting of me, Nelson, Rumsfeld, Hartmann, and Morton. I would like\nyou to be a part of it so we can keep foreign policy meshed with the political\nthing.\nKissinger: Will it be known?\nThe President: No. I think we need a foreign policy input.\nKissinger: I could come out constantly making speeches, so it couldn't\nbe charged as politicizing foreign policy. I think your election is essential.\nThese Latins, who are mostly leftists, are worried about the Congress.\nThe President: I want you to be a part of it.\nDECLASSIFIED\nE.O. 12958, Sec. 3.5\nKissinger: This election is one of the most crucial ever.\nNSC Memo, 11/24/98, State Dept. Guidelines\nNARA, Date 1/31/2000\nThe President: Look at the alternatives. Reagan would be a disaster.\nBy\nKissinger: He is incompetent\nCLASSIFIED BY HENRY A. KISSINGER\nEXEMPT FROM GENERAL DECLASSIFICATION\nSCHEDULE OF EXECUTIVE ORDER 11652\nSECRET/NODIS/XGDS\nEXEMPTION CATEGORY 5 (b) (1,3)\nAUTOMATICALLY DECLASSIFIED ON Imp. to det.\nSECRET/NODIS/XGDS\n-2-\nThe President: Any Democrat from Kennedy on down would be a disaster.\nKissinger: Especially the people they would bring in. Kennedy brought\non most of our problems.\n[Discussing his speeches -- General Scowcroft left for a bit]. 1\nThere is one controversial part on raw materials which I will\nsettle with Seidman. There is no dispute on agriculture or energy. The\nissue is commodity agreements or trading rules. Treasury has agreed\nto discuss it. Enders is so overpowering that people agree but have\nsecond thoughts afterwards. Part of the problem is jurisdictional.\nThe President: Probably 90% is.\nKissinger: Simon's problem is not substantive. I am not sure what\nSeidman\nThe President: Don't worry about him.\nKissinger: The Cambodians have seized a U.S. ship 100 miles from their\ncoast. It's a SEALAND ship, the Mayaguest. It's 450 feet, 10, 000 tons.\nWe have no data on the gunboat -- There was no English-speaking\nperson among the Cambodian boarding party. It was probably within the\n12-mile limit, which we don't recognize. Our closest vessel is at Subic.\nKissinger: A U.S. -Soviet deal on the Middle East would be attacked by\nthe Jews as a sellout to the Soviets.\nPortugal is in part, our fault. The Soviets moved in after the\nrevolt. We did nothing, because Nixon was on his last legs. After you\ncame in, Chile had blown up and we were paralyzed.\nI think it is better to have people snipping at detente than us\nreturning to the Cold War and have the liberals move back to the left\nof us.\nThe Baltimore Sun now is saying we gave up on-site. That never\ncame up and it wouldn't work. The SS-18 we maybe can get them to\ndeclare.\nThe President: How about the ship?\nSECRET/NODIS/XGDS\nFORD LIBRARY\nSECRET/NODIS/XGDS\n-3-\nScowcroft: [Described the situation].\nKissinger: We should send a staff note through the Chinese and see what\noptions we have.\n[Discussion of Cambodia, the Indochina force prohibition, and the\nWar Powers Act. ]\nKissinger: I think we need to show some movement on Turkey.\nThe President: I think we need to bring the top leadership down here. Can\nwe talk specifically about our installations and wh at we will lose? I think\nwe must lay it on the line, even if it leaks.\nKissinger: I agree. But we can't promise too much on the negotiation.\nThings may move. Makarios said he would settle for a bizonal solution\nand 30%. You should meet with the Greek and Turkish Prime Ministers\n[at NATO]. Maybe have a lunch or something. We can improvise that.\nBut if your prestige gets too involved, the Greeks may think they can use\nyou.\nThe President: I am willing to meet with the Turkish Ambassador and have\na leadership meeting.\nKissinger: The alternatives would be lifting it, using a waiver, or lifting the\nprohibition on sales and credit.\nThe President: We could hav e the four leaders here first: Mansfield,\nScott, Sparkman, Case. Give me some talking points. Set something up.\n[A meeting was set up for Mansfield from 6:00 to 7:00 Wednesday. ]\nKissinger: On Panama there are two issues -- the duration of the treaty\nand the duration of the Canal defense arrangement. Defense will buy a\n25-year treaty with a 50-year defense arrangement. The JCS may buy 40\nyears. If these negotiations fail, we will be beaten to death in every inter-\nnational forum and there will be riots all over Latin America. We maybe\ncould work out the signing the end of this year, submit it to the Senate\nwith the understanding there will be no action until '77, or not submit it.\nPanama could then ratify it first. If it collapses we will have massive\nproblems. If you sign it you will also have massive problems.\nSECRETYNODIS/XGDS\nFORD LIBRARY\nECRET/NODIS/XGDS\n- -4-\nThe President: Will the Thurmonds and floods go crazy?\nKissinger: Yes. I think there are no terms they would accept.\nSECRET/NODIS/XGDS\nFORD is LIBRARY G7VN30\n- it jurst Spact short schedule F prog\nwhy all it take 5 has for no to hum about C Ship sugar\nby\nP/K 12 may 76\nP\nThe put Spit mill he on taith C WH.\nBut I secting by grong w/ in w H of end,\nWhole, Konsfill, Hartman, mator. I'd who pt\nbe put fit to he can help for jobing\npul. Thing\nK\nWILL it he herour?\nP\nno. I think we med a Fl injut\nK\nI cand count int constantly, so it constrit he charged\n00 politic ging FP. Ithish your Ustim is esential.\nThese Letins, worth leftists, an unrived about Cmy.\nP\nI wort you to h a part fist.\nK\nThis election is overy not envial even.\n2\nLook at - attentises Reagan would be a dirth\nK\nAre is incompletent\nP\nany Deno form Kinnely on lown would inationtin\nK\nEsp. J proplething would hing in. Karrandy brought\nor mostigram prob.\n(Descussing his speeches - I lift fa a hit)\nThere es one controlusion speth part on saw metinals\nwhich dwill settle us/ Sudman in dropite an\nagrinattes a every Issue is embity equipments\nor trading subs. Treas has agreed to discres it.\nEnders is so crup revering that people have 2 = thts\naftremends. Dr. Pantac prob is peridhitmal.\nP\nPith 90% is\nK\nSimis pubb is wrt substantion d wrt sures what\nSeidman\nP\nDisn't crory about him\nK\nThe have senzel a US ship Les in\nFORD\n- Homes big c things - pur arthrits ortene. Size cruss\n-Hom Eng dorame have\ncmyo,\nHow trip a gundrated\nA\n*\nmake LUNR a Dysto\nHong kny\nben trank Strine affort FOI\nSutting Ear\nSEAGAND Ship MAYAQUEZ 480' 10,000/ms\ngenteryo\nno datum gimbort\nno English specific among Goanding party.\nParh, w/ in 12 ine limit\nClosed vissels is at Subic\nK\nQUS- - Sev deal on ME crould he attached by Jame\nas a Sellonate Sam.\nPart is in part am fanth, The Swo mord in often\nC wolt. we chil nothing because With ans or\nhis last hyo. after you came in, Child had Women\n& und were paraly yed.\nI think it better to have people myjory it detents them\nno returning to- cold was & have c bhunk hmme\nback to - left of ms.\nBalt Sum now saying we gard my on jets insy. That\nnews come my & it worldn't writ. we working 00\nthey will cannt all 17419 as in. There things we\nEnyhican get them to declare\nP\nC ship?\nS\n(Discribed - kit.)\nK\nwe should send a stiff note one then c Chinese\nand 24 what contragore oftime and have\n(Decemoin of Indoction focu proticulate\nFo,\nwas\nK\n) this med well to show sche ch\nTruntay.\nP\nJ thin we nurda big. tup leadwriting dams\nhm. Cm me talk am installpts\n- 6-7 wed- Wondfird unty -\nand what me will lose, , think and must by\nit in C line, even if it lenks.\nK\nI a yell. But me con't promisitor mich on must\nThings may more. makaries sind he would settle\nfor higare and 30%\nyou should must N/GAY PM. monght a bunch a\nsomething we can improvise that. If your\nprosting yets too invirted, C auko may think they\ncan use you.\nP\nSinghing to not W/T and and have leaderhing\nunty.\nK\nalts. would be lifting it, using avainer, or\nlitting protection on Salio 1 exchit.\nP\nWe canld home e form leaving his first Universal\nScott, Spark Case. Give me some talking\npaints. Set sounething up. (Ser aprol\nK\nPoward. Tmo issues - dratine of treaty x durstin\n8 Canal defense. D phone will by 25 ye teath\nw/a 50 ye dif. JCS my have 40 yes. of these\nregot fail me will be Leater X death in every\nintl form T sistsin LA. We froght conditions\nant signing end of this year, submit to anoth\nus/ understanding no action til 77 or not\nwhit it. Parional could then rating first.\nof it collayses are will home maxime prob. H you\nsign it you unit also offer have massing\nP\nwill C Throunds /Flnsb go crazy\n#\nYes, I think There who the no terms they\n- Chech h Missayae Camal option\nK\nOn Cube, press is mishahing. The hatison\nto surred p UN they were all sweatnes. On Cur\nthen will he mty in June verminting referal\nof 2/3 That thes z yrs 4 saty by legis but they\nwill pass in intine a letting e each\nementy make indivate have\nP\nDid our Crug wrte e som Time?\nK.\nho, But they did approve Rio Terath, so they hower to\naprove change from 2/5 to injurity.\nP\ndr me Green lnk)\nK\nyes. He wonts no to lift senitions. Obvison Cartro\nants myot w/no. He has liverend bin Lemands four\nlifty Galnyo to letters fend 6 medicine in. GD,\ncan move an why me want\nP\nwhat does it get in ?\nK\nVery little. we end start law line (disimisions\njust to \"mare it as one initant then 76.\nP\nbut much in it for no.\nK\nDear\nRosp Bryzantine manemus an new Sing Ghd,\ni Custa Rica, else ok. Hunto hour 5 with\nbut formal condidates, them others can ehter\nwe should Hay ant of it let then not eachorthes\nby fu what"
}