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TELCON
McGeorge Bundy
Mr. Kissinger
3/14/69 4:30 p.
HAK said he knew Bundy disagreed with our position (ABM) and
Bundy said "not violently. 11 HAK said if one was not to kill the
program completely, this was the minimum one could do and the
most nearly relatively conciliatory one they could do. Bundy said
it was most important now to get conversations started.
Bundy asked if the program was not too expensive. HAK said actually
the previous Administration asked for $1. 8 billion. We are asking
for $900 million next year. We have cut it in half, of which $500 million
is for R&D. Mac said we made a $400 million mistake, but kept a
lot of people on board.
HAK said we looked into the problem of a one-year delay -- and
that was the advice we got. HAK said one of his concerns is that
there are many people who are opposed to this decision on intellectual
grounds, and he hopes it doesn't become a symbol of a basic schism.
HAK: If this now leads to riots all over the place, and if the academic
community starts using this as an example of the inherent evil of
the military/industrial complex and makes this a symbol. (Bundy
finished that sentence for HAK)
Bundy said the escape hatch is to the right, and that really has to be
avoided if it can possibly be done. But it doesn't mean that people
shouldn't criticize it.
Bundy said there's a stronger line of argument which should be pressed,
and the most crucial place to press it is the Senator from Massachusetts,
and that is, that it is exceedingly difficult for the Soviet Union not to
exploit division. Bundy said we might lose the $400 million, and he
hopes we lose it with good grace.
HAK said what he said is something that works both ways. With his
audience he is making the case on the other side.
Bundy: It's a very small matter compared to the billions of dollars a
year that can be saved from a fairly simple hardboiled agreement on
(I didn't understand the word) that Tommy, at least, thinks we can get.
Bundy has one report and the judgment is we will probably get away
with this one, in terms of winning the popular opinion battle.
Bundy suggested HAK call McNamara, too. HAK agreed to do SO.
Reproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library
DECLASSIFIED
This document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified.
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"ocrText": "TELCON\nMcGeorge Bundy\nMr. Kissinger\n3/14/69 4:30 p.\nHAK said he knew Bundy disagreed with our position (ABM) and\nBundy said \"not violently. 11 HAK said if one was not to kill the\nprogram completely, this was the minimum one could do and the\nmost nearly relatively conciliatory one they could do. Bundy said\nit was most important now to get conversations started.\nBundy asked if the program was not too expensive. HAK said actually\nthe previous Administration asked for $1. 8 billion. We are asking\nfor $900 million next year. We have cut it in half, of which $500 million\nis for R&D. Mac said we made a $400 million mistake, but kept a\nlot of people on board.\nHAK said we looked into the problem of a one-year delay -- and\nthat was the advice we got. HAK said one of his concerns is that\nthere are many people who are opposed to this decision on intellectual\ngrounds, and he hopes it doesn't become a symbol of a basic schism.\nHAK: If this now leads to riots all over the place, and if the academic\ncommunity starts using this as an example of the inherent evil of\nthe military/industrial complex and makes this a symbol. (Bundy\nfinished that sentence for HAK)\nBundy said the escape hatch is to the right, and that really has to be\navoided if it can possibly be done. But it doesn't mean that people\nshouldn't criticize it.\nBundy said there's a stronger line of argument which should be pressed,\nand the most crucial place to press it is the Senator from Massachusetts,\nand that is, that it is exceedingly difficult for the Soviet Union not to\nexploit division. Bundy said we might lose the $400 million, and he\nhopes we lose it with good grace.\nHAK said what he said is something that works both ways. With his\naudience he is making the case on the other side.\nBundy: It's a very small matter compared to the billions of dollars a\nyear that can be saved from a fairly simple hardboiled agreement on\n(I didn't understand the word) that Tommy, at least, thinks we can get.\nBundy has one report and the judgment is we will probably get away\nwith this one, in terms of winning the popular opinion battle.\nBundy suggested HAK call McNamara, too. HAK agreed to do SO.\nReproduced at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library\nDECLASSIFIED\nThis document has been reviewed pursuant to Executive Order 13526 and has been determined to be declassified."
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