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Singapore - Prime Minister Lee
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1555852
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Singapore - Prime Minister Lee
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Presidential Correspondence with Foreign Leaders (Ford Administration)
Presidential Correspondence with Foreign Leaders
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The original documents are located in Box 4, folder "Singapore - Prime Minister Lee" of
the National Security Adviser's Presidential Correspondence with Foreign Leaders
Collection at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 4 of the NSA Presidential Correspondence with Foreign Leaders Collection at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
3814
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
July 25, 1975
Dear Mr. Prime Minister:
Thank you very much for your kind letter of May 27. I
found your visit to America and our conversations in
Washington refreshing and enlightening.
I was not at all embarrassed by your toast at the White
House dinner nor by anything else that you said during
the visit. In fact, I very much appreciate your forth-
rightness and candor. It is reassuring to know that Asia
has leaders like you, who have a solid perception of the
interdependence of security and the need for the Free
World to maintain a position of strength. I can assure
you that we attach great importance to the security and
peace of Singapore and its neighbors.
The White House swimming pool is now in use. During
your next visit, perhaps you can join me for a relaxing
swim. In the meantime, I would be delighted if you would
continue to give me the benefit of your views on Southeast
Asia. Please feel free to write at any time.
Mrs. Ford joins me in extending best wishes to you and
Mrs. Lee.
Sincerely, Herald R. Fl
The Honorable
Lee Kuan Yew
Prime Minister of the
Republic of Singapore
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MEMORANDUM
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
THE WHITE HOUSE
3814
WASHINGTON
ACTION
July 15, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR:
THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
HENRY A. KISSINGER
SUBJECT:
Reply to Letter from Singapore
Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew
Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has written you a chatty and candid
letter in which he again expresses admiration for your leadership
and conveys his thoughts on some current events. The Prime Minister
reiterates that the consequences of the collapse of Indochina are very
grave, but he does not believe the United States will turn away from
either Japan or Southeast Asia.
The Prime Minister particularly praises your handling of the Mayaguez
affair. He notes that all leaders in Southeast Asia would be dismayed
if an American President were meekly to do what liberals in the media
advocate. He expresses the hope that you will not think it presumptuous
if in the future he passes his views on Southeast Asia to you either
through Secretary Schlesinger or myself.
We have prepared a reply reiterating your own admiration for the
Prime Minister and welcoming his views on Southeast Asia.
The letter to Prime Minister Lee has been cleared by Paul Theis'
office.
RECOMMENDATION:
That you sign the letter to Prime Minister Lee at Tab A.
not
RCM
3814
MEMORANDUM
IE
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
ACTION
June 13, 1975
MEMORANDUM FOR:
SECRETARY KISSINGER
Tab I ward 1ab
FROM:
W. R. SMYSER
7-14-75
SUBJECT:
President's Response to Letter
from Singapore Prime Minister
Lee Kuan Yew
Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has written the President a
chatty and candid letter in which he conveys some of his views
about current events. We have prepared a reply in which the
President reiterates his admiration for Lee, reasserts the
importance which we attach to the security and peace of Singapore
and its neighbors and welcomes the Prime Minister's future
views on Southeast Asian affairs.
The letter to Prime Minister Lee has been cleared with Paul
Theis' office.
Recommendation:
That you sign the memorandum to the President at Tab I.
Bent -note that Runerfald
200 Lee, He cannot
pan manyer through him
runo
"
GERALD
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Dick-
I
3814
in the memo to the President
Put more of a drummary
Lee's comments on other
asian etc. countries, may aguing,
Bund 3/1/75
JJ
3814
Prime Minister
Singapore
27 May 1975
Dear President Ford
It was a rare privilege to have met you and heard
you speak your mind on America and the position of your
Administration after the grave setbacks in Cambodia and
Vietnam.
I trust I did not embarrass you by my toast at the
White House dinner, nor by what I said on "Face The Nation".
From time to time, I have to call a spade a spade even if
Scotty Reston did not like it.
America is still the anchorman of the free world in
this three-cornered tug-of-war between the two communist
centres of power and the free world. Hence, every major
crisis, sooner or later, lands on the tray of the President
of the United States. I felt reassured after meeting you.
Your robust health guarantees that emotional ballast which
has enabled you to tackle successive crises without getting
over-tensed.
It is bad enough to have your known adversaries try
to do you in. But to have allies going for each other like
Greece and Turkey, or to see Portugal turning sour, makes
life as President of the United States less than the splendid
excitement and grandeur people generally presume it to be.
I hope your swimming pool will be ready soon. It
will give you that necessary daily relaxation. I myself
find it an extremely valuable release of nervous tensions,
and I face nothing like the degree of heat concentrated upon
your office most of the time.
I had good meetings with your Secretaries of State,
Defense, and also with Donald Rumsfeld. I hope you will not
think me presumptuous if, occasionally, I should feel compelled
to pass my views on Southeast Asia to you through them.
Whatever the mass media may say, the consequences of
what has happened, are very grave. I do not believe that
America can turn away from Japan, and hence downgrade the
importance of the Straits of Malacca, and the three littoral
states, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.
/2
$
DERALD
2
It was typical of the mass media and Congress to
praise you over the Mayaguez affair when it evoked popular
response. But when the casualties increased as they were
ascertained, they turned critical. I suppose 30 years of
public life must have prepared you for all this.
Nevertheless, you may take some consolation in the knowledge
that most ordinary people in Southeast Asia, and certainly
all the leaders in office, hold America in high esteem.
Regardless of what some may have to say publicly, all would
be dismayed if an American President were to meekly do what
the liberals in the media advocate.
With all good wishes to Mrs Ford you
from my wife /
Your Sciency
Lecknowfar.
The Honourable Gerald Ford
President of the United States of America
The White House
Washington DC
oal CAr
PB
3814
Dear Mr. Prime Minister:
Thank you very much for your kind letter of May 27. I found
your visit to America and our conversations in Washington refreshing
from a distance
and enlightening. Having long admired you from after my expectations
for our personal meetings
were more than realized.
I was not at all embarrassed by your toast at the White House
dinner nor by anything else that you said during the visit. In fact,
E your forthrightness and candor.
I appreciate very much spade. It is
like you,
reassuring to know that Asia has leaders such as yourself who have
a solid perception of the inter-dependence of security and the need
for the Free World to maintain a position of strength. I can assure
you that we attach great importance to the security and peace of
Singapore and its neighbors.
I expect that the White House swimming pool will be ready for
occupancy this summer. During your next visit perhaps you can
join me in a relaxing swim. In the meantime, I would be delighted
if you would continue to provide us on Southeast Asia.
give The your benefit views of
Please feel free to write to me at any time.
Mrs. Ford joins me in extending best wishes to you and Mrs. Lee.
Sincerely,
Gerald R. Ford
&
The Honorable
Lee Kuan Yew
Prime Minister of the
GRACO
AND
Republic of Singapore
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Dear Mr. Prime Minister:
Thank you very much for your kind letter of
May 27. I found your visit to America and
our conversations in Washington refreshing
and enlightening.
no hyphen
I was not at all embarrassed by your toast at
the White House dinner nor by anything else
that you said during the visit. In fact, I very smuch
appreciate very murch your forthrightness and
candor. It is reassuring to know that Asia
has leaders like you, who have a solid perception
of the inte dependence of security and the need
for the Free World to maintain a position of
strength. I can assure you that we attach great
importance to the security and peace of Singapore
and its neighbors.
I expect that the White House swimming pool will
be ready for occupancy this summer. During
for
your next visit, perhaps you can join me in a
relaxing swim. In the meantime, I would be
delighted if you would continue to give as the
benefit of your views on Southeast Asia. Please
feel free to write terms at any time.
a
GERALD
3814
MEMORANDUM
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
ACTION
MEMORANDUM FOR:
THE PRESIDENT
FROM:
HENRY A. KISSINGER
SUBJECT:
Reply to Letter from Singapore
Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew
presumptions
Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has written you a chatty and candid
letter in which he again expresses admination for your leadership
and conveys his views on some current events. He also expresses
the hope that you will not think it presumptious if in the future he
passes his views on Southeast Asia to you either through Secretary
Schlesinger, or myself.
We have prepared a reply reiterating your own admiration for the
Prime Minister and welcoming his views on Southeast Asia.
The letter to Prime Minister Lee has been cleared by Paul
Theis' office.
Recommendation:
That you sign the letter to Prime Minister Lee at Tab A.
FORD
&
GERALD
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