https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/bd1b8607fb08f4af4a8c363c0ff57343.pdf 8269e148eb43bdedcb884413d8d9d102 PDF Text Text ^-^^^7-1/ FM WASHDC A P R 9 / 6 3 CONFD C76" *7® TO EXTERNAL 1 0 1 6 OPIMMED INFO PERMISNY NATOPARIS EMBPARIS LDN BONN BRU ROME PRIORITY HAGUE DISARMDELGVE TT CCOS OTT FM OTT BAG COPEN ATHENS OSLO LSIBON ANKARA MOSCOW FM LDN BAG BERLIN FM BONN REF OURTELS 9 7 6 , 9 7 7 * 9 7 8 APR3 AND 9 9 8 ( P A R A 1 0 ) A P R 5 SOME IMPRESSIONS OF HAROLD WILSON WE HAVE SPOKEN TO WILLIS ARMSTRONG,DIRECTOR BNA,AND JUDD,UK DESK OFFICER, WHO BETWEEN THEM ACCOMPANIED HAROLD WISLON TO MOST OF HIS MTGS AND APPEARANCES IN WASHDC AND WHO HAD OPPORTUNITIES FOR INFORMAL CONVERSATION WITH HIM DURING HIS FOUR DAY V I S I T ^RECORDS OF WILSONS PRIVATE MTGS WITH THE PRESIDENTCWHO KEPT HIM 20 MINUTES OVERTIME) AND WITH MCNAMARA AND ROSTOW HAD NOT RPT NOT YET BEEN MADE AVAILABLE TO OTHER OFFICIALS AT THE TIME OF OUR ENQUIRIES,ARMSTRONG FELT REASONABLY CERTAIN HOWEVER THAT IN ALL HIS CONTACTS HERE WILSON HAD STAYED WITHIN POLICY LINES DRAWN IN HIS SPEECH TO NATIONAL PRESS CLUBoSPEECH HAD BEEN CAREFULLY REVIEWED BY LABOR PARTY BEFORE WILSONS DEPARTURE FROM LDN.CFULL TEXT TO OTT BY TRANSMITAL SLIP A P R 3 . > 2oARMSTR0NG SAID THAT WILSON HAD COME TO WASHDC TO RENEW ACQUAINTANCE WITH OR MEET FOR THE FIRST TIME LEADING MEMBERS OF ADMIN AND CONGRESS,, HE HAD CLEARLY SET OUT TO MAKE A GOOD IMPRESSION AND HAD SUCCEEDED. HE HAD RECEIVED A GENEROUS PRESS AND ACCORDING TO ARMSTRONG APPEARED GENUINELY SATISFIED WITH HIS V I S I T 0 A T THE OUTSET HIS POLITICAL REPU° TAT ION HAD BEEN SOMEWHAT AGAINST HIM BUT AFTER FOUR DAYS HE HAD LEFT WITH SOME CREDIT TO DRAW ON . I N PARTICULAR HE HAD SUCCEEDED IN LARGELY REMOVING THE IMPRESSION OF EXCESSIVE CLEVERNESS WHICH HE HAD ESTABLISHED IN THE MINDS OF USA AUTHORITIES WHO HAD DEALT WITH HIM OR KNOWN HIM OVER THE YEARS .(CONGRESSIONAL REACTIONS TO WILSON ARE OF COURSE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO GAUGE.PERHAPS NOT RPT NOT SURPRISINGLY HE FAILED TO WIN OVER SENATOR AIKEN WHO DESCRIBED HIM TO US AS 000572 r, o a s e. �PAGE TWO 1016 QUOTE A SMOOTH TALKER UNQUOTE .SENATOR FULBRIGHT ON THE OTHER HAND* WHO HAD INVITED WILSON TO MEET TKE FOREIGN RELATIONS CTTEE,THOUGHT THS APPEARANCE HAD BEEN GENERALLY A SUCCESS .WILSON HAD QUOTE GIVEN ALL THE RIGHT ANSWERS UNQUOTE,ON NUCLEAR POLICY IN PARTICULARS 3.ARBSTRONG DESCRIBED WILSON AS A MAN UNDER DELIBERATE SELF CONTROL IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE UTTERANCES,EXTREMELY INTELLIGENT,ARTICULATE AMD WELL INFORMED,NOT RPT NOT PERSONALLY ARROGANT BUT UNMISTAKABLY CONFIDENT OF THE OUTCOME OF THE NEXT ELECTION AND CORRESPONDINGLY CONSCIOUS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF AVOIDING THE ASSUMPTION OF EXTREME OR DOGMATIC POSITIONS*WHILE IN HIS PUBLIC STATEMENTS HE HAD PUT FORWARD SOME VIEWSCEG ON NUCLEAR-FREE ZONES AND ON QUOTE DE-NEGOTIATION UNQUOTE OF THE NASSAU AGREEMENT)WHICK HAD AT FIRST AROUSED MISGIVINGS, HE HAD SUCCEEDED IN HIS CONVERSATION WITH RUSK AND OTHERS IN MAKING IT CLEAR THAT HE HAD WHAT ARMSTRONG DESCRIBED AS AN QUOTE INTEGRATED VIEW Of THE WORLD SCENE UNQUOTE AND THAT HE COULD BE COUNTED ON NOT RPT NOT TO PURSUE DRAMATIC NEW LINES OF POLICY WITHOUT CAREFUL REGARD TO THEIR WIDER IMPLICATIONS,, -^ALTHOUGH AS REPORTED ABOVE,WILSON STUCK CLOSE TO HIS PREPARED POSITIONS ON SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES,THE FOLLOWING SUPPLEMENTARY COMMENTS «ADE TO US BY ARMSTRONG MAY HELP TO F I L L OUT TKE PICTURE* 5*QN COMMON MARKETCOURTEL 976>WILSQN EXPRESSED GREAT RESPECT AND ADMIRATION FOR HEATH PERSONALLY BUT CRITICIZED MACMILLAN GOVT FOR WORSENING I T S OWN BARGAINING POSITION BY QUOTE GIVING AWAY TOO MUCH "•UNQUOTE IN NEGOTIATIONS .WILSON DECLARED HIMSELF MORE INTERESTED IN A BROAD ATLANTIC PARTNERSHIP THAN IN EUROPEAN UNITY AS SUCH,HE IMPLIED HOWEVER THAT HE PLACED SOME HOPE IN WORKING THROUGH EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS TOWARDS CLOSER UK COOPERATION WITH EUROPE*AS FOR NEXT STAGES IN TRADE NEGOTIATIONS, WILSON EXPRESSED STRONG DESIRE TO MAKE THE MOST OF TRADE EXPANSION ACT AND,ARMSTRONG REMARKED,SOUNDED MUCK LIKE SECRETARY OF AGRIC FREEMAN IN ADVOCATING USE OF GATT AS MEANS OF BRINGING PRESSURE TO BEAR ON FRENCH GOVT IN RESPECT OF COMMON A6RICL POLICY, e 3 e3 000573 �PAGE THREE 1016 S*WILSON SPOKE WITH ENTHUSIAUM ABOUT USA ADMINS POLICY ON'COMMODITY AGREEMENTS.ARMSTRONGS COMMENT WAS THAT WILSON MIGHT BE SOMEWHAT OPTIMISTIC IN HOPES OF WHAT COULD BE ACHIEVED BY THIS MEANS, " 7 . TO BOTH HERTERCWHO DISCLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY) AND DILLON? WILSON EMPHASIZED IMPORTANCE HE ATTACHED TO INCREASED LIQUIDITY THROUGH IMF, ARMSTRONG IMPLIED STATE DEPT HAD ENCOURAGED WILSON TO SPEAK IN T H I S SENSE TO DILLON'AND SAIB WILSON THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE MADE SOME IMPRESSION. : 8oON NATO NUCLEAR POLICY, WILSON HAD SAID NOTHING WHICH IN ARMSTRONGS VIEW WOULD CAUSE USA TO ALTER I T S PRESENT PLANS FOR ESTABLISHING'A NATO NUCLEAR FORCE.ONE PROBABLE DIFFERENCE FROM POLICY'OF MACMILLAN GOVT WAS THAT UNDER WILSON A LABOUR GOVT WOULD PREFER TO ASSIGN NATIONAL FORCES WITHOUT QUALIFICATION TO INTERALLIED FORCE,TE, WITHOUT RESERVING RIGHT TO WITHDRAW SUCH FORCES WHENEVER UK GOVT FELT I T NECESSARY. ARMSTRONG HAD IMPRESSION THAT'WILSON WAS PERHAPS LESS COOL TOWARD MULTILATERAL FORCE THAN MACMILLAN GOMT AT THE MOMENT WAS, BUT HE MADE ONE INTERESTING OBSERVATION REGARDING FUTURE GERMAN. ATTITUDE ON NUCLEAR MATTERS.HE HAD SAID THAT WILLY BRANDT AND ASSOCIATES DID NOT RPT NOT FEEL THE SAME DEGREE OF INTEREST IN BEING A NUCLEAR POWER AS SOME ATTRIBUTED TO THE PRESENT FOR LEADERSHIP. THUS IN EVENT OF SPD COMING TO POWER,APPREHENSION REGARDING GERMAN NUCLEAR AMBITIONS WOULD NOT RPT NOT BE AS VALID A BASIS' FOR POLICY AS IT'MIGHT BE IN PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES.' 9.ON MORE GENERAL ASPACTS OF DEFENCE POLICY, WILSON SAID CLEARLY THAT IF LABOUR FORMED NEXT UK GOVT THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE A VERY THOROUGH REEXAM OF USA UK* DEFENCE COOPERATION. WILSON HAD MADE I T CRYSTAL CLEAR'THAT HE WAS IN EARNEST ABOUT PUTTING AN END TO INDEPENDENT NUCLEAR DETERRENT AND THAT KE WOULD NOT RPT NOT CARRY ON WITH POLARIS AGREEMENT* !0;-ASKED WHAT OTHER SUBJECTS MIGHT GIVE RISE TO D I F F I C U L T I E S OR REEXAM W WILSON BECAME PM, ARMSTRONG MENTIONED EAST«WEST TRADE �PAGE FOUR 1 0 1 6 . . . . .••...., AND POSSIBLY DISARM ( I N EVENT THAT WILSON PRESSED -IDEA OF NUCLEAR FREE ZONES).OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR BERLIN QUESTIONS IN STATE DEPT HAD NOT RPT NOT. HOWEVER BEEN ALARMED BY PASSAGE ON BERLIN AND GERMANY IN WILSONS SPEECH TO NATIONAL PRESS CLUB. ( „ . U . ON AFRICAN QUEST IONS, ARM STRONG : THOUGHT WILSON MIGHT BE SOMEWHAT . ....'.. - • a, • •• a ' . . . CLOSER. TO.,VIEWS OF AFRICAN BUREAU IN STATE DEPT THAN WAS-THE, CASE i . . . . . WITH MACMILLAN GOVT,IE,SOMEWHAT MORE QUOTE LIBERAL UNQUOTE IN COMPLEXION .BUT WILSON HAD SHOWN HIMSELF FULLY .CONSCIOUS OF DIFFICULTIES FACED BY UK,ESPECIALLY. IN KENYA AND SOUTHERNRHODESIA .ON SOUTHERN RHODESIA HE HAD. SAID THAT I F HE • WERE IN POWER HE WOULD .NOT RPT NOT GRANT INDEPENDENCE TO SOUTHERNRHODESIA WITHOUT, A .NEW CONSTITUTION. . '. * • • • .i 1 2 . I N R£Pi-Y TO A QUEST ION, ARMSTRONG SAID THAT SQ.FAR-AS HE KNEW _• THERE HAD BEEN NO RPT NO CRITICISM OF USA POLICY ON CUBA ALTHOUGH WILSON HAD MENTIONED,AS HE HAD IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS DURING THE CUBAN C R I S I S , H I S VIEW THAT THERE SHOULD BE BETTER ARRANGEMENTS FOR CONSULTATION IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS IN FUTURE. - • .--,• 13.FROM USA POINT OF VIEW,ARMSTRONG SAID THERE HAD. NATURALLY BEEN AN EFFORT TO EXPLAIN CURRENT ADMIN POLICIES ON: TOPICAL; PROBLEMS AND ARMSTRONG THOUGHT IT WAS PERHAPS NOT RFT NOT TOO MUCH TO,HOPE,ON THE BASIS OF WILSONS APPARENT REACTIONS HERE AND _ OF HIS; PRESS CONFERENCE ON RETURNING TO LDN,THAT HE HAD ACQUIRED A FULLER/UNDERSTANDING OF USA THINKING . T H I S VfAS PERHAPS PARTICULARLY TRUE 'ON-ISSUES SUCH AS DISARM AND NUCLEAR POLICY.IT WAS CLEAR FROM ARMSTRONGS COMMENTS' THAT,ALTHOUGH.HE. WAS NOT RFT NOT AWARE OF HOy THE: PRESIDENT; OR MCNAMARA. HAD REACTED,THE SATE DEPT WOULD HAVE -NO RPT- NO, SERIOUS QUALMS I F LABOUR UNDER WILSON WERE .TO REGAIN POWER-AT THE NEXT ELECTION.. I4.WILS0NS V I S I T ..••••. I S TO SE FOLLOWED BY LOWER KEY V I S I T S BY CALLAHAN, GORDON WALKER AND HEALEY IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS .THE STATE DEPT ARE NOT RPT NOT INCLINED TO BE APPREHENSIVE ABOUT THE EFFECT OF THIS OPPOSITION PROCESSION ON THE ADMINS RELATIONS WITH THE MACMILLAN <& ft » ci~ 000575 �PAGE FIVE 1016 GOVT,ALTHOUGH ARMSTRONG AND JUDD BOTH REMARKED ON THE RATHER AWKWARD POSITION OF CRMSSY-GORE.THE LATTER HAD GONE TO CONSIDERABLE LENGTHS IN aANNING AND FACILITATING WILSONS V I S I T .WILSON HAD NOT RPT NOT HOWEVER TAKEN ENB RPT TO HIS MTGS WITH USA O F F I C I A L S . 000576 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CDNW03503 Title A name given to the resource CDNW03503 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "NATO - Nuclear weapons - Policy - NATO long term planning," RG25-A-3-b, vol 5960, file 50219-AL-2-40, part 8-1, Library and Archives Canada (LAC). Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Canadian Crown Subject The topic of the resource Nuclear Weapons Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Canada Declassified Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource en