···-vmll'\1 TELEGRAM Department ofState ~ ,.. , PP RUEHC Adion D E R U F LI H T I, ' ZNY SS:>SS P 15 1900Z NOV 67 Info FM AMEMBASSY ~UCH~R~ST 4Q26Q ' TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1727 1967 NOV 15 PM 4 40 STATE GRNC . BT S..F I: fi ~ i BUCHAREST 7 t. B/ I SEO NE 0( e-0 __: iuf:=,,;,._Jrf ~O D IS~ . I ' \ REF: $TATE 6~05~; CHAREST 668 ~ '----------: I. PRIM EM IN MAURER R~CEIVED ME FOR TWO HOURS MORNING NOV 15 ACCOMPANI E.D BY ACT,lNG FONMIN MACOVESC'U AND SAME INTER.PRETER " S AT F I R S T · MEET I NG • · T 0 D A Y MAU RE R. 'HA D BE F0 RE H I M PAP ER WH I CH " · CO NT AI N ED R 0 MA N I A N 'TR A N SL AI-I 0 N 0 F QUEST I 0 NS EMB 0 D I ED . I N PA p ER 11IH ICH I HAD HANDED fYJACOVESCU ON SUNDAY NOV 5 . ! HY , .. MAll RER A.SKED" DI D I AL S0 SA Y "NO"~ BECAUSE DURING THESE DISCUSSIONS THERE WAS NOT ONE SINGLE / MO ME NT VI HE N T HE PE0 PL E T0 VJ HO M WE TAL KE D RE FERRE D T0 THI S AS THEIR DESIRE--ONLY. A NECESSITY RESULTINlLFROM. RESPECT FOR ERN T Q~ ~ORMS , FOR SOVEREIGNTY OF NVN AND IT WAS PRESENTED . AS" RACTICAL POSSIBILITY TO BRING MATTERS TO DISCl,JSSION . " . MAURtR CONCL~JDED THIS IS WHY HIS REPLY WAS MADE IN SUCH "CIRCUMSTANTIAL MANNER BECAUSE ! ' WANT ~y REPLY TO BE CLEAR AND DE F I N1TE • " ,,,-1. s. DID HANOI USE WORDS "PERMANENTLY" OR "UNCONDITIONALLY " ? I MAURER REPLIED , ~YES" , .SAYING FRENCH WORD " DEFINITIVERMENT " Hf\D BEEN USED FOR "PERMANENT". v 6. DID HANOI DIFFERENTIATE 1AMONG CONT·ACTS , · TALKS AND ·' NEGOTIA1ION.S ,. 1 · AND 1;1 HI CH .110 RD DI D THEY US. E' T0 DE SC RI BE DI SC 0SS I 0 NS AF' TE R STOPPING OF BOMBING? . . , M/\URER REPLIED THIS 1WAS NOT TOUCHED UPON IN HANO.I • .HE .ONLY :· · UPON SUBJEC'l' OF DISCUSSIONS WHICH WOULD. LEAD , IF POSSIBLE , TO CESSA"TION OF WAR AND SETT·LEMENT OF c·oN'FLICT IN~ VJETNAM ." .. NO DIFFERENTIATION WAS MADE BETWEEN THESE WORDS~ 10NLY REFERENCE· WAS TO DISCUSSIONS WHICH WOULD L EAD ro.fso L UTION , OF CO}JFLICT AND " I DI D N0 T N0 TI CE ANY NUANC ES" I N ;0 SI T I 0 NjNVN•' 1G0 AL IS (POLITICAL SETTLEMENT BASED ·ON ESSENTIA~ OI NT ., OF. VI E/f·NAMESE , . I I • . PAGE 4 RUFUHT ]18/l'~ E 8" E I . A lD "f\S I UNDERSTAND I!J PRESIDENT JOHNSON ' S ·VIEWPOINT " . ' THAT RIGHT OF SOUTH VIETNAMESE PEOPLE To. DETERMINE FREELY AND OF THEIR OWN ACCORD THEIR DESTINY MUST BE RECOGNIZED ~ 7. 1,rAS IT CLEAR STOPPING OF B-OMBING VJOULq .' 8E FOLLOWED BY TALKS.: I~ SHORT TIME? MAURER REPL.IED .·THAT THERE l1)AS A RATHER LONGER , DISCUSSION ON THIS POINT BECAUSE NVN· VIEWPOINI' WA$ THAT . ·...~. ·v~ : "CERTAIN LAPSE" OF' TI ME" SHOULD PASS B°ET.WEE N' CE SSA TIO N OF BOMBA ROME ~T·· AND START OF DISCUSSIONS • .~Sf\ID, "WE TRIED TO ;:)HOW ~HEM THAT IT WAS NOT QUITE NECESSARY FOR . THIS LAPSE OF TIME . I . SHOULD LIKE TO SAY. IN THIS, REGARD THAT MY IMPRESSfON IS THAT END OUR TALKS NVN· -.ADHERED TO r·HE:rR..ORIGINAL VIEWPOINT ' . . . I . E . A CERTAIN ' LAPSE OF TIME SHOULD ENSUE •. WE TALKED QUITE A LOT} ABOUT THIS . PERHAPS THEY HAVE CERTAIN REASONS BETTER ·. UNDERSTOOD BY. THEM THAN RY US." ­ 8 . HERE MAURER SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO INTERJECT HIS OWN OPIN IO N. SHOULD NVN ADHERE TO THIS POSITION , NEVERTHE~ESS CESSA TIO N OF w ~ SECP~T . I ~iCiiT -3-BVCHARF.ST 718, 11-15-67, SECTION 1 OF 3 ROM ING ~·IOULD CONSTITUTE A STt~RT 04 ~RlEiJDLY ACTIONS UPO J ~NVl_,...,_,._.,.,... l IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS INTEP.VAL AS SHORT AS POSSIBLE . "I THit K :"' THFRr \·.10 ILD RE M~·NY STATES , NOT ONLY ROMANIA AND NOT ONLY SOCIAL 'rsr.', COUNTRIES, l·.IHO WOULD BE READY TO' EXERT PRESSURE RY FPIENDLY · ADVICE ON NVN TO FOLLOW CESSATION OF DdMOING BY SOMETHING TO ' •,. PA G F 5 ' R LI Fl l HT 7 1 8/ l S it C. ~ ii: T SHO RT E N I NT ER VAL BET 1,v EE N . T H I S AND ST ART O F D I SC US SU oNS " .Mf\URFR CONCLUDED THAT THOUGH THIS WAS PER'SONAL REFLECTION' HF 1·'1SHED TO E~IPHASIZE THAT THER E WERE MA'rrt SOCIALIST AND OTHER CO Ul\J T R I E: S HM 0 C0 U L D HA VE. A CE RT A I N I N FL U E NC E O N NV N • 9 • 1.1 HAT I ND I C AT I 0 NS \>! ER E THER E 0 F MAT TE R S T. HA T W 0 UL D B E T A K EN UP AT TALKS? MAURER ANSWERED CRYPTICAL~Y , "NONE . I AVOIDED DISCUSSING SUCH SUBJECTS AND I CONTINUE TO DO SO . I AM NOT MA~DATORY OF EITHER NVN oR~ us~. fN QOING WHAT 1 DID~ I DID NOT DEFEND EITHER· US~1 '·' As E x A c TL y r HE s A ME AND TH 0 u G HT THIS PROVIDED%WIDE BAS IS FOR DISCUSSIO~S. CERTAINL~ THERE ARE NUANCES OF DIFFERENCE--THE WAY AMERIC.ANS THINK SVN SHOULD DECIDE THEIR OWN DESTINY AND THE WA.Y NVN THINKS .•. BUT DI~CUSSIONS ARE 'REAL LY MEANT TQ CLEAR UP · THESE NUANCES . EXISTENCE OF SUCHJ1WIDE BASIS FOR DISCUSSIONS , ENTITLES ONE TO THI.NK ~ORE OF A POL IT I CAL S 0 LU Tl 0 N THAN A MIL IT AR Y SO L U'P 'I0 N • DAVIS BT SF~T. ~JMING TELEGRAM 'f?epartment ofState Action PP RUEHC 4 0 5 3Q DE RUFUHT 718/2 3191910 ZNY sssss 1967 NOV 15 PM 422 I Info P 151900Z NOV 57· FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST ·. TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY STATE GRNC . ---­ BT S,f Q R E T BUCHAREST 718/2 SETWO OF THREE I NOD IS I /, . u 11. MAURER CONTINUED, " I ARGUED WITH MYSELF 'CERTAINLY ONE CAN SAY THE AMERICANS ARE LYING AND WOULD. NOT ACTUALLY ACT AS THEY SAY'. I ARGUED WITH MYSELF 'THIS MAY BE SO THOUGH THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE so. ONJ CONTRAR v I MAY HAv? REASONS THAT a, OTHERWISE, I.E. TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE LEADER OF SUCH A GREAT STATE AS THE" us' .· BUT AGAIN/ REASON~NG ABSURDLY: 'AMERICA~ MAY HAVE LitD TOM~ BUT WHAT l~ SEST WAY TO CHECK WHETHER IT IS TRUE OR UNTRUE. THIS WAY IS TO BEGIN DISCUSSIONS. I/ . . ' 12. TO QUESTION WHAT WAS HANOI'S REACTION TO PRIME MINISTER'S REQtJ'EST THAT IS "CATEGORICALLY" DECLARE ITS REApJ~jSS BEGIN . TALKS AFTER STO~PING Or BOMBt-NG , MAURER REPLIEl1fT~EIR DISCUSSIONS ON THIS TOPIC RATHER LONG ANP., THEY ENDED WIT }!:; NORTH VIETNAMESE STATEMENT THAT IT SEEMED TO THE f'J\ "ROMANIAN POINT OF VIEW AS PAGE 2 RUFUttr 11812 s E e R E I­ PRESENT LOGICAL ONE AND THEY ' WOULD THINK. ~BOUT IT AND HOW IT COULD BE PRACTICALLY IMPLEMENTED." MAURE~ SAID THEY HAD NOT BEEN SO PUNCTILIOUS ABOUT CERTAIN WORDS, BUT HIS IDEA AS PRE SENTED TO HANOI WAS THAT IT SHOULD STATE CLEARLY THAT IF BOMBING CEASE~THEN TALKS WOULD START. "SINCE IT AND NVN SAi~ 'YOUR STAND LOGICAL ONE, .• I CAN ONLY UNDERSTAND THAT SUCH A STATEMENT MUST .BE MADE fROM NVN OWN WORDS. I DID NOT THINK OF FORMULATION FOR SUCH A DECLARATION BECAUSE OF NATURE OF OUR DISCUSSIONS; MOREOVER, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT NVN HAD THOUGHT Or FORMULATION. . . · · WE DISCUSSED CERTAIN IDEAS AN~ RESULT IS THAT ~VN UNDERSTOOD • NECESSITY OF ASSERTION OF CLEAR , STAND , IN REGARD TO NEGOTIATIONS. 13. RE QUESTIONS A THROUGH G IN PARAGRAPH 5 STATE 63057, MAURER ANSWERED AS FOLLOWS: §ECRET -~ . . ' · M!CkEf -2-BUC~REST 718, NOV 15 SETWO OF THREE AM BOTH ROMANIAN AND NVN POINT OF VIEW IS THAT FIGHTING WILL I ~~N~~~u~oiNDi~~u~~N~~~~~~TI~Gy ~ITH NEGOTIATIONS. MAURER ASERTED . EXPECT . rOR COMMON ACCEPTANCE THIS ATION BUT REMARKED~ VN STANDPOINT MIGHT HAVE SOME DIFFERENT 1 NUANCES AS COMPARED WITH HIS OWN. HIS OWN VIEWPOINT IS THAT WHILE ~ EA1~ FOR US TO. ~OBILIZE OR DISBAND, GREAT MILITARY FORCE IN VIETNAM ON) ;:,lDE NVN IS .COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. ~ PAGE 3 RUFUHT 718/2 • ii Q R !!'. I THEY NEED MORE THAN 48 HOURS TO MOBILIZE OR DISBAND THEIR FORCES. THIS WAS NO SECRET. THIS WAS NOT FIRST TIME "STRATEGY" OF POPULAR WAR" IS BEING DISCUSSED. MAURER ASERTED IT WAS QUITE LOGICAL THAT MILITARY ACTIONS WOULD BE ENDED ONLY WHEN DISCUSSIONS CREATED FOR BOTH SIDES CERTAINLY OF MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE CONDITIONS. . . . . " THIS IS REASON WHY I BELIEVE MILITARY ACTIONS AND POLITICAL . DISCUSSIONS WILL CONTINUE IN PARALLEL." - B. MAURER STATED THAT NVN HAS ALWAYS ASSERTED THAT 1954 GENEVA . ACCORDS PROVIDE REAL BASIS FOR NEGOTIATIONS. THIS IS SOMETHING .. WHICH CONSTANTLY APPEARS IN STATEMENTS ISSUED BY LEADERS OF NVN AND NLF. "DELIBERATELY WE DID NOT DISCUSS ANY SUBJECT WHICH MIGHT BE THE SUBJECT OF NEGOTIATIONS BEiWEEN THE TWO SIDES. ­THIS IS FOR THE VIETNAMESE AND AMERIC~NS." C. TO QUESTION WHAT DID HANOI INDICATE AS ITS CONCEPTION OF ' CONDITIONS WHICH SVN PEOPLE COULD ·DECIDE THEIR OWN DESTINY, MAURER SAID HE DID NOT ASK AS HE DID NOT ASK PRESlDENT JOHNSON ABOUT US CONCEPTIONS.CCOMMENT: HERE FOR FIRST AND LAST ITME HE NENTIONED THE NAME OF NVN PRIME MINISTER PHAN VAN DONG AS A . PARTICIPANT IN TALKS.> . I J • PAGE 4 RUFUHT 718/2 ~~ C R E T ... D. AS TO "SPECIAL TIES" BETWEEN SVN AND US EMERGING AS RESULT Or TALKS, MAURER SAID IF SVN DECIDED TO REMAIN SEPARATE STATE THIS WOULD MEAN IT COULD ESTABLISH NOT ONLY DIPLOMATIC ·BUT ECONOMIC, CULTURAL. ETC. TIES WITH MANY STATES Or ITS OWN CHOOSING, INCLUDING USA. E. TO QUESTION WHAT IS BASIS FOR MAURER'S DISTINCTION BETWEEN NVN LEADERS WHO USE THEIR OWN BRAINS AND THOSE WHO MAKE . JUDGMENTS UNDER CHINESE INFLUENCE, MAURER REPLJED SIMPLY, "I AM BASING MYSELF ON 65 YEARS EXPERIENCE OF LifE." HE CONTINUED ·THERE WAS COMPLETE UNITY OF NVN LEADERSHIP CONCERNING SECURING -· ---.. -- SiQRZI ­ LNCOMING CONTROL 40S3Q J CORRECTION ISSUED lf'RRECTED PAGE 3 ' I Sl!!CREf .11-16-67 LWL 4:55 -3-BUCHAREST 718, NOV 15 SETWO OF THREE FOR SVN · PEOPLE RIGHT TO DEC-IDE THEIR OWN DEST I NY BUT HE THOUGHT IT LOGICAL THERE WOULD BE NUANCES IN THEIR WAY OF THINKING WHICH WOULD BE DETERMINED BY FACT THAT "SOME OF THEN HAVE WIDER LIBERTY IN THEIR THINKING WHILE OTHERS HAVE A MORE INFLUENCED PATTERN OF THINKING." . HERE MAURER PAUSED AND SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT THOUGH HE WAS WARE OF THE RISK IN IMPARTING TO US HIS VIEW:" MY FIRM IMPRESSION IS THAT AA PRESENT IN NVN THERE ARE MEN IN THE LEADERSHIP HOLDING THE MOSTRESPONSIBLE POSITIONS WHO ENJ_OY GREAT _LEBERTY IN THEIR THINKING." AT THIS JUNCTURE, MAURER WITH A SOMEWHAT WRY SMILE REMARKED, "WHAT WOULD CHOU EN LAI SAY IF HE KNEW WHAT I TOLD YOU? WHAT WOULD THE NORTH VIETNAMESE LEADERSHIP SAY? WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO RELATIONS BETWEEN ROMANIA, CHINA AND NORTH VIETNAM IF THEY KNEW? PAGE 5 RUFUHT .718/2 Sr E e rt E T ,,,,, AS REGARDS WHAT UNDERLI~S MAURER'S JUDGMENT THAT CHINESE INFLUENCE ON NVN "FROM WAR VIEWPOINT" IS DIMINISHING, MAURER SAID HE WOULD PREFER NOT TO ANSWER; THERE WAS GREAT RISK FO ROMANIAN GOVERNMENT POLICY HERE AND EXCLAIMED "THINK WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF CHINA OR NVN KNEW I ADMITTED THIS AFFIRMATION. BUT I SAID THIS AND I STICK TO IT. WHY DID I TELL YOU THIS? BECAUSE I THINK THIS ~ -IS A 'COMMANDING·.~ THING ON PART orHE WHO WISHES TO -I OBTAIN CERTAIN RESULTS.lFOR THIS REASON I SAID IT WAS LOGICA~ US SHOULD HEED THIS FACT; THAT POLICY SHOULD BE FLEXIBLE ENOUGH IN ORDER TO ALLOW FREE THINKING PEOPLE TO DEVELOP WILLINGNESS TO ADHERE TO SUCH WAYS OF .THINKING." 1 .. -~ TO QUESTION OF WHAT "ELASTICITY" IN POSITION OF USG DOES MAURER SUGGEST WOULD STRENGTHEN INDEPENDENT ELEMENTS1 NVN MAURER REPLIED CESSATION OF BOMBING IS CRIED our EVERYWHERE. IT WOULD CONSTitUTE AN ACT OF GREAT POllTICAL WISDOM. MAURER SAID HE WAS · NOT TAKING LIBERTY OF TRYING -GIVE LESSON TO LEADERS USA BUT HE THOUGHT Tl WAS GOOD TO SAY WHAT HE HAD TOLD US FRANKLY AND OPENLY. HE BELIEVED LEADERS USG HAVE WISDOM AND INSIGHT TO SEE WHAT IN HIS THINKING MIGHT CONTRIBUTE TO PEACE AND INTERESTS OF US ITSELF. I . PAGE 6 RUFUHT 718/2 S I!! C R E T . F. TO QUESTION RE FURTHER INFORMATION AS TO NVN VIEWS ON REUNIFICATION VIEiNA~, MAURER .SIMPLY REPLIED HE HAD NOTHING , T6 ADD TO WHAT .HE . HAD ALREADY SAID ON THIS SUBJECT. ' ..... ----.... ·---· .. ~EeREI -4-BUCHAREST 718, NOV 15 SETWO OF THREE . ~ G. TO WHAT EXTENT DID NVN LEADERS AUTHORIZE MAURER TO GIVE REPORT TO USG? MAURER REPLIED, "ABSOLUTELY NONE. IT WAS MY OWN EXCLUSIVE RESPONSIBILITY."MAURER THEN EXPLAINED AT SOME LENGTH , WHY HE HAD DONE THIS. ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE HE BELIEVED THERE EXIST CONDICTIONS WHICH CAN LEAD TO POLITICAL SOLUTION. EXISTENCE OF CONFLICT, TROUBLES, MANY IMPORTANT THINGS IN WHICH ROMANIA IS INTERESTED. ESPECIALLY. AFTER NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON DISCUSSIONS, MAURER WAS CONFIDENT USG WAS PTOZYDBCDD ·~ SOL UT ION. HE WENT TO HANOI TO EXPLAIN THAT A COMMON BASIS EXISTED FOR DISCUSSIONS TO END HOSTILITIES. HE WAS FAR FROM THINKING IN HANOI THAT HE WOULD INFORM USG OF HIS DISCUSSIONS THERE, BUT IN THE END AN.D UPON FURTHER REFLECTION HE THOUG.HT IT IMPORTANT TO MOVE THIS UNHAPPY SITUATION TOWARD MORE REASONABLE SOLUTION. HE WAS NOT PUSHED BY NVN BUT ACTED SOLELY ON OWN INITITATIVE~ IT MIGHT BE THAT NVN WOULD REPROACH HIM GREATLY FOR · THIS BUT OBJECTIVELY HE BELIEVES A REASONABLE SOLUTION .IS NEAR. DAVIS / BT * AS-RECEIVED, WILl BE ,SERV~CED UPON REQUEST ' . .. • ' • f. .. . .. .. . ~... ~. .~G TELEGRAM . Department ofState {f I Adion PP RUEHC I ' ' DE RtJFtlHT 718/3 3191920 ZNY SSS SS . ' Info · P 1519~0Z NOV 67 4135Q FM AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 1967 NOV 15 PM 9 24 TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORJTY .. STATE GRNC ~.,.__,,...~ BT SEC~! T 1SECTION THREE OF THREE BUCHAREST 718 NOD IS 14. MAURER STATED THAT SUBSEQUENT TO HIS VISIT IN HANOI ROM~NIAN GOVERNMENT HAS NOT REPEAT NOT RECEIVED ANY INDICATION OF HANOI'S REACTION TO PRESIENT'S SEPTEMBER 29 SAN ANTONIO FORMULATION. IN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION, HE STATED FLATELY THAT ROMANIANS HAD NOT PARTICIPATED -IN DISCUSSIONS ON VIETNAM DURING THEIR .RECENT , VISIT TO MOSCOW. 15. MAURER WISHED TO THA~K THE PRESIDtNT FOR THE INFORMATION GIVEN HIM IN PAREGRAPHS A AND B OF PARAGRAPH 6 STATE 63057. AS REGARDS FIGURE OF 50 THOUSAND REGULAR SOLDIERS NVN ARMY I~ SVN, HE REMARKED SOME~HAT HU~OROUSLY -HE APPRECIEATED OBJECTIVITY THIS INrORMATION AND . NOW AT LEAST HE KNOW THEY WERE TEN TIMES LESS IN NUMBERS THAN AMERICANS IN SVN. HE ADDED 'THAT PERHAPS THERE ARE SOME NVN REGULAR TROOPS, MAYBE 50 THOUSAND, 150 THOUSANb OR OVER. PAGE 2 RUFUHT 7·1s/3 s E e f~ 'I! r 16. AT CONCLUSION, MAURER SPOKE AGAIN ·AT SOME LENGTH ABOUT RISK TAKEN IN IMPARTING THIS INFORMATION TO USG. WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO FORTHCOMING HARRIMAN TALKS, HE ~AID IF CONVERSATIONS . '•!ERE NOT IN COMPLETE SINCERITY THEN. THEIR VALUE WOULD BE DIMINISHED. HE CONCEDED THAT THESE CONVERSATIONS COULD BE .: " Ptl13LICLY DEFENDED BUT NEVERTHELESS THERE WAS A RISK THAT THE'f , · COULD BE USED AGAINST ROMANIA. HE WAS NOT CONCERNED PARTICULAR~Y WITH HIS OWN PERSONAL STANDING. . .. . NOTE: I DID NOT POSE QlJERY