l' • DPC 213 RADIO 1 rn 'rI LEVISION NEWS BP IE F'UJG MO DAY NC NEM13ER J j 1976 12 48 P M 'rRAN SCRI PT OF PP ESS ON THE RECORD UNL ESS · OTHE RHISE NOTED MR FUNSETH Good afternoon I have one announceffient Available in the Pres3 Office are copies of the announcement of an ag reeme nt to be si g n ed between AID and ERDA for energy development for energy progra for developing countries Th is noticG is embargoed un t il 2 30 p r 1 this afte cnoon Any que stion s Q Is the United S·l ates tu lki n g to Thai 1c nd about eventually retu rn ing a milit a ry presence t o that country -- a U S rdl i tary presence to that country A No Q Is the United S·t a tes cc n t2 1t with the present rrd lj_ta y relations h i p with the Thais A I wil l put t another way I am not aware that the question has been reope ned since v e had our talks with Thai land so I c1ss u rne they are y c s Q Th dc t i v5 t ies wh ch rn ce • ere ca rried out at ·- - w2 s 1• t 1 t 1 0 ' 3 - 0 1r _ •J c - • - '_ u e · 1 - f_ pn r e lo cate d i- 2 elsewhere in that region A We completed our withdrawal as we had announced by the agreed date The people we have there are people who are in our MAG mission We have no plan - nor intention to reopen the Ramasun base nor has the Thai Government made any proposal to that effect Q Elsewhere in the Pacific say A I do not have the details on where various functions were relocated Q On another subject about a month ago I think you er one of your deputies confirmed that th0 Uni St tes is interested in exploring a Soviet proposal on disarmament given to the United Nations in the form of a memo A Has there been any follow-up on that I am not 2x2 re of any Jim Let me check the status of it Q Bob are you aware of any intended effort in the remaining days of the Administration to compl ete a SALT agreement A I do not have any new information on the status of our consideration of the SALT proposal Q Well how would you describe the ne got i ations 3 at this point A I ccJ nnot really say much more than thnt I understand that the SALT problem continues to be studied by those people directly concerned ON BACKGROUND it is not a question that I have asked recently or been briefed on recently mrn Bl CI GROUND Well thank you Q I asked against the background of a Chicago newspaper story a few days ago that Mr Rumsfeld had quite different objectives than the Secretary regarding SALT negotiations that in fact the Secretary had his druthers There might have been an agreement by now but there was considerable restraint in the White House and the Pentagon Do you care to get into that Laughter A No Q Bob ·can you characterize in any more detail the Viet-Nam meeting on Friday A No Q What's the status of the transition in terms of the State Department and the President-elect's team A No change Jerry Mr Lake still has not -- Mr Lake who's been designated by the new Administration 4 to be in charge o f transition -- has not set up an appointment with Mr Eagleburger as yet Q Have they occupied any space in the A No Q No contact at all A I think Mr Lake and Mr Eagleburger building have talked to one another on the telephone about setting up an appointment But Mr Eagleburger is awaitins confirmation from Mr Lake Q Is that an appointment for Secretary Kissin ge r to meet Mr Lake A No It is strictly for Mr Lake setting up his first meeting with Mr Eagleburger Q Last eek I·think you -- if I'm wrong correct me -- I think you said Secretary Kissinger would be planning to meet with the transition team next week -which would be this week • Is that still being planned A Yes I think that is still being planned But the timing may have been put off by Mr Lake's postponement of his first meeting with Mr Eagleburger 5 Q Bob there was an extensive story in Th8 He York 'l'imes Saturday about the Secretary's ·· ·if you want to call it dickering -- I can't think of a better word -- for his memoires and other things that he might do after he leaves office Can you now or will you at some point be able to - ia re d th us the various p ro p os c J_ · that he has under consideration A No I do not think so I think this is something that concerns the Secretary after he leaves office as Secretary of State He has indicated that he will not make any decision on his personal plans until after the 20th so I do not think it is something that I would be discussing in a riy substance here in t -1e briefing Q Well unless he leaves a spok sman with us after January 20th after January 20th will really be too late to ask you fer instance about what papers he considers his and what pa pers he considers the pt 1 blj_c I s That has been a matter of considerable difference of opinion at the White House and other branches of Governm2nt - - whether the monitored telephone' conversations for instance belc ng to hirn or b e lon s i to the people -- whether -- et cetera You know the questions I have in mind - If today's not the day for it I at least think we're entitled to be told what papers will remain as Government property and which v ill be sold or used in his personal pursuiLs A Jn the subject of papers -- the Secretary will comply fully with State Department regulations which date back to 1967 and were approved by Mr Rusk 1' ·-id steps have been taken I am told to assure that the collection of the Secretary's papers does not include any original Government records The Secretary to my knowledge has not decided what papers he will want to have and in any case I want to emphasize that the original of all official documents will remain in the State Deparfment Q There's that less familiar question of monitored telephone convetsations because I'm not sure telephone conversations weremonitored all the way back I think it's a rather new procedure A I do not think it is new Barry fi 7 -f f Q Well the complete iE a r d ible -- A I think that refers to Secretarial notes of conversations I do not believe that is f l i 7 new I think tha·t is a rather cu·s tomary practice both in Government and in private l1fe In any case it is my recollection that t b 12 State Department's Legal Adviser ruled last Jru1uary that secretarial notes offue Secretary's telephone conversations are personal papers Q Who was the Legal Adviser Last A Monroe Leigh Q Last January A That is right Q O K A Right Q Repeat his name please A Monroe Leigh Q i·foll I guess you do have some guidance t h 2 - ·2 January Are the Secretary's personal inau d ib le so maybe we could also ask you about the -- whRt Rhnut th situation -- the meetings with leader of other governmer' ts there's no I me rican interp re te r pres en t How do you han d l e ' ·1 8 ' that situation I A I do not understand what the problem isl Q Well th accounts -- A W at are you talking about Q Well the me etings wtth the Chinese leaders for instance when there was no American present no American Are there i n a udihle A There was an American present Q -- no translater present -- the Secretary being alone from the U S side A We ll -- Q I'm sorry A There have been meetings in China and in Go ahead Moscow where there was not an American interpreter present but there was a notetaker present I think at most of t hos e meetings and that would be part of the official record Q Bob was the Secretary speaking to the Republic a n Nationa l Corruni t t2e this we e k OFF THE RECORD A I understand that he is meeting with the representatives of the Republic National Committee tomorrow I believe but I _do not have the details 9 Q It's at the Shoreham This is before he goes to Williamsburg A Q It is before he goes to Williamsburg Williar1sburg is not a prepared speech is that it A text No We will not have an advance The Secretary's intention is to make some introductory remarks and then he will take questions from the parliamentarians present We hope to have it piped into the briefing room beginning at 2 3 0 Q Let me g·o back to these papers once A Yes Q You say the Secretary's pape1 -s do not mo ce include any original Gove 1 mnent papers and that all originals will re r ain hr ·c A Yes Q Does thi s mean t hat h e can have burned co pie E or Xerox copies of any and all pape rs he wants t ake them with him and make whateve r use he chooses of all such documents A He will have certain copies with him in 10 accordance with the '67 regulations of course these documents will be _kept in a Government facility so that the classified documents are properly secured h i Q So he can't take them to his private '· residence and work there A Not classified documents Perhaps something could be worked out for a work basis on that but there then would be provisions for adequate storage The plan is that all of the documents will be kept in a Government facility -Q But do you A The procedures he intends to follow are procedures exactly comparable to those followed by his predecessors in this re0ard Q So ha could·possibly take some to his residence and work under certain conditions A ON Bl CKGRom m I suppose so' but I really have not addressed that question I do not know what his plans are Q Bob I take it everything you say refers also to his time as National Security Adviser -- the same gener a l rule' I don't think there cJ re regulatior s 11 governing that but will he follow the same general rule that you just outlined for us A ON BACKGROUND I would think so but I really am not familiar with regulations as far as the National Security Council is concerned Q Will he evacua t e this building on Janu a ry 20th or will he occupy some o f fice space somewhcre lse in the building so as to be near the papers A ON BACKGROUND I assume he plans to leave the building on the 20th of January I have heard no plan for him to have another office in the building I would almost rule that out Q On a related subject will he retain his Secret Service bodyguard after the 20th A I do not know Q Would you find out -- A I do not know anything about that Q Would you find out please A Yes I will look into that Q Bob will the Secretary be attending the installation of the Mexican President on December 1st A ON BACKGROUND the White House will probably be a n noun cin g eithe r today or tomorrow that ON Bl CKGW J UN D 12 the President has asked the Secretary to head the U S delegation to the _ inauguration of the Mex ican President • The White House will also be announcing the names of other memb e rs of the official delegation Q He'll be the head of the delegat i on A Yes Q December 1st A I think it is November 30th 1st and 2nd It beings on November 30th I am not sure when the official inaugural ceremonies end Q Will that be when he will go to Me xico or will h e go in ad-11ance and r- aybe spend the Thanks g ivin g holidays on vacation somep lace A STILL ON BACKGROUND I think he is considering leaving a few tlays early but he has made no de cision Q You mean for a vacation A Yes Q And when he's 111 Mexico for those three days will he be h avin g a n y so rt of talks with the Mexican Governme nt -- any o f ficial talks or is he just g oin g to r ep resent us at the ceremony l LL ABOVE ON BACKGROUND 13 A that question ON BACKG ROUN D I am unable to answer I do not think any details have been made as to his program · We will have to wait until it is announced Q The few day early will be if he goes to some place like Acapulco A Well take a few days -- Q I mean that's what you're talking about A ON BACKGROUND yes Q And how ab o ut a few days after Will he come hack fr om the in ug ral or go back to vacatio A All of this is ON BACIZGROUND It is my assumption that he will be returning directly to Washington after the in auguration Q END BACKGROUND On the Viet-Narn talks again the Vietn ame se issued a statement -- I guess late Friday night -- in which they indicated they would be responsive to the Arnericc1n insistence on an accountin g of the MIAs Did we find the statement encouraging or a positive step or anything of th kind A George I am not able to go beyond what I 14 I said o n Fridc1y ab out the t a lks Q No n e w date s e t A No for a nother me eting Th a nk you A You a re welc o me Whereup on at 1 03 p m _ the briefing Q was concluded