. . . If the subject has died down in the U.S., I am perfectly willing to let the subject drop from this end. Why should we flog a dead Musk Ox?
Sincerely,
George Bush
Chief, US Liaison Office
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
TELEGRAM
THE GREAT HOTDOG ROLL CRISIS
June 27, 1975
1. There is not a hotdog roll to be found in China. Is there any way you could ship us 700 hotdog rolls for guaranteed delivery prior to July 4?
2. We also need 100 large bags of potato chips in same shipment.
3. Please advise soonest.
Bush
June 15, 1975
. . . Church, visit to the tailors to get the kids suited up—about $70. . . . Tennis was indoors this afternoon because the weather was bad. Marvin threw his racquet which really burned me up with the Chinese all watching. Sportsmanship and that kind of thing mean so much more here. We joke about “friendship first” here a little bit, but carefully. But it is an important concept and I ate him out for that display, much like what I might have done when I was his age—but he should be getting over that. Actually he is doing darn well—in his work and from reports from the Congress job he had—the reports were fantastic.
June 29, 1975
. . . Dorothy was baptized at our little Chinese Church.43 The ministers were extremely happy and smiling—pleasant, wonderful. It was very special. There were six guardian group people taping and flashing pictures of the ceremony, not knowing what was going on really. But we were very happy that the Chinese agreed, after they consulted in a meeting, to baptize Doro. They wondered why we were doing it. Bar explained that we wanted the family together and hadn’t been able to do it. A very special day. . . .
July 4, 1975
. . . It was a tremendous success. We all got out and worked on the roof, on hanging up plastic banners, weighing them down with welding rods, setting tables, cooking hot dogs on charcoal. It is hard to light. But it all fell in place with the rain drizzling a little during the day, but clearing miraculously in time for a well attended, perhaps 500 people, reception. Dogs,44 Miller beer, American cigarettes, a raffle, coca cola, lots of loud music—John Denver style—and it was great. The Americans wore red, white and blue. We had American flags around and I am confident it conveyed the right kind of impression about our country. . . .
July 6, 1975
The family left yesterday for Shanghai and now I am a bachelor. I am reading Grey’s Hostage in Peking which, along with Ricketts’ book about their imprisonment back in the early fifties, is interesting reading. The Ricketts come out as great admirers of the system of rehabilitation and are kind of ashamed that they were spies. Hostage in Peking is very different. It shows the horrible and ugly side of the Cultural Revolution . . . stoning embassies, stripping embassy people as they were thrown out of China, spitting on them, plastering posters, vilification, and ugliness that one doesn’t see now. And frankly it is kind of hard to imagine. But it is a good lesson to keep in mind.
. . . Today is George’s twenty-ninth birthday. He is off to Midland, starting a little later in life than I did, but nevertheless starting out on what I hope will be a challenging new life for him. He is able. If he gets his teeth into something semi-permanent or permanent,45 he will do just fine. . . .
July 8, 1975
Long walk with Fred where he spotted the Polish cat again. Practically pulled my arm out of my socket . . . and I tore down the road, past the PLA guards . . . Fred made a dive at the iron gate, sticking his neck all the way through it in quest of the elusive cat. We then had to sniff around the tall grass for five minutes till Fred satisfied himself the cat was gone. What a horrible international incident if he ever caught the cat. Lots of couples out on the hot summer night. People jump away when they see Fred. They shy back. They show their kids Fred—kids in their arms, but then they sidle off as we get near with Fred on his rope.
. . . I wish I could tell what China’s real intent is. After reading Hostage in Peking and reliving some of the horrors of the Cultural Revolution I can’t be sure. Should Soviet Union and China get together, it would be, in my opinion, a whole new ballgame. And yet there is a latent interest in and respect for the United States. China keeps wanting us to be strong, wanting us to defend Europe, wanting us to increase our defense budget, etc. And yet their rhetoric and propaganda against the imperialist aggressive U.S. is so blatant that it makes me furious. But the question is what is their real heartbeat? What is their real intent? I don’t think the United States has anything to fear from China. The talk about how we lost China infuriates the Chinese and now it infuriates me. I can see where it is very clearly wrong. China was not ours to lose and that has been part of the problem. . . .
Following are diary notes kept while on a tour of some other cities in China. I was particularly interested in seeing an oil field near Harbin.
July 20, 1975
The man in charge of the Revolutionary Committee who greeted us, named Min, young looking guy, maybe 33 or so, looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. I asked him how they protected the derrick men in the winter, and he said that they didn’t put ‘em inside, they didn’t enclose his platform up there, but the spirit of the work kept him going and also that they protected him with excellent clothing, work tools, etc. Great pride, obviously, in this oil field. Too early to get a feel for it, but it made me a little homesick for Midland and made me think how lucky George is to be going back to the oil business.
July 22, 1975
There seemed to be still the same amount of spitting and coughing and belching as in other parts of China. In reading Barbara Tuchman’s book, Chiang Kai-shek campaigned for awhile against these things, but obviously he was not overly successful. Somehow it’s not offensive at all, although the spitting can get you down in Peking.
Taching in the afternoon: we went to the refinery, and then took a train—we sat in an old-time car, very, very old, which was half dining car and half soft coach. But it was very clean. The toilet, an old trench-type unit, was spic and span.
. . . We had a long discussion led by Mr. Lin about the difference between capitalism and their system. I asked him why they needed a valve factory in Taching—why they didn’t use a central one and simply ship the valves in—that it seemed to me that [their system] might be inefficient. . . . He made some comments that I thought seemed critical of “the profit” motive. We were motivated for profit. I emphasized competition was the thing that resulted in services being furnished at the lowest possible cost to the consumer, that if you were going to buy valves in the United States you would go to several manufacturers and get bids and then you would buy the cheapest price. He kept using the word “profit” as something bad, and I kept using the word “competition” as something that should result in profit but that resulted in benefit to the consumer. We had a long discussion. I asked about firing people. I asked him how a man that was ineffective could be fired. I said, suppose the man in charge of drilling in Taching, the number one person, is ineffective, and therefore his units produce less, he completes fewer wells—he’s a good guy, people like him, but he’s ineffective—what would happen. The answer was that he would be criticized and helped by the masses, but if in the final analysis he didn’t produce he could be replaced by the State.
I asked if a worker simply was lazy, if he was transferred up from some other part of China and didn’t like it and just decided—I used the example, suppose the girl we saw, instead of being able and energetic, which she obviously was, was lazy, she was homesick, and she just decided to sleep in past six o’clock when everybody else was up looking after the wells—what would happen then. They all laughed enormously at that and said that her colleagues would work with her to overcome that. And then I kept pressing on it and said that suppose she didn’t overcome it. Then they conceded there would be disciplinary action taken.
. . . These kinds of discussions with the Chinese—they seem
ed very interested in them, and its the kind of things I wish we could do every day. It does increase understanding, and it does make us have a better feel for their system. But these visits of that nature are almost impossible in Peking. That’s one of my great regrets, that you cannot sit down and, as the kids would say, “rap” with Chinese officials on any substantive matter.
Our fall was consumed with preparing for and then hosting two high-profile visits to Peking. Henry Kissinger came first to plan for the visit of President Ford himself. A lot of the following correspondence concerns those two visits.
For [Brent] Scowcroft
From George Bush
Last year when the Secretary’s plane rolled up to the ramp I was standing next to Nancy Tang. The door opened and quite a few security people came down the stairs before the Secretary got off the plane.
Nancy Tang rather pointedly commented on this to me, making the point that she felt the number of security personnel was excessive. China does pride itself on the safety of foreign friends here in this country.
Perhaps a way can be found to have the security people be not quite so conspicuous as the Secretary de-planes. This is a small matter of a cosmetic nature but since it was mentioned very directly by Nancy Tang it might be worth some thought. Warm Regards.
Oct. 29, 1975
Dear T.L. [Tom Lias],
The Kissinger visit went well. He was much more gracious to me than ever before. Meeting Mao Tse Tung was a thrill of a life time. He is old and has a ghastly speech problem, but still sharp. The adulation on the face of the Chinese in the room was unbelievably worshipful. . . .
I have been very happy here since coming back in Sept.46 I wonder if it’s the escapist in me. For first time I feel I am accomplishing something. The Chinese seemed to reflect a confidence to HK which was nice. We are excited about our kids coming out here for Christmas . . .
China thinks we are falling apart—a paper tiger (not quite), a country whose principles are hazy and whose discipline and order are in chaos. . . .
Best
GB
Our kids never came for Christmas. They didn’t have to. Instead, we unexpectedly went home.
NOVEMBER 2, 1975
TO:
SECRETARY KISSINGER AND FOR THE PRESIDENT THROUGH SECRETARY KISSINGER
FROM:
George Bush
Your message came as a total and complete shock. I have followed from afar some of the debate on the agency47 but I am totally incapable of assessing the entire situation from way out here.
Here are my heartfelt views.
First, I wish I had some time to talk to one or two close friends about this matter.
Second, I do not have politics out of my system entirely and I see this as the total end of any political future.
Third, I cannot from out here, half way around the world, measure the mood on the Hill as to my nomination for this new job.
Fourth, I sure wish I had time to think and sort things out.
Henry, you did not know my father. The President did. My Dad inculcated into his sons a set of values that have served me well in my own short public life. One of these values quite simply is that one should serve his country and his President.
And so if this is what the President wants me to do the answer is a firm “YES”. In all candor I would not have selected this controversial position if the decision had been mine, but I serve at the pleasure of our President and I do not believe in complicating his already enormously difficult job.
There are some matters both professional and personal that I think should be understood or considered:
First, on the professional side: One, I would like the freedom to select my own top deputy and small personal staff in consultation with the President.
This I feel is absolutely essential.
Two, I would want it totally understood that I would have free and direct access to the President in conjunction with my new duties. I would not abuse this access but I would want to know it is there at all times.
Three, I believe, with all my fiber, in a strong CIA. I have been appalled at some of the attacks on the agency just as I have been appalled at some of the Agency’s excesses that have become public. I am confident that the President shares these views that the USA must retain a strong, well financed intelligence capability.
I can not tell when I would be expected to come back for hearings, confirmation, etc. My personal views, which are clearly secondary to the President’s desires, are that I would like to remain here until the first of the year. I would definitely like to stay here through the President’s visit. I realize neither of these things may be possible.
On the diplomatic side there is something to be said for a reasonable period to say farewell to a job I have loved, to a land that I have found totally consuming and fascinating, and to people who, inspite of our enormous differences, have befriended me.
In conclusion the President should know that when President Nixon summoned me from the U.N. to Camp David on but another of those helicopter journeys that shook things up after the ’72 elections Bar said to me “George, do anything except one thing—Don’t accept if he says he wants you to head the Republican National Committee.”
I said I wouldn’t and I did.
Today this message came in. We were on our bikes back home when a messenger found us. We cycled back to the house, I whipped open the message. Tears came to her eyes and she said “Remember Camp David, I think I know your answer;” and I do know the answer. It is, with only the conditions expressed, an enthusiastic “I Accept.”
For the President—Thank you for this honor. I will work my heart out.
Warm regards
George Bush
The Director
Central Intelligence Agency
CHAPTER 7
Protecting Secrets
Although I would not become director of the CIA until January, it immediately overwhelmed our lives. Everything else became almost secondary, even finishing my job in China. The CIA was awash in controversy, accused of everything from assassination plots to attempts to overthrow governments. And suddenly, I was to be in charge.
NOVEMBER 3, 1975
TO:
BRENT SCOWCROFT
FROM:
GEORGE BUSH
1. My thanks to you and Henry for your warm words. I think it will be tough but feel it is so important to try to get the CIA off the front pages and take the tough steps necessary to restore that agency to its deserved place of confidence.
2. If indeed all signals are go and those limited conditions I outlined in my cable of acceptance are agreeable I have one very personal request.
3. It occurs to me that my kids and family may have some understandable misgivings about this new direction in our family life.
4. Therefore, prior to the announcement I would ask that you tell Pete Roussel in the White House about this and ask him to convey the following message by phone to our five children and to my mother:
5. “The President has asked us to leave China. He wants me to head the CIA. I said yes. This new job will be full of turmoil and controversy and Mum and I know that it will not make things easy for you. Some of your friends simply won’t understand. There is ugliness and turmoil swirling around the agency obscuring its fundamental importance to our country. I feel I must try to help. I hope you understand. Soon we can talk it over. Love.”1
6. Just now a call came in from the US from I believe CBS. I only heard the beginning of the callers words linking me to the CIA and fortunately we got cut off. I will not take any calls.
7. The VOA2 just carried a story of Def Sec Schlesinger leaving and secstate giving up the NSC slot. As soon as possible I would appreciate you filling me in on the shifts. I would like to know with whom I will be working.3
8. Thanks Brent. I look forward to working with you and learning from you.
9. Warm Regards.
George Bush
NOVEMBER 6, 1975
BRENT SCOWCROFT
FROM:
GEORGE BUSH
1. Unless I am required back there for hearings, I am now totally convinced that it would be better to remain here, giving no visible attention to my new job until totally free of my responsibilities here.
2. It is hard to read Chinese reaction to this new appointment. In a sense they should like it, for they at least might feel that I have been exposed more than most to their strongly held view about the Soviet threat.
3. On the other hand in a tiny little incident Tuesday a Chinese guide escorting a British visitor here in Peking, knowing the visitor had been to my house, commented that he was “very shocked” about Mr. Bush’s appointment, concluding that I had been associated with the Agency all along and that it was therefore shocking that I had been Ambassador at the UN and Chief in Peking. Other than this very low level isolated incident we have no indication as to how Chinese will feel. We doubt this is the line that PRC will be providing cadres but I report it as the very first Chinese reaction to my appointment of which we are aware.
4. Nevertheless I have now concluded that if I am called back for [congressional] hearings before the President’s visit, which I fervently hope will not happen, serious thought should be given to my not returning to Peking. The Chinese conceivably might find that embarrassing. . . .
George Bush
I still had a job to do in China, especially since President Ford’s long-anticipated trip to Peking was looming.
NOVEMBER 6, 1975
FOR:
SECRETARY KISSINGER
FROM:
GEORGE BUSH
SUBJECT:
THE PRESIDENT’S VISIT
All the Best, George Bush: My Life in Letters and Other Writings Page 26