MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION
WITH ROBERT JOHNSON

SUBJECT: ASSASSINATION OF LUMUMBA

PARTICIPANTS: MR. JOHNSON AND MR. WILLIAM G. MILLER

DATE: JUNE 10, 1975

Mr. Robert Johnson who is now at the Overseas Development Council for the summer, telephone 234-8701, was a member of the National Security Council staff working on Asian affairs in the last two years of the Eisenhower Administration and the first year of the Kennedy Administration. He said that on occasion, when people were on vacation, he was assigned the task of taking notes at NSC meetings. In July or August of 1960, Mr. Johnson had the task of note taking. After a review of world events, by Director of CIA Dulles, which included a description of Mr. Lumumba's activities in Africa, Eisenhower turned to Dulles during the meeting in the full hearing of all those in attendance, and said something to the effect that Lumumba should be eliminated. According to Mr. Johnson, there was a stunned silence for about 15 seconds and the meeting continued. He said he wrote the notes and that if they still exist, they are probably in the Eisenhower Presidential papers. He said that notes generally in presidential papers, official documents of the NSC, remain with the NSC. He said that the impression at the time was one of great shock. He said he had heard of nothing like that since. He said it was uncharacteristic of Eisenhower to speak of anything of substance during NSC meetings, reserving judgment to private meetings. He does not remember exactly who was at the meeting beyond Herter and Dulles, and possibly James Lay, Gordon Gray and Robert Amory.