(2 of 3)
The same night that the subcommittee report was released, Kissinger—despite his efforts to stay out of the domestic political limelight—made an unexpected gaffe. After addressing a National Urban League convention in Boston, he was asked by a member of the audience why there were not more black ambassadors and why black envoys were customarily sent to African nations. The Secretary was obviously unprepared for the question. "Look, when we hire an ambassador," he replied, "we don't stop to ask whether he is black or white." He added that personnel "must meet all the qualifications." Though his answer was reasonable enough, Kissinger had not realized that "qualifications" is a word blacks often take as a smokescreen for discrimination. The audience broke into boos and catcalls.
In fact, as Democratic Senator Hubert Humphrey pointed out, Kissinger has "got more blacks in the State Department than we [Democrats] had" —13% of the Department's employees today, v. 11% in November 1969. Privately, the Secretary knew he had mishandled the question. Just before taking off from Andrews Air Force Base en route to his first stop in London, Kissinger pointedly shook hands and chatted with a group of black youths from a nearby day-camp program while the television cameras rolled.
Another embarrassment for Kissinger was reports later in the week that the Soviet Union had violated the spirit of the new treaty on underground nuclear tests by detonating two devices last month that may have exceeded the 150-kiloton limit to which Moscow and Washington had agreed. The treaty had been initialed but not yet ratified by the U.S. Senate at the time of the Soviet tests. The White House, well aware that reports of Soviet "cheating" could prove damaging to President Ford in his campaign against Challenger Ronald Reagan, launched an investigation to determine the size of the Soviet devices.
Meanwhile, Kissinger had arrived in London with his wife Nancy and son David, spent the night at Claridge's, then breakfasted for 2½ hours with British Prime Minister James Callaghan at 10 Downing Street. Main topic: southern Africa. Soon he was in the air again, dressed in black and white striped shirt, pink pants, Sulka socks and no shoes, bound for Tehran.
Next day at the Shah's summer palace at Now Shahr on the Caspian Sea, the Iranian leader and the Secretary met for 5½ hours. They discussed Middle East strategy and African policy, particularly as it relates to the Indian Ocean and Iranian security. They also concentrated on Iran's efforts—precipitated by a $3 billion cash shortage—to barter its crude oil for Western weapons. The Iranians are apparently interested in acquiring up to 300 General Dynamics F-16 fighter planes and 200 land-based versions of the Northrop F-18 fighter, plus several airborne-warning-and-control aircraft built by Boeing. Washington is generally favorable to the deal, but the actual agreement would be between Iran and the various U.S. companies.