3 March 1964

Dr. Donald F. Hornig

The White House

Washington, D.C.

Dear Donald:

I am writing to you in answer to the letter of 23 January 1964 to me from Jerome Wiesner, in answer to two letters that I had sent him in December from Oslo.

I wrote to tell him about my concern about the actions of the American Embassy in Oslo at the time of the 1963 Nobel ceremonies there. The Chairman of the Nobel Committee of the Norwegian Legislature had told me that he considered the actions of the American Embassy to be an insult to the Norwegian Legislature and its Nobel Committee. I was informed from several sources that members of the Norwegian Legislature were considering the possibility that the Norwegian Government would make formal representations to the American Government about the matter - which was that the American Embassy, for the first time in history, completely ignored the Nobel ceremonies at which a Nobel Prize was presented to an American citizen.

It seems to be well known in Norway and Sweden that the attitude at the American Embassy in Oslo was quite different from that of the American Embassy in Stockholm, where the other Nobel ceremonies were held. In Stockholm the American Nobel Laureates were met at the airport by an attaché from the American Embassy. The customary reception at the American Embassy was not held, because it was in the period of mourning for President Kennedy, but the Ambassador apologized to the Nobel Laureates about it, explaining the reason, and he had a luncheon in their honor. The American Ambassador also attended the formal Nobel ceremonies.

In Oslo there was no participation of the American Embassy whatever in the Nobel ceremonies, so far as I am aware (or the Nobel Committee). No one from the Embassy was at the airport. At the principal ceremony, when I was congratulated by the King and Crown Prince of Norway, by the Canadian Ambassador, and others, there was no one from the American Embassy to congratulate me.

Mr. Wiesner in his letter said that the Charge de'Affaires ad interim did attend the presentation ceremonies and the lectures. If in fact he did so, he was incognito, and his presence was not made known to me or to the Nobel Committee. The suggestion by Wiesner that I was not met at the airport by anyone from the Embassy because the Nobel Peace Committee had not notified them of your travel plans is hardly worth my comment. I may say, however, that I am not sure that it is a true statement; moreover, a telephone call from the Embassy would have elicited the information, and it was in any case published in the newspapers, before my arrival.

As I have learned more about the difference between the actions of the Embassy in Oslo and the Embassy in Stockholm, I have been led to conclude that the action of the United States Embassy in Oslo was an insult not only to the Norwegian Legislature but also to me.

I continue to feel concerned about the opinion that some members of the Norwegian Legislature and its Nobel Committee have formed of the United States Government. I hope that something can be done or has been done about this matter.

Dictated by Linus Pauling

Signed in his absence:hpg

cc Professor Jerome B. Wiesner, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts

George Ball, U.S. State Department, Washington, D.C.