Diary Entry - 10/18/1983
Key Facts
President Reagan attends a National Security Council briefing to discuss the Presidents up coming trip to Japan.
President Reagan attends a National Security Planning Group meeting to discuss the situation in Lebanon.
An easy day—1st day with Bud MacFarlane in charge of N.S.C. The 9:30 A.M. Brf. dealt with coming Japan trip. Question is do we press them to extend their voluntary limit on autos to U.S. or not & if we do, should we hold figure to 1.68 mil. as it is now or increase? Our auto prod. increase is such that percentage wise holding the fig. would reduce Japan from more than 22% of our mkt. to about 17%. N.S.P.G. meeting on Lebanon. All the options on how to keep trying for peace, avoid murder of our Marines, not suffer a disastrous pol. defeat etc. No decisions, but option papers being drawn up for my decision. Lunch with about 90 editors & publishers of ethnic papers of all descriptions. It was pleasant—their Q’s were mainly on subjects having to do with their own ethnic or racial source. Haircut & then 2 hours in Family Theatre prepping for tomorrow nights press conf.
