III. LONG-RANGE PLANNING IN SOUTH VIETNAM, NOVEMBER 1955 TO DECEMBER 1957: INTERNAL SECURITY IN SOUTH VIETNAM; THE MAAG CEILING AND TERM; ELECTIONS FOR SOUTH VIETNAM’S NATIONAL ASSEMBLY; NSC CONSIDERATION OF LOCAL AGGRESSION IN VIETNAM; LAND REFORM AND FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN SOUTH VIETNAM; DIEM’S VISIT TO WASHINGTON; U.S. AID TO SOUTH VIETNAM FOR 1958
277. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Under Secretary of State (Hoover)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 790.5–MSP/11–2255. Secret. Drafted by Young and Price.
278. Despatch From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Reinhardt) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/11–2955. Confidential. Drafted by Allen Taylor, a Political Officer at the Embassy.
279. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/11–2355. Secret. Drafted by Kattenburg and cleared with Young and Sebald (in substance). Sent also to Paris as 2154 and to London as 3097; repeated for information to Ottawa, New Delhi, Vientiane, and Phnom Penh.
280. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Reinhardt) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/12–555. Secret. Passed to the Department of Defense and CINCPAC.
282. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense (Wilson)
Source: JCS Records, CCS 092 Asia (6–25–48) (2). Secret.
283. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/12–1755. Confidential; Priority. Repeated for information to Saigon, Vientiane, and London. Dulles was in Paris for North Atlantic Council meetings, December 15 and 16. According to a memorandum from MacArthur to Dulles, December 7, Pinay had requested bilateral discussions on Vietnam with the Secretary when Dulles was in Paris for the NAC meetings. (Ibid., 751G.00/12–755)
284. Memorandum of a Conversation, Saigon, December 28, 1955
Source: Center of Military History, Williams Papers, Conferences with Diem 6 Nov 55–5 Oct 56. Drafted by General Williams’ aide, Colonel John M. Finn, from a text in Williams’ handwriting. In the folder with the memorandum is an undated note by General Williams stating that the text was handcopied from a photocopy because of the photocopy’s poor condition.
285. Paper Prepared by the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (Williams)
Source: Center of Military History, Williams Papers, Advisory Notes to VN High Command (110). This paper was given to President Diem during the conversation described supra.
286. Memorandum for the Record, by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Radford)
Source: Naval Historical Center, Radford Papers, 333.1 (Trip 9) 12/12/55–1/19/56. Prepared in Washington on January 27, 1956.
287. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Reinhardt) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/12–3155. Secret. Repeated for information to Paris, London, Ottawa, New Delhi, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane.
288. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Philippine and Southeast Asian Affairs (Young) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/1–1856. Secret. Memorandum and attachment drafted by Price.
289. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5/1–1856. Secret. Drafted by Kattenburg with concurrences from PSA, FE, L, and C; a marginal note on the source text indicates that the Secretary saw this memorandum.
290. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/1–1756. Secret. Drafted by Kattenburg and cleared with Hoey and Sebald. Repeated for information to Paris.
291. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/12–3155. Secret; Priority; limit Distribution. Drafted by Kattenburg; cleared with Hoey, Young, Sebald, Tyler, Phleger, MacArthur, and Murphy; and cleared for transmission by Robertson. Repeated for information to Paris and London.
292. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Reinhardt) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/1–2556. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Repeated for information to London and Paris.
294. Memorandum From the Secretary of the Air Force (Quarles) to the Secretary of Defense (Wilson)
Source: Washington National Records Center, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 60 A 1339, 200 Vietnam. Secret.
295. Letter From the Secretary of Defense (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/1–3156. Secret. This letter is printed also in United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 10, pp. 1046–1047.
296. United States Minutes of Bilateral Foreign Ministers Meeting With the United Kingdom, Department of State, Washington, January 31, 1956, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Secret. The source text bears no indication of authorship. The minutes were cleared at the Assistant Secretary of State level and distributed on February 7 on a need-to-know basis.
Foreign Minister John Selwyn Lloyd accompanied Prime Minister Eden for talks with President Eisenhower, Dulles, and other U.S. officials January 30–February 1, 1956. Briefing materials for these discussions are ibid., Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 647.
297. Memorandum of Discussion, Washington, January 31, 1956
Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 648. Secret. Drafted by Goodpaster, the President’s Staff Assistant. No drafting date is given.
298. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Murphy)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5/2–256. Secret. Drafted by Kattenburg with Young’s concurrence.
299. Memorandum of a Conversation, Washington, February 2, 1956
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/2–1056. Secret. Drafted by Kattenburg on February 10.
300. Memorandum of Discussion at a Department of State–Joint Chiefs of Staff Meeting, The Pentagon, Washington, February 4, 1956, 11:30 a.m.
Source: Department of State, State–JCS Meetings: Lot 61 D 417. Top Secret. A note on the source text reads: “State draft. Not cleared with any of the participants.” In all 23 persons attended the meeting including Radford and all the Chiefs of Staff; Gray, Fox, and Sullivan for Defense; Murphy, MacArthur, and Robertson for State; Cabell for the CIA; and Gleason for the NSC.
301. Intelligence Brief Prepared in the Office of Intelligence Research, Department of State
Source: Department of State, INR Files. Secret. Printed also in United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 10, pp. 1048–1050.
302. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5/2–956. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Kattenburg and cleared in PSA, FE, L, G, and with Defense (in substance). Sent also to CINCPAC; repeated for information to Paris, to London, and by pouch to Vientiane.
303. Memorandum From the Secretary of State to the President
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series. Secret. Drafted and initialed by Dulles and also initialed by Eisenhower indicating that he saw it. This memorandum was in response to a brief letter from Eisenhower to Dulles asking the Secretary for his views on the Donovan letter cited in footnote 2 below.
304. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Reinhardt) to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5/2–1356. Secret; Priority. Repeated for information to Paris, London, and Vientiane and passed to the Department of Defense and CINCPAC.
305. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5/2–2556. Secret; Priority. Drafted by Kattenburg and cleared by Young and Murphy and with Defense. Repeated for information priority to Paris, London, and Ottawa; repeated for information to New Delhi, Vientiane, and CINCPAC.