Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, Vietnam, Volume I

120. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam¹

Washington, April 14, 1955—7:33 p.m.

4537. Saigon 4529 repeated Paris 1191;² Paris 4436 repeated Saigon 652.³ we fully endorse paragraph 4 Saigon 4529 and you may so inform Ely. We wish to stay clear of any joint recommendations.

We have not informed French that we have agreed to replacement. We only have said we want their evaluation Ely’s recommendation.

What we had in mind in Department telegram 4487⁴ was to permit French to come up with their plan regarding Diem’s tenure which might be considered at Washington meeting. We desire that it be a unilateral and not a joint recommendation. Believe assignment Meloy and Sturm to joint drafting committee may give French impression any plan developed would in fact be joint U.S.-French proposal. This we wish avoid but understand difficulty withdrawing your offer their services. Therefore, we would hope your staff immediately would downplay their development with French of answers to our questions.⁵ We would then feel safer in our line of action as well as in our reiteration of policy outlined Department telegram 4515 to Saigon repeated 3635 to Paris.⁶

Embassy Paris requested inform Bao Dai’s cabinet of contents Department telegram 3635 in addition Foreign Office.⁷

Dulles

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–1455. Top Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Hoey and Young, cleared by MacArthur and Tyler, and signed by Dulles. Sent also priority to Paris.

2. In this telegram, April 14, Collins reported to Washington the results of a conversation with Ely who suggested that he and Collins submit at once joint answers and recommendations to the questions posed by the Department in telegram 3622 to Paris, repeated to Saigon as 4487, Document 117. Collins refused to do this explaining, as reported in the reference telegram:

   “I replied that I had no such instructions from Washington, and that I was convinced Washington had made no final decision as to its views on possible change of Diem Government. I felt Washington would give weight to any recommendations I might finally make, but that Washington would not ‘buy a pig in a poke’. I felt sure Washington would reserve decision until it had clear idea as to just what French Government had in mind with respect to its overall solution of situation in Vietnam. In consequence I regretted that I could not now join in any joint answers to questions posed by Deptel 4487. I said that when and if Washington agreed to support a new government it would be well for Ely and me to submit joint recommendations. However, every effort should be made to present changes as being made on Vietnamese initiative, and not as a French, American, or Franco-American solution. Ely agreed.” (Department of State Central Files, 751G.00/4–1455)

3. Document 118.
4. Printed as telegram 3622 to Paris, Document 117.
5. In telegram 4568 from Saigon, April 15, Collins reported that his staff made it clear to their working-level French counterparts that no decision to replace Diem had been made and that answers drafted by the French in reply to questions posed by the Department could not be considered joint. (Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–1555)
6. See footnote 4, supra.
7. This was done, according to telegram 4488 from Paris, April 15. (Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–1555)