Office of the Historian

IV. The Deepening Crisis, June 17-August 20:
Repudiation of the June 16 Agreement, U.S. Efforts To Promote Conciliation, Press Coverage and International Opinion, July 18 Address by Diem, Renewed Denunciation of the Buddhists by the Nhus

210. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Saigon, July 7, 1963, 6 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, PPV 7 S VIET-US. Limited Official Use; Operational Immediate.

211. Telegram From Malcolm Browne of the Associated Press, David Halberstam of The New York Times, Peter Kalischer of CBS News, and Neil Sheehan of United Press International to the President

Saigon, July 7, 1963, 10:20 a.m.

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, 7/1/63-7/20/63. The telegram was sent via commercial channels to the White House which repeated it as telegram HYWH 4-63 at 6:32 p.m. to the President at Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, where he was spending the weekend. A note on the source text indicates that a copy was sent to the Department of State for Wood.

212. Central Intelligence Agency Information Report

Washington, July 8, 1963.

Source: U.S. Army Military Historical Institute, Kraemer Papers, VN 61-63. Confidential; No Foreign Dissem. Regarding these CIA reports, see footnote 1, Document 190.

213. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Saigon, July 9, 1963, noon.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution.

214. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Saigon, July 9, 1963, 5 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC.

216. Telegram From the Embassy in the Philippines to the Department of State

Manila, July 10, 1963-5 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 S VIET. Top Secret; Eyes Only; Priority; Limited Distribution. A note on the source text indicates that a copy of this telegram was passed to the White House on July 10.

217. Special National Intelligence Estimate

Washington, July 10, 1963.

Source: Department of State, INR-NIE Files. Secret; Controlled Dissem. According to a note on the cover sheet, “The following intelligence organizations participated in the preparation of this estimate: The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Department of State, Defense, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and NSA.” All members of the U.S. Intelligence Board concurred in this estimate on July 10, except the Atomic Energy Commission Representative and the Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who abstained on the grounds that the subject was outside their jurisdiction. The full text is printed in United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967, Book 12, pp. 529-535.

218. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Saigon, July 11, 1963, 8 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POLS VIET. Secret; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC. Nolting returned to his post on July 11. An article in The New York Times on July 9, p. 6, stated that Nolting was returning to Vietnam with a personal message for President Diem from President Kennedy. Nolting did meet with President Kennedy on July 8 before he left Washington, but he was not given any message to convey. (Ibid., Office of the Historian, Vietnam Interviews, Nolting, June 1, 1984) On July 10, the Department of State informed the Embassy in Saigon that the Spokesman of the Department had denied the report and had stated: “There has been no change in our policy toward Viet-Nam, or our support for the program against the Communist Viet Cong in that country.” (Telegram 49 to Saigon, July 10; Ibid., Central Files,POLS VIET-US)

219. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Saigon, July 15, 1963, 1 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POLS VIET. Secret; Limit Distribution. Repeated to London, Paris, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, Bangkok, and CINCPAC.

220. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Rice) to the Secretary of State

Washington, July 15, 1963.

Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 67 D 54, POL 26 Coup Rumors. Secret. Drafted by Heavner and initialed by Rice. A note on the source text reads: “Secretary Saw”. Also sent to Ball, Harriman, and Johnson.

221. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Saigon, July 16, 1963, 1 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET. Confidential; Operational Immediate. Repeated to CINCPAC.

222. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Saigon, July 16, 1963, 8 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET. Secret; Operational Immediate; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC.

223. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Saigon, July 17, 1963, 11 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET. Secret; Operational Immediate Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC.

224. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Saigon, July 17, 1963, 6 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET. Secret; Operational Immediate; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC.

226. Memorandum of Conversation

Saigon, July 17, 1963.

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, 7/1/63-7/20/63. Secret. Drafted by Wright. The source text bears the incorrect date June 17. Manning was sent to Vietnam by President Kennedy to investigate and report on the type of problems relating to American journalists which had led to the telegram sent to the President by a group of journalists on July 7, Document 211.

227. Memorandum of Conversation

Saigon, July 18, 1963.

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, 7/1/63-7/20/63. Secret. Drafted by Wright.

229. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Saigon, July 19, 1963, 5 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET Secret; Operational Immediate; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC.

230. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Washington, July 19, 1963, 8:53 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET Secret; Operational Immediate. Drafted by Heavner and cleared by Kattenburg, Rice, and Rusk. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD.

231. Letter From the Ambassador in India (Bowles) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)

New Delhi, July 19, 1963.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Eyes Only; Personal.

232. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Saigon, July 20, 1963, 7 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET. Secret; Operational Immediate; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC. Received at 8:24 a.m.

233. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Washington, July 20, 1963, 2:58 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POLS VIET-US. Secret; Operational Immediate. Drafted by Heavner and Kattenburg and cleared by Manell and by Rice. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD.

234. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Washington, July 23, 1963, 6:51 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET Top Secret; Operational Immediate. Drafted by Heavner and Kattenburg and cleared by Hilsman.

235. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Saigon, July 24, 1963, 7 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POLS VIET. Secret; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC.

236. Memorandum From the Director of the Vietnam Working Group (Kattenburg) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Hilsman)

Washington, July 24, 1963.

Source: Kennedy Library, Hilsman Papers, Country Series-Vietnam. Secret. After initialing the memorandum, Kattenburg added the following note: “Please call me in on this tonight-will be gone all day tomorrow.”

237. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Saigon, July 25, 1963, 8 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, SOC 14-1 S VIET. Top Secret.

238. Memorandum of Conversation

Washington, July 26, 1963.

Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 67 D 54, PR-11 Press Relations. Confidential. Drafted by Kattenburg who is not listed among the participants. The meeting was held at the Department of State.

239. Report From the Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs (Manning) to the President

Washington, undated.

Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, 7/21/63-7/31/63. Secret; Eyes Only. Sent to McGeorge Bundy on July 26 under a covering memorandum from Executive Secretary Benjamin H. Read. Read commended the report, and the attached memoranda of conversation between Manning and Nhu on July 17, and Manning and Diem on July 18 (Documents 226 and 227), as providing “a lengthy but fascinating window into the present state of mind of both Ngo Dinhs.” Read noted that a copy of the report was also being sent to Presidential Press Secretary Salinger. A note on the covering memorandum indicates that the report was placed in the President’s weekend reading file.