Office of the Historian

293. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam1

Washington, August 26, 1963, 8:18 p.m.

249. Eyes only for Ambassador. Following summarizes FYI highest level meeting noon Aug. 26.2

After discussion E & E plans DOD was directed to consider prepositioning US forces in case they required in Viet-Nam. Circular message3 approved to discourage travel by private US citizens to Viet-Nam and to permit US official travel only as authorized by Department. No public announcement would be made at this time. Also decided to make Saigon’s 3274 on GVN censorship available to editors in unclassified version not for publication.

Agreed answers to three questions were urgently needed.

1.
What exactly meant by “direct support to the military in an interim period if the central government is ineffective”. This interpreted at meeting as possibility of supplying military leaders in the field with logistic support directly without going through central government. Urgent study will be made to see whether alternatives could be worked out to prevent heavy concentration through Saigon. (This being done by Joint Staff with immediate query to lIarkins on this point.)
2.
What is the power status and interrelationship of generals? Which generals are involved with Minh, Khan, and Khiem? What are their plans?
3.
Generals should be queried as to who their alternative leadership candidates would be.

A Who’s Who of key personalities in present situation being urgently prepared here.

Another meeting will be held late afternoon August 27. Trust you will give us soonest and if possible in time for meeting your continuing assessment on number points 2 and 3 above.

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, INF 8 US. Top Secret; Operational Immediate. Drafted by Hilsman, cleared with Forrestal, and approved by Ball.↩
  2. See Document 289.↩
  3. Circular telegram 370, August 26, not printed. (Department of State, Central Files, TRV 9)↩
  4. According to telegram 327, August 24, military censorship on all outgoing press copy, still pictures, and film was imposed by the Diem government a few hours after the raids on the Saigon pagodas. A censorship office was set up, but it operated sporadically. (Ibid., PPV 1-2 S VIET)↩