Office of the Historian

751G.00/10–353: Telegram

The Ambassador at Saigon (Heath) to the Department of State

confidential
Saigon, October 3, 1953—3 p.m.

572. Repeated information Paris 169, Hanoi unnumbered. We had a long talk with Tam last night at a dinner given by De Jean in honor of Prince Buu Loc. Tam showed his habitual optimism and professed confidence that, despite rough weather ahead when National Congress meets, he would be able to realize goal expressed to Reuters’ correspondent (Embtel 565 repeated Paris 166)1 of convening a National Assembly by end of this year. Apparently his idea is to have Provincial and Municipal Councils which were elected last January, plus new councils to be chosen this month in restored areas, in turn vote for representatives to the new Parliament which would presumably be a prototype of a constituent assembly. However, we recall Dac Khe’s comment (Paris telegram 1304 repeated information Saigon 119)2 that Bao Dai feels there should be no Parliament until end of hostilities and it is possible that Tam’s estimate of situation may be too optimistic.

Tam said that once National Assembly met, he would give summary of his stewardship as Prime Minister and in bringing about this evolution toward parliamentary government and then tell assembled representatives that the rest was up to them. However, until that time he seemed to be confident of his ability to remain in power. He felt Bao Dai had made a serious mistake in encumbering himself with present National Congress, but said that as a loyal servant of His Majesty he will do his utmost to keep it on the rails. Tam indicated he had every intention of going to Paris with Vietnamese delegation, spoke of his contemplated return here after the talks had ended, and of his intention then to visit US in response to President Eisenhower’s invitation.3

Heath
  1. Telegram 565 from Saigon, Oct. 3, concerning Tam’s plans for convening a national assembly, is not printed. (751G.00/10–253)↩
  2. Telegram 1304 from Paris, Sept. 30, reporting on information received from Nguyen Dac Khe, Deputy to Buu Loc (representative of Bao Dai in Paris), regarding Vietnamese political questions, is not printed. (751G.00/9–3053)↩
  3. The invitation under reference was extended in June. The visit had been postponed indefinitely in September at the request of Premier Tam.↩