751G.00/9–1554: Telegram
The Ambassador in Vietnam (Heath) to the Department of State
1030. Repeated information Paris 346. General Ely sent for me this morning and his first words were “Hinh must be gotten out of Vietnam”. He said he was uninformed what had transpired in Hinh’s interview with Diem yesterday. I said Foreign Minister Do told me he had understood that Hinh, while still saying he was ready to go, insisted he could not turn over his functions except to duly qualified officer and all officers heretofore approached by Diem had refused to accept job, even ad interim pending Hinh’s return. Do thought Hinh had handled this thing with extreme cleverness whereas Diem and his Defense State Secretary Chan had handled it badly, creating impression among higher officers of Vietnamese Army that Diem’s action against Hinh was unjustified attack on integrity of army and officer corps. Do saw no way out except dismissal of Chan, which might be sop to Hinh’s vanity, since Hinh would not be dismissed but merely go on foreign mission. I suggested Diem might call in certain officers of general staff and talk to them in fatherly manner pointing out that Hinh was not being dismissed or downgraded and that he intended fully to preserve integrity of army. I thought Diem might say to these officers of National Army, which depended almost entirely on French support [Page 2028] and American financial assistance, that continuance of refusal to take over in Hinh’s absence would jeopardize this support. Ely agreed with me but he also shared my doubts that Diem had personality to impress officers. He asked me to see him after I had seen Diem.
I saw Diem this afternoon and said it was my feeling he must find some way to save Hinh’s face, although latter did not deserve it, because of mistaken conviction of superior officers of Vietnamese National Army that Hinh’s cause was theirs. I suggested he might call in certain officers and talk to them and I repeated suggestion I had made to Ely this morning. Diem did not reject this suggestion but neither did he accept it whole-heartedly. He said Hinh was coming to see him at 6:30 this evening and that he was having General Xuan with him. He hoped between them they could persuade Hinh to leave shortly. I said circumstances being what they were it was necessary to assure Hinh in good faith that he could come back after absence without diminution of rank or title. Diem said he would not repeat his previous promise to go to airport to see Hinh off because latter had not kept faith. I replied that, if it were necessary to get Hinh out of town, I thought he might well go to airport to see him off and, furthermore, if that would serve to persuade Hinh, that he might issue press statement making clear that Hinh was not being downgraded and would return to Vietnam after his mission to France.
Diem told me he was prepared to dismiss Chan and give Defense Ministry to General Xuan who also would be made Vice President.