751G.00/10–154: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy at Saigon1
1340. For Cameron2 from Acting Secretary. Your 1296, Oct. 1. I am astonished at Daridan’s comment mentioned in the second paragraph of reference message and as he is a personal friend for whom I have high regard and respect, I would be glad if you would tell him so for me.
It could not be a greater misestimate of what both France and US wish to produce in Viet Nam. I admit that there are greater differences of view as to whether a government under Diem leadership can be made effective and capable, but at the recent conferences held we all agreed that we saw practically nothing else on the horizon.
Both La Chambre and Ely took into account the pessimistic view of Daridan and Salan but decided that we had no other present alternative but to attempt—as I told Heath in previous message—by our united efforts to bolster up and support the Vietnamese government. This is what we will try to do.