I. CONSOLIDATION OF THE DIEM GOVERNMENT, JANUARY–MAY 1955: UNITED STATES AND FRENCH TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES IN VIETNAM; CONSIDERATION OF REPLACEMENT OF DIEM; THE SECT CRISIS IN SAIGON; DECISION TO SUPPORT Diem


151. Telegram From the Chargé in Saigon (Kidder) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–2955. Confidential; Priority. Repeated for information to Paris.


152. Telegram From the Chargé in Vietnam (Kidder) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–2955. Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Repeated for information niact to Paris.


153. Telegram From the Chargé in Vietnam (Kidder) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–2955. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Repeated for information to Paris.


154. Memorandum of a Conversation, Paris, April 29, 1955

Source: Department of State, FE/SEA Files: Lot 58 D 207, Paris Talks—May, 1955. Top Secret. Drafted by Dillon and D.M. Bane of the political section of the Embassy.


156. Telegram From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Indochina (O’Daniel) to the Chief of Naval Operations (Carney)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–3055. Secret; Priority. Repeated for information to CINCPAC, Chief of Staff of the Army, the Intelligence Departments of the U.S. Air Force and the Far East Air Force, and the Departments of the Army and State.

According to telegram MG 377P DTG 300145Z (Army message), CHMAAG Saigon, April 30, this telegram was a joint message of MAAG Chief, the Army, Navy, Air Attachés, and Colonel Lansdale. (ibid.)


157. Telegram From the Chargé in Vietnam (Kidder) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–3055. Secret; Limited Distribution.


158. Telegram From the Chargé in Vietnam (Kidder) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–3055. Secret. Repeated for information to Paris.


159. Telegram From the Chargé in Vietnam (Kidder) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–3055. Secret; Niact.


160. Telegram From the Ambassador in France (Dillon) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–3055. Top Secret; Niact. Repeated for information to Saigon. Printed also in United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 10, pp. 948–954.


161. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Philippine and Southeast Asian Affairs (Young) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–3055. Top Secret. Also printed in United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 10, pp. 945–947.


162. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in France

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/4–3055. Top Secret; Niact; Limited Distribution. Also sent niact to Saigon as telegram 4826; also sent to London and to Guam for General Collins en route back to Saigon. Drafted by Hoey, cleared by Dulles and in substance by Bowie, and approved by Sebald.


163. Telegram From the Chargé in Vietnam (Kidder) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/5–155. Secret; Niact. Repeated for information to Paris niact and to London.


164. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/5–155. Top Secret; Niact. Drafted by Young and cleared in draft with Bowie, MacArthur, and Dulles. Repeated for information priority to Paris and London.


165. Special National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Department of State, INRNIE Files. Secret. This SNIE is also printed in United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 10, pp. 955–958.

Special National Intelligence Estimates (SNIEs) were drafted by officers from those agencies represented on the Intelligence Advisory Committee (IAC), discussed and revised by interdepartmental working groups, coordinated by the Office of National Estimates of the CIA, approved by the IAC, and circulated under the aegis of the CIA to the President, appropriate officers of Cabinet level, and the National Security Council. The Department of State provided all political and some economic sections of SNIEs.

The following excerpt from a telephone conversation between Allen and John Foster Dulles, April 25, relates to the drafting of this SNIE:

“AWD said he just finished the estimate on Vietnam. There is pretty much agreement. The Sec. asked how urgent it is. AWD said it is not a matter of days but he does not think we can wait many weeks. The Sec. said the British came in today to say they think it more urgent than we seem to feel. AWD said we can’t do something half-baked. If we have a good solution, put it through quickly. Diem is losing strength all the time. AWD said he will get the estimate over.” (Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations)


166. Memorandum of a Conversation, Saigon, May 3, 1955

Source: Collins Papers, Vietnam File, Series VII, K. Secret. Drafted by Kidder.


167. Telegram From the Special Representative in Vietnam (Collins) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/5–355. Top Secret; Priority.


168. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/5–355. Drafted by Young and cleared by Robertson, MacArthur, Dulles, and with Tyler and Murphy in substance. Sent also priority to Paris.


169. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense (Wilson), Washington, May 4, 1955, 10:02 a.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Phyllis D. Bernau, Dulles’ secretary.


170. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Vietnamese Prime Minister (Diem) and the Special Representative in Vietnam (Collins), Saigon, May 4, 1955, noon

Source: Collins Papers, Vietnam File, Series VII, S. Secret. Drafted by Sturm on May 5.


171. Telegram From the Special Representative in Vietnam (Collins) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/5–455. Secret; Niact; Limit Distribution. Repeated for information priority to Paris.


173. Telegram From the Special Representative in Vietnam (Collins) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/5–555. Top Secret; Niact. Repeated for information niact to Paris.


174. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/5–555. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Young, cleared by Robertson, and signed by Dulles.


177. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/5–855. Top Secret; Priority. Repeated for information priority to Saigon. Dulles arrived in Paris on May 7 for talks with the British and French and for the scheduled North Atlantic Council meetings, May 9–11. He then proceeded to Vienna on May 13 for discussions and the signing of the Austrian State Treaty by the Foreign Ministers of the Soviet Union, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom.


178. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/5–955. Top Secret; Priority. Repeated for information to Saigon.


179. Telegram From the Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of State, at Paris

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/5–955. Top Secret; Niact. Drafted by Walter K. Scott, the Executive Secretary of the Department of State.


180. Telegram From the Special Representative to Vietnam (Collins) to the Embassy in France

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/5–955. Top Secret; Limit Distribution. The source text is the copy repeated for information to the Department of State for Robertson.