III. LONG-RANGE PLANNING IN SOUTH VIETNAM, NOVEMBER 1955 TO DECEMBER 1957: INTERNAL SECURITY IN SOUTH VIETNAM; THE MAAG CEILING AND TERM; ELECTIONS FOR SOUTH VIETNAM’S NATIONAL ASSEMBLY; NSC CONSIDERATION OF LOCAL AGGRESSION IN VIETNAM; LAND REFORM AND FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN SOUTH VIETNAM; DIEM’S VISIT TO WASHINGTON; U.S. AID TO SOUTH VIETNAM FOR 1958


367. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, April 5, 1957

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/4–557. Confidential. Drafted by Corcoran.


368. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Economic Affairs (Jones) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (Dillon)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/4–957. Secret. Drafted by Young and Price. C. Douglas Dillon was appointed Deputy Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs on March 14.


369. Telegram From the Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 851G.20/4–1257. Confidential. Drafted by Price and cleared by SEA, FE, E (in draft) and with Herter and Hollister in draft.

After discussion of the question of land reform in Vietnam at the OCB meeting on February 20, a Department of State draft of this telegram was cleared through ICA up to Hollister, who reversed his agency’s preliminary approval and vetoed the entire program. Department of State officials were informed that Hollister feared disapproval of a U.S. program designed to pay for private land transfers in Vietnam at a time when general aid programs were coming under increasing criticism, especially in Congress. The Department of State countered that land reform was necessary to strengthen the Government of South Vietnam, to combat Communist influence, and to increase internal security. The Department suggested that U.S. aid funds equal to 5 percent of the cost of the land transfer payments ($3.5 to $4.5 million) be used as a catalyst to get the program started. (Draft memorandum from Jones to Herter, April 2, never sent but handled by telephone; ibid., FE/SEA Files: Lot 59 D 630, Agrarian Reform, and OCB Files: Lot 62 D 430, Preliminary Notes)


370. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Sprague) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/4–1557. Secret. Printed also in United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 10, pp. 1098–1099.


371. Memorandum for the Record, by the Assistant Secretary of the United States Army General Staff (Roberts)

Source: National Defense University, Taylor Papers, T–23–71. Top Secret. Extract. The omitted portions comprise reports on Taylor’s trip to the western United States and 11 other countries of Asia.


372. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.11/4–2957. Secret. Also sent to Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Vientiane, Taipei, Tokyo, Paris, London, and New Delhi and passed to the Department of Defense for CINCPAC.


374. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Sprague)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/3–1257. Secret. Drafted by Corcoran and cleared by Kocher, Young, and Jones.


375. Memorandum of a Conversation, The White House, Washington, May 9, 1957, 11:13 a.m.–12:05 p.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International Meetings, Diem Visit, 5–57. Drafted by Durbrow; initialed by Durbrow and Robertson. Another copy is in Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199.

Information on location and duration of the meeting is derived from Eisenhower Library, President’s Daily Appointments.


376. Memorandum of a Conversation, Blair House, Washington, May 9, 1957, 4:30 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/5–957. Confidential. Drafted by Corcoran. This memorandum and Documents 377 and 378 make up the record of an extended conversation which covered a number of topics.


377. Memorandum of a Conversation, Blair House, Washington, May 9, 1957

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751J.00/5–957. Drafted by Corcoran on May 10. This discussion was part of the May 9 conversation.


378. Memorandum of a Conversation, Blair House, Washington, May 9, 1957

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 651G.93/5–957. Drafted by Corcoran.


379. Memorandum of a Conversation, The Pentagon, Washington, May 10, 1957, 10:40 a.m.–12:40 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 887, Diem Visit. Printed also in United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 10, pp. 1103–1107. Drafted by Captain B.A. Robbins, USN, Regional Director, Far East, ISA, on May 15.


380. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, May 10, 1957

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751H.00/5–1057 Confidential. Drafted by Corcoran.


381. Memorandum of a Conversation, Blair House, Washington, May 10, 1957, 3:30 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/5–1057. Confidential. Drafted by Corcoran and initialed by Corcoran, Robertson, and Young.


382. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, May 10, 1957

Source: Department of State, Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 887, Diem Visit. Confidential. Drafted by Corcoran.


383. National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Department of State, INRNIE Files. Secret. Printed also in United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967, Book 10, pp. 1101–1102.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.11/5–1657. Secret. Drafted and approved for transmission by Young.


385. Memorandum of a Conversation, En Route to Los Angeles, May 17, 1957

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5/6–1157 Secret. Drafted by Durbrow. Enclosed with covering despatch 383 from Saigon, June 11.


386. Memorandum of a Conversation, Honolulu, May 20, 1957

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5/6–1157. Secret. Drafted by Durbrow on May 24. Enclosed with covering despatch 383 from Saigon, June 11.


387. Telegram From the Ambassador in France (Houghton) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5/5–2857. Secret. Repeated for information to Saigon and Rabat; passed to Defense and CINCPAC.


388. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.11/7–157. Secret; Limit Distribution.


389. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Jones) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Murphy)

Source: Department of State, FEVN Files: Lot 66 D 193, MAAGTERM 1957 Confidential. Drafted by Jones and Corcoran.


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

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/7–2557. Confidential. Drafted by Corcoran and cleared with FE/SEA and with ICA and the Office of the Secretary of Defense in substance.


391. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.00/7–2657. Secret; Limited Distribution; Noforn. Repeated for information to New Delhi, London, Ottawa, Paris, Moscow, Warsaw, Vientiane, and Phnom Penh.


392. Memorandum of a Conversation, Saigon, August 1, 1957, 8:15–11:20 a.m.

Source: Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections, Fishel Papers, Subject Files: VN Pol Leadership. Extracts. Drafted by Fishel.


393. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/8–357. Confidential. Passed to CINCPAC.


394. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.5–MSP/8–657. Secret.


395. Letter From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (Williams) to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Stump)

Source: Center of Military History, Williams Papers, Office Correspondence July–Dec 1957 (16). Secret.


396. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 110.2–HE/8-3057. Secret. Repeated for information to New Delhi, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, and Bangkok and to Kuala Lumpur for Herter and Richards.