Office of the Historian

111. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the Director of Central Intelligence (Dulles). Washington, April 11, 1955, 11:13 a.m.1

Washington, April 11, 1955, 11:13 a.m.

The Sec. said it looks like the rug is coming out from under the fellow in Southeast Asia.2 AWD said he had been talking there about it. The Sec. said that he was having lunch with the Pres. and that would be it. Probably it will be Q or B.3 The Sec. said he talked with the boss on Saturday4 and he said you can’t send this fellow5 down here and have him work on it if his judgment is the way it is. We have to go along with it. The Sec. said he has sent 2–3 strong messages urging the other viewpoint but these have not shaken him. The Sec. said he does not know if this will get AWD in wrong. AWD said he thinks he can adjust things and will look into it. Both want to hold on to him a bit longer—that is the combined judgment. AWD said do we have to cow-tow to BX [Binh Xuyen] and the Sec. said he claims not. They agreed the gangsters will have won. The Sec. said he should read cables 44386 and 4452.7 The Sec. will be at the Pres.’s at 12 should AWD want him.

  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Phyllis D. Bernau, John Foster Dulles’ secretary.↩
  2. Apparently Diem.↩
  3. Apparently “Q” stands for Quat, but “B” is unidentifiable; possibly Bernau misunderstood and it should be “D”, which might represent Foreign Minister Do.↩
  4. April 9.↩
  5. Apparently Collins.↩
  6. Document 109.↩
  7. Supra.↩