Office of the Historian

362. Telegram From the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Stump) to the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (Williams)1

Honolulu, March 20, 1957—1:59 p.m.

192359Z (Navy message). Personal for Lt. Gen. Williams from Admiral Stump. At dinner last night Vietnam Special Ambassador and brother of the President, Ngo Dinh Nhu, told me that the Communists make fun of president whose name is Ngo Dinh Diem because Americans call him “President Diem” thus using his first name Diem and not his family name Ngo which is equivalent to calling President Eisenhower “President Dwight” whereas Americans most always call the Communist leader Ho Chi Minh by his last name Ho which is much more respectable. He should be called Ambassador Ngo and not Ambassador Nhu.

Would appreciate your discussing this subject with Chargé Anderson to ascertain whether any such comments have been noted and best method of instituting corrective measures.2 Because of fact that Special Ambassador Ngo Dinh Nhu leaves for United States tonight I am passing this message to CNO without awaiting your detailed comment to pass to State Department.

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751G.11/3–1957. Confidential. Repeated for information to the Department of State; the source text is the Department copy.↩
  2. Both Williams and Anderson were greatly surprised by Ngo Dinh Nhu’s revelation. Anderson made discreet inquiries among Vietnamese officials and found that Diem would be pleased to be called Ngo because of the respect it would imply. (Telegrams MAGCH–CH 5515, 210309Z, and MAGCH–CH 5529 (Navy messages) to the Department of State, both March 21; ibid., 751G.11/3–2157)↩