395. Letter From the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (Williams) to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Stump)1
Dear Admiral Stump: Ambassador Durbrow has raised the question repeatedly about the 20,000 increase that was asked for. What we are going to tell Diem, etc.? Repeatedly I’ve told the Country Team that my guess was that Diem would not raise the question again in the immediate future. Apparently my remarks make no impression as the subject is brought up again and again and the conversation leads nowhere.
Apparently about a month ago Mr. Young wrote asking Durbrow if Diem expected a written statement from Washington on the subject.2 Attached is a copy of the Ambassador’s reply.3
Frankly, I don’t think Diem will say anything more until he sees how the budgetary discussions come out.
[Page 841]Kindest regards,
Lt Gen, USA
- Source: Center of Military History, Williams Papers, Office Correspondence July–Dec 1957 (16). Secret.↩
- Letter dated July 11, not found.↩
- In this letter dated August 7, Durbrow stated that although Diem had not mentioned the proposal for a 20,000-man increase in the Vietnamese armed forces to him, he had suggested to Williams in a conversation held shortly after the President’s trip to the United States that Williams go to Washington to plead for the increase. General Williams had refused. “General Williams speculated, however, that since Diem had been told that Admiral Radford was opposed to the MAAG recommendation for an increase of 20,000 effectives, it is possible the President might raise the question again some time after Admiral Radford ceased to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.”↩