Office of the Historian

16. Letter From President Eisenhower to President Diem1

Washington, May 23, 1958.

Dear Mr. President: I am taking the occasion of Ambassador Durbrow’s return to Saigon to send this direct message to you.

Your friendly visit to the United States about a year ago continues to stand out vividly in my mind. The opportunity which we had to discuss the Communist problem confronting the free world, the political and military progress of Viet-Nam since 1954, and the relations between our two countries was invaluable.

Since that time, I have observed with much interest the visits that you have made to Thailand, Australia, Korea, India, and the Philippines. It is clear that by these visits you have increased the prestige and understanding of your Government abroad. The visits have also given you the opportunity to demonstrate to leaders of these countries that a new member of the family of free nations can overcome almost insurmountable obstacles to preserve its sovereignty and independence.

I have also been highly impressed by your Government’s declaration of April 26, 1958, on the reunification of Viet-Nam.2 It lays bare the propaganda nature of the proposals of the Communist regime in Hanoi. The positive suggestions put forth in your Government’s declaration place the burden on the Communists to create conditions which will enable the peaceful reunification of your country.

May I extend to you my warmest personal greetings and my [Page 40] best wishes for your continued success in the development of Viet-Nam in the free world.

Sincerely,

Dwight D. Eisenhower

  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Records of the Office of the Staff Secretary, International Series. Personal and Confidential. Drafted in SEA by Mendenhall on May 19 and cleared by Robertson. The fourth paragraph apparently was added at some time after the letter reached the Department’s Executive Secretariat.

    In a memorandum to the President dated May 22 (also drafted by Mendenhall) Dulles, in recommending Eisenhower’s signature, stated in part: “President Diem paid an official visit to the United States a year ago. Your letter would, therefore, be a personal follow-up to a chief of state whom you know. In view of present instabilities in Southeast Asia, it is desirable to give maximum encouragement to President Diem as the foremost advocate of our interests in that area.” In the source text, which bears Dulles’ initials, the words “our interests” have been scratched out and replaced with “freedom” in an unidentified hand. (Ibid., Eisenhower Papers, Whitman File)

    ↩
  2. According to a summary of this declaration attached to Dulles’ memorandum of May 22, it labeled a DRV proposal on reunification dated March 7 as propaganda and called for specific proofs of a change of attitude in the DRV, including: permission of potential refugees to leave the North; reduction of military forces to the same level as that in the South, with international verification; renunciation of terrorism; end of Communist economic monopoly in the North; cessation of use of the mails for propaganda; and restoration of democratic liberties in the North.↩