Office of the Historian

218. Telegram From the Ambassador in Vietnam (Durbrow) to the Department of State1

Saigon, November 11, 1960—3 p.m.

1015. From various … Embassy reports it obvious situation still fluid although as of 1240 hours apparently firm reports (Embtel 10122) state General Ty and General Hoang, Commander Capital Military Region, presumably captives of Colonel Thi,3 paratrooper commander and apparent leader coup, negotiating at Palace with Diem. Objectives military revolutionary committee not clear, although their broadcasts Radio Saigon and other information proclaims their anti-Communist stand, desire unify South Viet-Nam against Communists. Committee apparently does not necessarily [Page 634] wish eliminate Diem completely but committee broadcasts state “army rose to overthrow Diem government”.

Through … contact with Colonel Thi … I am seeking clarification committee objectives.4 Would then hope determine whether Diem might reasonably accept most of these to permit some form of collaboration between committee and Diem.

This might amount to major changes such as elimination Nhus, etc., and neither I, General McGarr, nor other senior American officials will act as mediators. Above will be carried out through lower officers ….

President Diem earlier in day passed message through Father De Jaegher,5 Belgian priest who acts as unofficial contact between Diem and local Chinese community, requesting “US Marines land to protect American lives and hold Saigon airport” (airport apparently already hands rebels). Believe this action obviously not called for now. Will endeavor make this clear Diem. Still no reports any American casualties at 1350.

Durbrow
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1160. Secret. Repeated for information to Manila for Felt and CINCPAC PolAd. Passed to OSD, the Department of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Received at 9:05 a.m.↩
  2. According to telegram 1012 from Saigon, November 11, 1 a.m. (received in Washington November 11, 2:20 a.m.), Gardiner of USOM learned from Vice President Tho that Generals Ty and Hoang were in rebel hands and were at the Presidential Palace with coup leader Colonel Thi in negotiations with Diem. Tho had this information from three reliable sources. (Ibid.)↩
  3. Colonel Nguyen Chanh Thi, an airborne brigade commander.↩
  4. According to telegram Critic 10 from Saigon, November 11, received at 6:11 a.m., while Thi accepted the idea of compromise with the Diem government, he would not compromise on his demand that Diem should leave office. (Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/11–1160)↩
  5. Reverend Raymond J. De Jaeger, General Representative of the Free Pacific Association, Far East Area.↩