Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Vietnam, Volume I

71. Memorandum From the Deputy Chief for Logistics of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Vietnam (Lampert) to the Chief of the Group (Williams)¹

Saigon, May 9, 1959.

I. As you requested, here is my recollection of the Ambassador’s remarks about the President at the Country Team Meeting on 5 May 59.

II. He referred to his annoyance with the President’s continued insistence that U.S. aid not be decreased.

He said he (Mr. Durbrow) had talked with Mr. Parsons about “taking a club” to the President. He said the line he intends to use (and I got the impression that Mr. Parsons agreed with it) will be:

“Mr. President, one reason our government can’t see its way clear to contributing more than $130 million for Vietnam’s military budget next year is our Congress is disturbed that the GVN won’t make a serious effort to settle its differences with Cambodia. Congress knows you have a long border with Cambodia. They believe that if peaceful relations existed between the two countries it would greatly reduce the security problem by restoring quiet along the border.”

III. The Ambassador went on to say “The President doesn’t like me at all, and he is mad at the U.S. because we’re cutting aid. I look for a very rough time in the next six months.”

He also said, in effect: “My plan to hit the President on the Can Lao business, which I discussed with Parsons, will make things worse. So the only thing we can do is batten down the hatches, be firm, and work our way through it.”

IV. Present at the meeting:

• The Ambassador Mr. Gardiner
• Mr. Price, USIS²
• Mr. Natsios’ assistant, whose name I don’t know.³
• Captain Ewan, Assistant Army Attaché⁴
• Mr. Bowie
• Mr. Lampert

Lampert

1. Source: Center of Military History, Williams Papers. Secret. The source text is handwritten.
2. Darrell M. Price, Assistant Public Affairs Officer.
3. “(Colby)” is printed at the end of this line in Williams’ hand.
4. Captain Richard C. Ewan, Jr.