Office of the Historian

238. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam1

Washington, November 3, 1960—4:27 p.m.

734. Your 851.2 In absence agenda item any motion or resolution in General Assembly re Vietnam itself or in form amendment Korean or any other item would be clearly out of order and would doubtless be over-ruled. It is possible, however, that question of elections and reunification Vietnam would be injected into discussions by Soviet [Page 433] bloc or others in connection a) Korean item or possibly b) Soviet colonialism item. Since items a) and b) already inscribed, contingency such discussion exists and GVN would seem prudent prepare position for general guidance in event discussion materializes.

Re membership item, we hope bring this up separately in SC in January parallel with Korean membership (ref Seoul 3 to Saigon Oct. 253). January consideration membership (after Korean reunification debate) should make less likely any association Vietnamese reunification with Korean in GA. Also, should assure better SC vote on membership when Turks replace Poles January 1. Dept discussed this change tactics with GVN Embassy official November 1 and latter indicated complete accord.4 Request Embassy seek confirmation that Fornoff also agrees.

Herter
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320/10–1960. Confidential. Drafted by Sullivan and Oakley on October 31, cleared by Hewitt and Wood, and approved by Cargo who signed for Herter. Repeated to USUN and CINCPAC Polad.↩
  2. Telegram 851 from Saigon, October 19, reported that the Secretary General of the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry had asked if the question of Vietnamese elections and reunification might arise during General Assembly discussion of the Korean item. (Ibid.)↩
  3. Not found.↩
  4. No further record of this conversation has been found.↩