II. Increasing Tensions Between the United States and South Vietnam, March
15-May 8, 1963:
Reaction to the Mansfield Report, the “Press Problem,”
the Number and Role of U.S. Advisers in Vietnam, Differences Over the Joint
Counterinsurgency Fund
90. Telegram From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to the President, at Palm Beach, Florida
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, /4/63-5/63. Secret; Operational Immediate. Transmission was authorized by Bromley Smith. Sent to the President’s naval aide, Captain Tazewell T Shepard, for the President. A handwritten note on the source text indicates that the President read the telegram.
91. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) S VIET. Secret; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC.
93. Memorandum From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense (McNamara)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OSD Files: FRC 66 A 3542, Vietnam 1962 370.64 2 Feb. Secret.
94. National Intelligence Estimate
Source: Department of State, INR-NIE Files. Secret; Controlled Dissem. According to a note on the cover sheet: “The following intelligence organizations participated in the preparation of this estimate: The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, Defense, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and NSA.” All members of the U.S. Intelligence Board concurred in this estimate on April 17, except the Atomic Energy Commission Representative and the Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who abstained on the grounds that the subject was outside their jurisdiction. The statement of the problem and the conclusions are also printed in United States-Vietnam Relations, 1945-1967, Book 12, pp. 522-524.
95. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) S VIET. Secret. Drafted by Wood and cleared by Rice and Hilsman, in AID by Stoneman and R. Poats, and in DOD by Colonel Kent. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD.
96. Memorandum Prepared in the Department of State
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, 4/63-5/63. Secret. Attached to a covering memorandum dated April 18 from William H. Brubeck, Executive Secretary of the Department of State, to McGeorge Bundy, which indicates that it was prepared in response to Document 58. Information on a draft of this paper found in Department of State files indicates that the paper was prepared in the Vietnam Working Group on April 17 by Heavner. (Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 67 D 54, Pol 27-10 Chemical Warfare, 1963) On April 17, Hilsman sent a copy of the paper to USIA Director Murrow for comment, with a covering memorandum that indicated the paper had been prepared in FE with the assistance of the USIA Vietnam desk. (Washington National Records Center, RG 306, USIA/TOP Files: FRC 67 A 222, IAF Defoliation-1963) Murrow responded on April 19 with a memorandum to Harriman in which he indicated that, while USIA felt that herbicide operations in South Vietnam were contributing to a potentially damaging propaganda campaign being orchestrated from Hanoi, “we concur—if reluctantly—in the recommendation that herbicide operations be continued.” (Ibid.)
97. Memorandum From the Director of the Vietnam Working Group (Wood) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Hilsman)
Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 67 D 54, Def 19/2 Advisory and Training Assist. Secret. Sent to Hilsman through Rice.
98. Memorandum From Michael V. Forrestal of the National Security Council Staff to the President
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, 4/63-5/63. Secret. Also sent to McGeorge Bundy.
99. Central Intelligence Agency Information Report
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, 4/63-5/63. Secret; No Foreign Dissem; No Dissem Abroad; Background Use Only. Also published in Declassified Documents, 1977, 93B.
100. Airgram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 26-1 S VIET Top Secret. Drafted by R. H. Miller and cleared by Manfull and General Harkins. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD.
101. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) S VIET Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC.
102. Memorandum From the Assistant Director for Rural Affairs, United States Operations Mission in Vietnam (Phillips), to the Director of the Mission (Brent)
Source: Hoover Institution Archives, Lansdale Papers, Chron File C. Secret. A note on the source text indicates that copies were also sent to the Ambassador, the Deputy Chief of Mission, J-5 MAC/V, J-3 MAC/V, Chief of MAAG, Chief of OSA, and the Director of the Office of Vietnam Affairs, AID/Washington.
103. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, AID (US) S VIET. Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Montgomery and Poats and cleared by Wood, Donald L. Woolf in SEA, Robert W. Barnett and Hilsman in FE, Fowler in AID, and Kent in DOD/ISA. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD.
104. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Hilsman) to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Bundy)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 67 A 4564, Vietnam 1963 333 Jan. Secret. The copy of this letter in Department of State files indicates that it was drafted on April 18 by Wood and cleared by Harriman, Johnson (G), and Rice. (Department of State, Central Files, DEF 19-3 US-S Viet)
105. Memorandum From the Deputy Director of the Vietnam Working Group (Heavner) to the Director (Wood)
Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 67 D 54, Pol 15 Govt. Secret; Limit Distribution.
106. Memorandum for the Ambassador in Vietnam (Nolting) and the Commander, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (Harkins)
Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, 4/63-5/63. Secret; Limit Distribution. A note on the source text indicates that the memorandum was to be hand-delivered by Arthur Sylvester, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. A covering memorandum from White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger to Sylvester, also dated May 3, notes that the memorandum “has been signed off here.” Salinger added that Sylvester should obtain the necessary clearances in the Departments of Defense and State. There is no indication on the source text of such clearances.
According to Salinger’s memoirs, he drafted the memorandum on instructions from President Kennedy after the President had met with John Mecklin at the White House on April 29. Salinger arranged the meeting for Mecklin, who was in Washington recuperating from surgery, after Mecklin convinced him that the President should be informed of the “mounting difficulties in Saigon” regarding press coverage of the war. (Salinger, With Kennedy , p. 400) Mecklin wrote of this meeting that Kennedy was “skeptical but willing to try” his advice that the administration make an effort to take newsmen into their confidence. (Mecklin, Mission in Torment, pp. 149-151) After the meeting, Salinger recorded that “the President told me he had been deeply impressed with Mecklin’s recital-but at the same time he did not feel that any new press policy in Vietnam would, in the long run, be successful because of the highly conflicting interests of the government and the press there.” Nevertheless, after a discussion, in which McGeorge Bundy participated, Kennedy authorized Salinger to draft a new press guideline to be delivered to Harkins and Nolting by Sylvester at one of the periodic review meetings in Honolulu. (Salinger, With Kennedy, p. 401) The policy outlined in the memorandum was formally implemented in the press policy guidance sent to Saigon on May 21 in Document 130.
107. Memorandum for the Record of the Secretary of Defense Conference
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Files: FRC 69 A 6214, Sec Def Conference (HQ CINCPAC). Secret. Drafted in Washington on May 8.
The participants in the conference, which was held at CINCPAC headquarters, included Secretary of Defense McNamara, General Harkins, General Krulak, Admiral Felt, Assistant Secretary of State Hilsman, Ambassador Nolting, and USOM Director Brent.
108. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Hilsman) to the Director of the United States Information Agency (Murrow)
Source: Department of State, Vietnam Working Group Files: Lot 67 D 54, INF Information Activities (Gen). Secret. Drafted on April 15 by Wood and cleared by Rice. Also sent to Jorden.
109. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27-14 S VIET Secret. Repeated to CINCPAC, London, New Delhi, and Ottawa.
110. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam
Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27-10 S VIET Secret; Priority; Limit Distribution. Drafted by Montgomery and cleared by Heavner, Hilsman, Harriman, Heinz, Murrow, and Forrestal. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD. On May 15 Forrestal sent a copy of the telegram to McGeorge Bundy with a covering memorandum which reads, in part: “The arrangements described in the cable are satisfactory to me, but let me know if you have any other thoughts.” Bundy initialed the memorandum and indicated in the margin that the arrangements described were “OK”. (Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Vietnam Country Series, 4/63-5/63.)
111. Memorandum From the Secretary of Defense (McNamara) to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (Nitze)
Source: Washington National Records Center, RG 330, OASD/ISA Vietnam Task Force Files: FRC 75-163, Chronological File-Vietnam-1963. Secret.