70. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State1

860. CINCPAC for POLAD. Deptel 9112 greatly appreciated. If Thuan has been unable to overcome main objection to counterinsurgency fund described Embtel 8523 on basis arguments already advanced, warnings and assurances contained reftel should be most useful in my next meeting with him, Nhu or Diem. To make point even more emphatic, plan tell them also that further procurement and shipment of hamlet kit materials (barbed wire, etc.),PL 480 and AID dollar procurement items for hamlets would not seem justified unless there is adequate piaster fund to go with them, and agreed procedures for their effective use.

Harkin and Brent concur.

Nolting
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, AID(US) S VIET. Secret; Limit Distribution. Repeated to CINCPAC.
  2. Document 69.
  3. Document 68.