Office of the Historian

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

Washington, November 13, 1963—6:17 p.m.

781. At your discretion you may wish reassure GVN that New York Times Nov 10 editorial and Reston column few days earlier suggesting new negotiated settlement of Vietnam problem do not represent US Government policy.

Our policy remains as outlined by President Kennedy in December 1961:

“The United States, like the Republic of Vietnam, remains devoted to the cause of peace and our primary purpose is to help [South Vietnam’s] people maintain their independence. If the Communist authorities in North Vietnam will stop their campaign to destroy the Republic of Vietnam, the measures we are taking to assist [South Vietnam’s] defense efforts will no longer be necessary.”2 This policy reaffirmed by Secretary at Nov 8 press conference.3

Our goal is thus to return to cease-fire established by 1954 Geneva Accords. If Hanoi will cease and desist in subversive aggression against RVN, and GVN is thereby enabled extend its authority throughout South Vietnam, US will withdraw its forces from South Vietnam because reason for their presence and support of GVN will have ceased exist.

We see no necessity for international negotiations as suggested by Times to return to a peaceful SVN free of attempted subversion from outside. Within concept US policy as outlined by President we cannot [Page 600] envisage any points that would be negotiable. Good faith of our withdrawal intentions has already been established by announcement we shall withdraw 1,000 US military personnel by end 1963.

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 1 S VIET-US. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Mendenhall and cleared by Hilsman and Forrestal. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD, London, Paris, Bangkok, Ottawa, New Delhi, Vientiane, and Phnom Penh. See Document 311 for the suggestion that this cable be sent.↩
  2. The quote is from a letter from Kennedy to Diem, dated December 14 but released December 15, 1961, the full text of which is printed in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy, 1961, p. 801. All brackets are in the source text.↩
  3. See footnote 5, Document 311.↩