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  4. Document 21

21. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam 1

Washington , January 29, 1964—7:47 p.m.

1149. For Ambassador. We have so little info on motivations and other factors involved in current crisis that we leave to your judgment how to handle. Meantime we trust you will make very clear through your actions that we had nothing to do with coup. If you consider it advisable and possible there would seem to us to be merit in preserving Minh as head of Government since he appears to have best potentialities for rallying support of people.

Ball
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Flash; Limdis. Drafted by Marshall Green; cleared by Forrestal, Mendenhall, and Rusk, who resumed to the Department of State at 6:25 p.m.; and approved by Harriman.↩