Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume III, Vietnam, June–December 1965

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

Saigon, December 17, 1965.

2172. Eyes only for Bundy.

1. I received word from Mission officer that a man purporting to be connected with the Viet Cong had said that a V.C. attempt to approach me had been unsuccessful because I was apparently not interested.

2. This was so much the reverse of the truth that I told Archbishop Palmas about it so that he would be in a position to clear up any misunderstanding. He vouched for the complete lack of basis for such an idea. On the contrary, he said I had always made it clear that I was interested.

3. In fact, Archbishop Palmas will tell his “former Minister” when he sees him that he feels that he had not been dealt with in a correct manner.

4. Palmas assumes that either his “former Minister” has been cheated and deceived by the V.C. or there has been an intervention from the north to quash separate peace making activities from among the Viet Cong. A sign of this can be found in the new Viet Cong flag which now contains the hammer and sickle.

Lodge

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Nodis; Priority. The source text does not indicate a time of transmission; the telegram was received at 8:04 a.m.