165. Memorandum From the Ambassador to Laos (Sullivan) to Acting Secretary of State Ball

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret. Sullivan was in Washington for consultations.

166. Memorandum From Senator Mike Mansfield to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Name File, Senator Mansfield. No classification marking.

167. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Flash; Nodis. The source text does not indicate the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 12:06 p.m. Passed to the White House and to Canberra, where Rusk was attending the SEATO and ANZUS Council meetings. In telegram 1961 to Saigon, July 6, the Department of State indicated that all messages dealing with the “Italian-Polish approach on Viet Nam” were to be slugged with the code name Marigold. (Ibid.) The telegram is printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 237–239. Many subsequent telegrams concerning Marigold are printed, in whole or in part, ibid., pp. 241–370, and are summarized in a 90-page “Chronology of Marigold,” prepared by the Department of State in 1967. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Box 147, Marigold Chronology)

168. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Priority; Nodis. Drafted by U. Alexis Johnson and approved by Ball. Repeated to Canberra for Rusk.

169. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Priority; Nodis. The source text does not indicate the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 6:03 a.m. Printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 241–242.

170. Editorial Note

171. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Komer) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, vol. LVI. Secret.

172. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Top Secret; Priority; Nodis. Repeated to Manila, where Rusk was meeting with President Marcos, and passed to the White House.

173. Telegram From the Department of State to Secretary of State Rusk, in Kyoto, Japan

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Secret; Immediate; Nodis. Drafted by U. Alexis Johnson and Ball and approved by Ball. From July 4 to July 7 Rusk attended meetings of the U.S.-Japan Committee on Trade and Economic Affairs in Kyoto and Tokyo. Rusk approved the course of action proposed in this telegram in telegram Secto 113 to Katzenbach, July 6. In telegram 2673 to Tokyo, July 7, Ball informed Rusk that the President had approved the script and added that it was felt that, carefully nurtured, the approach might develop into something. Neither telegram has been found; telegram 2673 is printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, p. 243, and both telegrams are summarized in the Marigold Chronology prepared by the Department of State in 1967. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Box 147, Marigold Chronology)

174. Memorandum From George Carver of the Vietnamese Affairs Staff, Central Intelligence Agency, to Director of Central Intelligence Helms

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI Executive Registry, Job 80–B01676R, V–1, 1966 (May-Dec.), Vietnam. Secret.

175. National Intelligence Estimate

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, O/DDI Registry, Job 79–R01012A. Top Secret; Controlled Dissem/Sensitive; No Dissem Abroad. The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of NSA and the Departments of State and Defense participated in the preparation of the estimate. The estimate was submitted by the Director of Central Intelligence and concurred in by all the members of the U.S. Intelligence Board, except for the Assistant General Manager of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, who abstained on grounds that the subject was outside their jurisdiction.

176. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President—Walt W. Rostow, vol. 8. Confidential. Drafted by Rostow en route by airplane from Los Angeles, where he had attended the Governors Conference, to Washington, and transmitted from the White House to the President in Texas at 6:21 p.m.

177. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Consultant (Taylor) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Box 260, Gen. Taylor. Top Secret. On July 11 Rostow forwarded Taylorʼs memorandum to the President and, at the Presidentʼs request, to Rusk and McNamara. In his covering memorandum to the President, Rostow indicated that he and Taylor had been “going into the negotiating question quite deeply” but that there were “some critical gaps.” He proposed to formulate these gaps into “key unanswered questions” in consultation with Taylor, submit them to the Departments of State and Defense, and later schedule a meeting for the President to review the planning. (Ibid.) The President indicated his approval on Rostowʼs covering memorandum, resulting in the preparation of Document 178.

178. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Rostow) to Secretary of State Rusk and Secretary of Defense McNamara

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET. Top Secret. Benjamin Read forwarded the memorandum to Ball, U. Alexis Johnson, and William Bundy on July 14 under cover of a memorandum stating that Rusk “has asked me to get your succinct private views on this matter.” (Ibid.) For background information on Rostowʼs memorandum, see footnote 1, Document 177.

179. Memorandum for the Record

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/ELMTREE. Top Secret; Sensitive. Drafted by U. Alexis Johnson. In a July 20 letter to Bohlen, Johnson indicated that messages concerning the contact described in the memorandum printed here would be slugged “Elm Tree.” (Ibid.)

180. Memorandum From William Jorden of the National Security Council Staff to the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Rostow)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, vol. LVI. Secret. Copies were sent to William Bundy and Moyers.

181. Memorandum From Director of Central Intelligence Helms to the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Komer)

Source: Central Intelligence Agency, DCI Executive Registry, Job 80–B01676R, V–1, 1966 (May-Dec.), Vietnam. Secret.

182. Telegram From the Embassy in France to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Exdis. Repeated to Saigon, Vientiane, Hong Kong, and Moscow. Rostow forwarded the text of telegram 1022 to the President on July 22 under cover of a memorandum stating that he agreed that “our best chance for making negotiating progress is through very secret talks with Hanoi.” (Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President—Walt W. Rostow, vol. 9)

183. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Exdis. Rostow forwarded the text of telegram 1631 to the President at 4:35 p.m. on July 22. (Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President—Walt W. Rostow, vol. 9) Also passed to CIA and Defense.

184. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Canada

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Top Secret; Priority; Exdis. Drafted by Miller, cleared by William Bundy and McNaughton, and approved by U. Alexis Johnson. Also sent to New Delhi, Warsaw, and London, and repeated to Saigon, Moscow, Vientiane, Bangkok, Paris, CINCPAC for POLAD, and COMUSMACV.

185. Telegram From the Ambassador and Deputy Ambassador to Vietnam (Lodge and Porter) to Director of Central Intelligence Helms and the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Komer)

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Komer Files, Back Channel Cables. Secret; Eyes Only. Received in Washington via CIA communications facilities and transmitted by CIA to the White House at 0800Z on July 23.

186. Intelligence Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, vol. LVI. Secret; No Foreign Dissem. Issued by the Directorate of Intelligence.

187. Memorandum Prepared by the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Johnson)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/ELMTREE. Top Secret; Sensitive. Copies were sent to the President and Sturm.

188. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 14 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Limdis. Drafted by William Bundy and Miller, cleared in substance by Rusk, and approved by Harriman. Repeated to CINCPAC for POLAD.

189. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Marigold. The source text does not indicate the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 9:25 a.m. Printed in part in Herring, Secret Diplomacy of the Vietnam War, pp. 248–249.

190. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27–14 VIET/MARIGOLD. Secret; Immediate; Nodis; Marigold. The source text does not indicate the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 9:45 a.m. During a telephone conversation at 11:10 a.m. on July 24, Rostow told Rusk that he had “left the negative Marigold cables upstairs for the Pres. to read”; Rostow also said that “his reflection this morning had been re press leak” and he wondered “if on next round it wouldnʼt be wiser for direct approach.” (Ibid., Rusk Files: Lot 72 D 192, Telcons)

191. Intelligence Memorandum Prepared in the Central Intelligence Agency

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, vol. LVI. Secret; No Foreign Dissem; Background Use Only. Issued by the Directorate of Intelligence. Helms forwarded a copy of the memorandum to Moyers on July 25 under cover of a memorandum stating that “After your call to me last week indicating that we had ‘a hard mandate’ from Higher Authority to collect information on North Vietnam, I thought it would be advisable to get together for you what up-to-date information we now have on the subject.” (Ibid.) In a July 20 memorandum to the Deputy Director for Plans, Helms indicated that, according to Moyers, the President was particularly interested in the intentions of North Vietnamʼs “leadership with respect to waging the war, the American prisoners, etc.” (Central Intelligence Agency, DCI (Helms) Files, Job 80–B01285A, Chrono, Jul-Dec 1966)

192. Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson

Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, vol. LVI. Secret. The source text is marked with an indication that the President saw it.

193. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Nodis. The source text does not give the time of transmission; the telegram was received at 10:04 a.m., and Rostow forwarded the text to the President at 6.45 p.m. (Memorandum from Rostow to the President, July 27; Johnson Library, National Security File, Memos to the President—Walt W. Rostow, vol. 9)

194. Telegram From the Embassy in Thailand to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Limdis.