Office of the Historian

140. Memorandum for the Record1

Washington, May 16, 1966.

SUBJECT

  • Meeting with the President on Viet-Nam, May 16, 1966

ATTENDING

  • The President
  • Secretary Rusk
  • Secretary McNamara
  • Under Secretary Ball
  • Ambassador Lodge
  • Mr. Moyers
  • Mr. Rostow
  • Mr. Komer
  • General Taylor
  • Mr. Bell
  • Admiral Raborn
  • Mr. Helms
  • Mr. Bundy
  • Mr. McNaughton
  • Mr. Leonhart
  • Mr. Jorden

Secretary Rusk described current situation. Main new item was report of formation of revolutionary committee including Generals Thi, [Page 389] Dinh, Nhuan and Don. Emphasis was on need to work on all elements to encourage Vietnamese political solidarity.

Ambassador Lodgeʼs schedule:

  • House Committee on Foreign Affairs—3:00 pm
  • Backgrounder for press—5:00 pm
  • Dinner with President—8:15 pm
  • Depart for Seoul and Saigon Tuesday2

Bill Moyers read proposed statement for the press.3 Approved with minor changes.

Discussion of non-military programs:

  • Komer outlined major problems.
  • General agreement on overall approach.
  • Defense has agreed to take steps to reduce the impact of military outlays.
  • Port congestion is major headache, particularly Saigon. Ambassador Porter has come in with negative reaction. MACV says it does not have necessary manpower.

Two steps were agreed: get coordinated position from Mission in Saigon, and get report from MACV on what kinds and numbers of manpower and other materiel would be needed for U.S. military operation of port.

President said we should “get recommendation and letʼs move.”

Short discussion of package on monetary and fiscal policy. Need for effective sanctions stressed.

Ambassador Lodge stressed need for care in kinds of pressure and for our willingness to carry through. He also pointed out his desire to combine granting help for GVNʼs desired programs with putting pressure on for reforms.

Three programs noted as GVN preferences: wage increases, supply stores for military and others, and land reform.

Ambassador Lodge also expressed desire to get increased American control over expenditures and programs, perhaps through requirement for “one American signature” on all such items along with Vietnamese.

Mr. Bell also underlined inflation problem and need for corrective action but also firm decision by U.S. on how far it willing to go in exerting pressure.

Need for manpower controls agreed with Defense.

Land reform planning moving forward but we are waiting for results of a study on this matter from Mission in Saigon.

WJJ
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, vol. LIII. Secret. Prepared by Jorden and sent to Rostow. The meeting was held in the Cabinet Room from 12:20 to 1:05 p.m. (Ibid., Presidentʼs Daily Diary) On May 12 and again on May 14 Rostow forwarded briefing papers to the President for the meeting, one by Komer on coping with inflation and a second by Unger on “Principles Governing U.S. Operations Concerning Elections and Constitutional Assembly in South Viet-Nam.” (Ibid., Memos to the President—Walt W. Rostow, vol. 2)↩
  2. May 17.↩
  3. Not further identified.↩