Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume VII, Vietnam, September 1968–January 1969

189. Telegram From the President’s Special Assistant (Rostow) to President Johnson in Texas¹

Washington, November 3, 1968, 11:16 p.m.

Cap 82666. Herewith an account of what is about to be leaked out of Saigon.

A. Bunker’s recommendation

B. Secretary Rusk’s recommendation

Saigon 41837

1. Keyes Beech of Chicago Daily News asked see Berger last night saying he had story of last week’s developments from Viet-Nam sources and would like to check it out. Berger and Beech are old friends and Berger said we are unable to say anything. Beech said he knew that but he had detailed and intimate account of what transpired during meetings here of last three weeks and in fairness to us, we ought to have chance to comment if we wished.

2. He came to Berger’s house and Berger listened with horror as he went through pages of notes giving details of meetings going back to October 13 and fragments from joint communiqué, from one of President’s letters to Thieu, Lam’s cable misrepresenting Harriman’s remarks, the aborted cessation announcement of Oct 14/16, exchanges during marathon session including Thieu-Berger exchange, issues raised, etc. Much of info was accurate, although given in distorted frame. Much was slanted or erroneous.

3. Beech said he talked with a number of persons including Ky, but from contents it is clear that main source was Ky.

4. Berger called me to join them, and Beech went over his material again with me. It was impossible to let him publish in this distorted form and it was useless asking to suppress, since Vietnamese are leaking to others as well. I corrected flagrant errors and worst distortions and misrepresentations under arrangement that there will be no attributions of any kind to US sources here. But story, with all its gory details, will be damaging in the extreme, especially to them, and complicate our problems.

5. Story will show that by their own account only saving grace is that there was agreement on joint announcement and GVN concurrence in bombing cessation, and they balked at the last minute on grounds they wanted clarification of NLF status and procedures. Beech said he plans to interpret this backing out in terms of their expectation of a Nixon victory and hopes they will find Nixon a hawk. (Comment: Prepared, presumably, to take any measure to press war to victory.)

6. We obviously will never again be able to repose any confidence in Ky, and indeed it is difficult to know how we can deal in future with this govt, given this kind of irresponsibility at top.

7. Story will be filed about 1100 hours local today. When you have story I suggest Bui Diem be called in and protest made in the strongest possible terms. If protest is in written form, suggest copy be sent me which we would leave at the Foreign Office without comment. It is probably advisable not to identify Ky by name since others were talking as well. I do not know whether Thieu himself has been leaking, but it is obvious stories are coming from someone intimately associated with the actual negotiations, and protest can be cast in these terms. We propose not to comment here. If Dept chooses different course, please inform us of what you will say or want us to say.

Saigon 41838

Ref: Saigon 41837

At reception given by Newsweek last night, we learned major part of substance reftel known to US and foreign press. One US bureau chief told us Ky henchman made sudden “courtesy call” on NY Times bureau chief Roberts and used this as means of giving him rundown on events of days and nights prior to President Johnson’s speech. Roberts said he understood similar visits made to other US newsmen by Ky follower. In view this I feel I should give a backgrounder to selected correspondents, unless you feel to the contrary. Please reply flash.

Todel

Ref: Saigon 41837, 41838

You are authorized to proceed with backgrounder or in any other appropriate way as you see fit.²

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Memos to the President/Bombing Halt Decision, Vol. IV [1 of 3]. Secret; Sensitive. Received at the LBJ Ranch in Texas on November 4 at 0411Z. Repeated to Christian. The three messages excerpted in this telegram were transmitted on November 3.
2. In a November 4 memorandum to Rostow, Lou Schwartz of the NSC Staff reported that Bunker had briefed 18 correspondents in Saigon that morning. (Ibid., 6 I, 11/68 Bombing Halt (Reactions, Memos, etc.)) In telegram 26713 to Saigon, repeated to Paris, November 5, the Department reported on Beech’s story as it was printed in the Chicago Daily News and as it was broadcast on television in a report by anchorman Walter Cronkite. (National Archives and Records Administration, RG 59, A/IM Files: Lot 93 D 82, HARVAN-(Outgoing)-November 1968) In telegram 42169 from Saigon, November 7, Bunker reported on a telephone call that Berger had received from Beech: “He charged that Berger and I had somehow interfered with transmission on first day. Berger told him he was absurd, and then said after reading his account, we wondered what his purpose was in coming to us since he had swallowed the GVN’s story hook, line and sinker, and had ignored virtually every fact we had supplied him so that he could write an objective story.” (Ibid.) In telegram 42409 from Saigon, November 11, Bunker noted that Beech later apologized “for his unfortunate accusations.” Bunker added: “We have closed the book on this episode.” (Ibid.)