209. Telegram From the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Hoover) to the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (Smith)1
Embassy of Vietnam.
On November ten instant a confidential source who has furnished reliable information in the past learned that Ambassador Bui Diem was [Page 606] in touch with President Thieu and advised him that Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen of Illinois had come to see him today on behalf of both President Johnson and President elect Richard M. Nixon2 and that Dirksen had assured Ambassador Diem that the U.S. could give positive assurances that: one, there would be no coalition, and two, there would be no recognition of the NLF as a separate entity.
Ambassador reported that Dirksen emphasized several times that he was speaking on behalf of both President Johnson and Nixon.
The Ambassador said he had told Dirksen that the Government of Viet Nam’s reasons for not attending the Paris conference were based on its own interests and had nothing to do with the internal political situation in the U.S., vis-à-vis a Nixon victory at the polls or anything of that nature.
President Thieu confirmed that this is true.
Ambassador said that Dirksen assured him that U.S. policy will remain the same under Nixon; that Dirksen feared there might be some misunderstanding, but that there should be no misunderstanding about that.
Ambassador said he told Dirksen it was not a matter of (at this point informant was unable to furnish exact words of Thieu), but that it is the basic point of his government and is a reaction to the statement made here: that they did not think of it in terms of U.S. policy.
Ambassador reported that Dirksen said that the Vietnam President could consider this an unequivocal assurance on these two points: no coalition, and no recognition of the NLF as a separate entity. Ambassador continued that Dirksen said that Thieu could base his [Page 607] actions on this absolute assurance on these two points in considering the matter of Paris.
President Thieu asked, Can they make these assurances in some explicit way?
Ambassador said, Probably yes, I’ve talked to Bundy about this and Bundy said if it is necessary it could probably be done.3
Thieu said, As far as the problem is concerned, on the part of the Vietnamese population there has been a distrust of the U.S., some distrust which comes from having the Front represented at Paris. Thieu said that the U.S. should not do anything to encourage the Communists, and that the more the U.S. can say, the better, because the NLF follows closely what the U.S. says.
Ambassador said, I told Bundy that and Bundy said that they will do whatever is necessary.
Thieu said, The Communists are claiming it is a four delegation conference. Why doesn’t the U.S. deny that?
Thieu continued that if the U.S. would give assurances on the two conditions mentioned and on a third point (at this point informant was unable to furnish exact words of Thieu).
Thieu said that the lack of agreement has been based on principle and was not meant to sabotage the talks. Thieu said that the attitude of the U.S. has created mistrust in Vietnam on the part of the Vietnamese people.
Thieu continued that the assurances on the part of the Americans must have two aspects: one, there should be positive assurances such as the Ambassador has mentioned and two (at this point informant was unable to furnish exact words of Thieu).
Thieu continued that those are two aspects which should reassure public opinion here, in Vietnam, that the Americans will not pull out.
Ambassador asked if he could return to Vietnam to consult Thieu.
Thieu replied (at this point informant was unable to furnish exact words of Thieu) or in a few days?
Ambassador indicated he understands.
- Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, Memos to the President/Bombing Halt Decision, Vol. V. Secret; Priority; No Foreign Dissemination. Received at 1225Z. In an attached memorandum transmitting a copy of this telegram to the President, November 10, 10:55 a.m., Rostow noted: “It looks as though with no coalition and no recognition of the NLF as a separate entity—points Thieu had all along—he is ready to go.” Rostow added: “Bui Diem has called the State Department’s Vietnam Desk officer (John Burke). He reported that he had spoken to Thieu about his conversation with Dirksen. He reported also, with the points about coalition and no separate entity assured, he believes Thieu will be ready to move to Paris after suitable statements are drafted. Bui Diem will be coming in to see Bundy this afternoon. Bui Diem plans to return to Saigon shortly.” As a postscript, Rostow added: “The Bui Diem-Thieu conversation, over an open line, we can probably assume was meant to be heard.” For the subsequent discussion between Bundy and Bui Diem, see Document 210.↩
- The President discussed the Dirksen-Diem conversation of 8:30 a.m. on November 9 in two telephone conversations with Rusk that same day. In a 10:35 a.m. call, Johnson told Rusk what had happened immediately before the Dirksen-Diem meeting: “Well, Bui Diem called your desk officer, and said that Dirksen was coming in to see him today, and what advice did the State Department have. Bill Bundy told the desk officer to tell him he didn’t have any. Walt just told me.” He later added: “So, Bui Diem called y’all and said, ‘What advice do you have for me?’ I’d let Bui Diem not know what Dirsken’s going to talk about except that he can say confidentially that Mansfield’s coming in to see the President today and the President thinks that Mansfield’s going to tell him that nobody in Congress is going to support this war one more step if they won’t go.” (Johnson Library, Recordings and Transcripts, Recording of Telephone Conversation Between Johnson and Rusk, November 9, 1968, 10:35 a.m., Tape F6812.02, PNO 15) The earlier discussion between Johnson and Rusk on the same subject occurred at 8:31 a.m. (Ibid., November 9, 1968, 8:31 a.m., Tape F6812.02, PNO 16) Johnson met with Mansfield in an off-the-record session at the White House from 1:55 to 2:35 p.m., followed by an off-the-record lunch among the President, Mansfield, Rusk, Clifford, and Rostow. (Ibid., President’s Daily Diary) Notes of these meetings have not been found. For further discussion of the Dirksen-Diem meeting at the South Vietnamese Embassy, see Bui Diem with David Chanoff, In the Jaws of History (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987), pp. 244-245, and William P. Bundy, A Tangled Web: The Making of Foreign Policy in the Nixon Administration (New York: Hill and Wang, 1998), pp. 48-49.↩
- See Document 176.↩