350. Editorial Note
At President Johnsonʼs instruction, General Maxwell Taylor and Clark M. Clifford, both advisers to the President, undertook a mission to meet with the heads of government of the Republic of Vietnam, Thailand, New Zealand, and Korea to exchange views on the war in South Vietnam and to stress the need for greater allied effort, especially in contributions of allied ground forces. The mission lasted from July 22 to August 5, 1967. In an August 5 report to the President, Clifford and Taylor stated that they urged the Thais to add 10,000 men to their present commitment of 2,500. Cliffordʼs and Taylorʼs impression was that if the Thais were given time to raise these troops without disrupting other units in the army charged with the defense of Thailand, they would provide the additional 10,000 troops. Clifford and Taylor indicated that the Thai forces should receive the same kind of U.S. support already afforded Republic of Korea troops in South Vietnam to avoid a double standard. The full report is in the Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, 5 D (1), Allies: Troop Commitments. It is scheduled for publication in part in Foreign Relations, 1964–1968, volume V.