Office of the Historian
  1. Home
  2. Historical Documents
  3. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume X, Vietnam, January 1973–July 1975
  4. Document 140

140. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State1

Saigon, August 22, 1974, 1046Z.

11119. Subject: Letter From President Thieu to President Ford.

1.
The assistant to the Foreign Minister for Political Affairs August 22 passed us for our information following letter from President Thieu to President Ford which will be delivered in Washington by Ambassador Phuong.
2.
Begin text: Saigon, August 21, 1974. Dear Mr. President,
3.
I am pleased to acknowledge your letter of August 10, 19742 and to renew my wishes for the full success of your mission, which is most important not only to America but also to the rest of the world.
4.
As Your Excellency so aptly put it, we have traveled a long and hard road together during the past twenty five years. During this historic journey, many fine young men of both nations had given their lives and we shall see to it that their supreme sacrifice would not have been made in vain. This means that a genuine peace must be secured and that the sacred right of the South Vietnamese people to self determination must be preserved.
5.
In that noble endeavour, I can assure you that the Government of the Republic of Viet-Nam has done its utmost to respect and implement the Paris Agreement. The only obstacle to peace and to a political solution of the Viet-Nam problem resides in the stubborn and bellicose attitude of the North Vietnamese who do not renounce to their scheme of forcible conquest of South Viet-Nam yet. To overcome that obstacle, we must show the Communist side that there is no hope for them either to break the will of the South Vietnamese people or to undermine the support of the U.S. for the Republic of Viet-Nam.
8.
Your assurances about the continuity of American policy towards Viet-Nam and about the adequate amount of military and economic aid that we could get in the end are most helpful in that respect. I strongly hope that future actions by the U.S. Congress will further convince the Communist side of our common determination and steadfastness of purpose, thus bringing peace that much nearer. Sincerely, (signed) Thieu. End text.
Lehmann
  1. Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy Files. Confidential; Exdis.↩
  2. See footnote 2, Document 134.↩