150. Telegram From the Embassy in Vietnam to the Department of State1
1277. For Assistant Secretary Harriman from Nolting. Deptel 1173.2 Your message has been read by all principal officers Task Force Saigon and its importance stressed. We have all been striving for many weeks to prevent and correct the kind of reporting to which you refer, for the reasons given your tel. Will continue do everything possible to keep reporting in perspective, stressing, as we have been doing, fact that US role here is advisory and supporting, and does not involve US direction, control, leadership, or responsibility for Vietnamese struggle. Since receipt Deptel 1006,3 I think we have made headway in enlisting cooperation of majority US press corps here, but there are still certain exceptions. Davis has been working constantly and effectively on this and related problems. Given scope and magnitude US assistance, however, attainment our objectives will require self-discipline on part of press and interest in more accurate and balanced reporting.
Vietnamese themselves invented code word “Binh Minh” (translate “Sunrise”). We taking steps to assure that shorthand names for other GVN operations have indigenous character.
Bigartʼs reference to “large group Americans” inspecting stockade apparently confuses military operation with dedication ceremony of Cu Chi strategic village. No large group Americans involved in either, but about a dozen Americans, representatives of civilian agencies as well as military, attended dedication ceremony Cu Chi March 28 on invitation GVN. Numbers were deliberately held down below those invited.
All members team Saigon will continue do their utmost on this problem.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 951K.6211/4-1762. Secret Priority. Repeated to CINCPAC for Polad.↩
- Document 145.↩
- Document 75.↩