Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume II, Vietnam, 1962

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

Saigon, April 20, 1962—6 p.m.

1330. Our 1309.² Contains verbatim text. Following statements have come out of Hanoi past two days on international consultations or conference on Vietnam:

1) On April 18 at close long report to current session DRV National Assembly on US “Colonial War” in South Vietnam and the “just fight” of the South Vietnamese people, Deputy Nguyen Van Vinh stated:

“Of late world opinion has paid attention to seeking measures to check war and maintain peace in Indo-China—the proposal for reconvening the Geneva conference, for instance. US have had to talk of international conference on SVN question. But they want to take advantage of this conference to slander Vietnamese people and give fig leaf to their acts of aggression in South Vietnam.

“Since Geneva agreements have been sabotaged more and more seriously by US and Ngo Dinh Diem, it is very necessary to reconvene Geneva conference to discuss Vietnamese question. But this must aim at checking US intervention and fully achieving sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of Vietnamese people in keeping with spirit of 1954 Geneva agreements on Indo-China”.

Vinh report also welcomes initiatives of bloc, Sihanouk and “certain political circles in Britain, India, France and elsewhere, aiming to maintain peace in Vietnam and Indo-China”.

Vinh is also chairman of National Reunification Commission, post of Ministerial rank in DRV Council of Ministers, HC [as?] well as Major General and Vice Minister of National Defense. He regularly reports to DRV National Assembly on reunification question. While he apparently spoke in capacity as Deputy, executive position he holds would make it appear international conference proposal on verge becoming official DRV policy.

2) Hanoi “Voice of Vietnam Radio” April 19 broadcast commentary welcoming recent suggestion of Sihanouk for international conference on Vietnam and stating it deserves serious consideration. Commentary also refers to DRV FonMin note March 15 to Geneva cochairman calling for consultations (our 1197³).

3) DRV Foreign Office spokesman in statement April 19 criticizing British note of April 16 to USSR on Vietnam situation reiterated passage in DRV Foreign Ministerʼs March 15 note to co-chairmen requesting international conference.

Comment:DRV seems quite evidently to be moving close to call for international conference. Believe this further points up urgency putting forth US position vis-à-vis conference as proposed reference telegram.

Trueheart

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 751K.00/4-2062. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to Phnom Penh, London, Paris, CINCPAC for Polad, Moscow, Vientiane Bangkok, Geneva for FECON, New Delhi, Taipei, Manila, and Ottawa.
2. Document 158.
3. Dated March 20, it reported that, although the DRV had not actually called for a new international conference on Vietnam, it had come close to doing so on several occasions, among them the March 15 note to the 1954 Conference co-chairmen. (Department of State, Central Files, 751K.5/3-2062)