186. Letter From the Ambassador in India (Galbraith) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Harriman)1
Dear Averell: When I was back a few weeks ago,2 the President asked me if it would be a good idea for me to tell the representative of Hanoi here that if they ever had any communications to you or to him to use me as a channel. I told him I was a bit reluctant. The representative here is a very low-level figure and it isn’t at all easy for me to communicate with him. Nor do I know of his reliability. We left the matter at that but since no action was involved I never thought to mention it to you.
The President, as you know, is anxious to have lines of communication open against possible need. Yesterday when thinking about Parthasarathiʼs forthcoming visit, it occurred to me that he would be a good channel of communication. Accordingly, without making much of a point of it, I told him that if he ever felt Hanoi had anything to communicate to you or the President they should feel free to do so and could do it through me. I doubt that anything ever comes of this, but I thought you should know.
Yours faithfully,
- Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Harriman Papers, EFGH. Confidential.↩
- See footnote 1, Document 141.↩