176. Editorial Note

In an April 4, 1962, memorandum to President Kennedy, Ambassador to India John Kenneth Galbraith urged that Assistant Secretary of State Harriman “be instructed to approach the Russians to express our concern about the increasingly dangerous situation that the Viet Cong is forcing in Southeast Asia. They should be told of our determination not to let the Viet Cong overthrow the present government while at the same time to look without relish on the dangers that this military build-up is causing in the area. The Soviets should be asked to ascertain whether Hanoi can and will call off the Viet Cong activity in return for phased American withdrawal, liberalization in the trade relations between the two parts of the country and general and non-specific agreement to talk about reunification after some period of tranquillity.” In a memorandum to the President dated the same day, Ambassador at Large Chester Bowles recommended that the U.S. “make known through a third party our willingness to negotiate with the Russians or others” on the basis of “specific political terms” that were “acceptable to us and to South Vietnam.” For text of both memoranda, see Foreign Relations, 1961–1963, volume II, pages 297303.