Office of the Historian

29. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Vietnam1

Washington, February 1, 1964—1:54 p.m.

1166. CINCPAC for POLAD. Saigon pass COMUSMACV for Harkins. Your 1451.2

1.

New Prime Minister. We inclined toward view that it better unite Chairmanship MRC and Premiership in Khanh as single individual to promote maximum efficiency in conduct of government.

If this done, Khanh should appoint separate personalities as Minister Defense and Chief Joint General Staff to insure that each of these important positions is receiving full-time attention by capable individuals.

If you or Khanh believes Khanh should not hold Premiership, you might suggest possibility of Tran Quoc Buu, President CVTC, as personality with political savvy and ability to attract popular support to government.

2.
French Presence in Viet-Nam. Should be made absolutely clear to Khanh that we are not in position replace French economic, financial, medical, or cultural role in Viet-Nam. Suggest you give Khanh summary your 14163 to drive home full impact of what involved. In view current attitudes on aid in U.S. we are hard-pressed to furnish assistance now required for support of counterinsurgency program in all its aspects.

Khanh should therefore be strongly counseled to avoid any actions which would jeopardize French presence in fields indicated.4 While we realize he has political problem, he should meet it by means which will not lead to strong French retaliation. This might consist of continued refusal agree to French Ambassador or reduction in size French diplomatic establishment.

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S. Secret; Priority; Limdis. Drafted on January 31 by Mendenhall; cleared by Koren, Green, the substance of paragraph 1 by Blouin, and the substance of paragraph 2 by Stoneman; and approved by Harriman. Repeated to CINCPAC. The White House copy is published in Declassified Documents, 1975, 215D.↩
  2. Document 24.↩
  3. See footnote 5, Document 24.↩
  4. In telegram 1473 from Saigon, February 3, Lodge “entirely agreed that we are in no position to replace French economic, financial, medical or cultural role in Vietnam and have made this very clear.” (Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 VIET S)↩