Office of the Historian

71. Telegram From the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (Smith) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy), at Saigon1

Washington, February 4, 1965, 3:31 p.m.

CAP 65030. Saigon for McGeorge Bundy—deliver opening of business. For your information, President reacted sharply to UPI report from Saigon2 saying Khanh appeared to be snubbing you by turning down invitation to Friday3 reception for Vietnamese military leaders at Westmoreland’s home.

The President told me that assuming this was true, we should start looking hard for someone who could replace Khanh. He would like you to get full rundown on possible replacements. (We did not then have Embtel 2400.)4 I listened and then explained how you were handling postponement of call on Khanh (Embtel 2399).5

Subject did not come up in President’s press conference.6 State is cabling text of President’s comments on Vietnam and on your mission.

  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, International Meetings and Travel File, McGeorge Bundy—Saigon, Vol. I. Top Secret. Repeated to the CIA for McCone. The date and time stamped on the source text indicate that it was received in Saigon on the morning of February 5, although the hour is illegible.↩
  2. The text of the UPI bulletin was quoted in telegram 1617 to Saigon, February 5. (Department of State, Central Files, POL 7 US/Bundy)↩
  3. February 5.↩
  4. Document 68.↩
  5. Document 67.↩
  6. For the transcript of the President’s press conference on February 4 at 11:20 a.m. in the White House, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965, Book I, pp. 131–139.↩