Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume III, Vietnam, June–December 1965

179. Memorandum From the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy) to President Johnson¹

Washington, October 22, 1965.

Attached is a report on progress of our non-military programs in Vietnam.² I’m afraid it is long and somewhat turgid, but our activities are so wide and comprehensive in this field that it is difficult to tell you anything meaningful without going into some detail.

In essence, we are making perceptible progress on a broad front—from inflationary curbs to nurse recruitment, from police training to agricultural experiment stations. Our problems are formidable: the difficulty of communication from the capital to the province towns and from these centers to the countryside; the increasing flow of refugees; the shortages of skilled manpower; the thin administrative resources of the GVN. But I am convinced that each of these are being tackled aggressively.

We will keep you informed periodically.

McGeorge Bundy³

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Vietnam, 41-Point Program in Non-Military Sphere in SVN. Secret.
2. Attached but not printed.
3. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.