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

246. Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations European Office to the Department of State¹

Geneva, December 27, 1965.

1106. For Secretary. Subj: Quaker Committee meeting with DRV rep in Paris.²

1. Duncan Wood of Friends Service Committee told me today that meeting with Mai Van Bo on 21st in Paris not productive. Wood and Wolfe Mendel spent about hour with Bo, who rather ill at ease.

2. Bo had no response re Quaker offer aid to DRV, promised to let Committee know when or if received. When Wood raised question political situation in Viet Nam, Bo switched conversation to discussion differences family life in England, France.

3. Wood: “The time of our meeting could hardly have been worse, after the Italians’ disclosure and especially after Chou En-Lai’s speech.”

Tubby

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27-14 VIET. Secret; Nodis. The source text does not indicate a time of transmission; the telegram was received at 2:33 p.m.
2. Prior to the December 21 meeting with Mai Van Bo, Duncan Wood of the American Friends Service Committee called on Tubby in Geneva and asked if there was anything the United States wanted passed to Mai Van Bo. Tubby was noncommittal, but noted that the previous meeting on November 16 was discouraging. (Telegram 1063 from Geneva, December 20; ibid., POL 27-14 VIET S) Accounts of the November 16 meeting are in telegram 925 to Geneva, December 1; telegram 960 from Geneva, December 2; and telegram 2563 from London, December 4. (All ibid.)